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Dwight Howard Mocks Shaquille O'Neal After TNT's Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated May 13, 2025 10:25 PM ET

Shaquille O'Neal missed his second straight NBA playoffs broadcast on Tuesday as TNT provided coverage for two compelling Game 5 matchups.

Ernie Johnson announced on Sunday that O'Neal was going to be absent from the show, and that the Hall of Fame big man was also set to miss Tuesday's program due to other work commitments.

Apparently, O'Neal had to attend a corporate gathering for TNT in New York where he has been tasked to meet with major advertisers and the media.

Sitting in for the Los Angeles Lakers icon for Tuesday's broadcast is fellow Hall of Famer Dwight Howard, who was more than happy to fill the void O'Neal left.

Howard got very comfortable sitting in O'Neal's seat, playfully mocking the long-time TNT analyst while sitting in his chair.

.@DwightHoward is looking reeeaaallllll comfortable in @SHAQ's chair pic.twitter.com/pBKjwQhTvJ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 14, 2025

Howard did his best O'Neal impression, and it is clear that the former Lakers center had a lot of fun doing it as well.

It is worth noting that these two iconic big men have a bit of history between them. They have been going at it for years, with Howard not taking too well to O'Neal's seemingly incessant criticism.

O'Neal and Howard recently cleared the air, though, as the latter guested on O'Neal's "The Big Podcast" where they settled whatever beef they may have had in the past.

O'Neal is expected to be back in his usual seat for the NBA on TNT's NBA playoffs broadcast on Wednesday. It is obvious, though, that Howard enjoys being in front of the camera, so perhaps the three-time Defensive Player of the Year could potentially have a career as a sportscaster in the not-so-distant future.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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