Dwight Howard Happy To Squash Beef With Shaquille O’Neal

Even though both have moved on now, the beef between Los Angeles Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard was very real for a long time. What started when both were still playing, continued on well after Shaq had retired.

Many believe that the issues started when Howard began using the Superman nickname, which O’Neal had been using for years at that point. Things would escalate over the years with Shaq seeming to take a shot at Howard any chance he got and the latter eventually becoming so angry that he challenged the Lakers legend to a fight on social media.

Howard recently reflected on the issues between he and Shaq in an interview with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson and made it clear that the issues were very real but feels it is time to move on and let bygones be bygones:

“I don’t think none of it was for cameras. I’m not in the business of trying to do anything for show. The beef? I mean, I guess it was real as far as him disliking what I was doing and me disliking him hating on me or whatever you want to call it but, you gotta let bygones be bygones. My time in the NBA is over with, you know? We got the same jacket. We’re in the Hall of Fame so, we just have to respect each other, you know? Shaq came before me and a lot of the bigs so we always pay homage to the ones that came before us and would never disrespect him and what he meant to the game and what he’s done for the game. Away from basketball off the court, you know man to man is different from on the court and all in all I respect him and I’m glad we had an opportunity to talk.”

The two have already squashed the beef as Howard is set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and asked Shaq to be one of the people to induct him. The Lakers legend agreed and they had a conversation to ultimately clear the air between them.

It is great to see that both have moved on from what was a pretty petty beef all things considered. Both are two of the greatest big men in NBA history and the respect they have for one another should never go away.

Dwight Howard says 2020 championship with Lakers was ‘cherry on top’ of his career

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