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NBA Legend Dwight Howard Makes Feelings Clear on Shaquille O’Neal

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 1:23 PM ET

Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal are two of the most dominant big men in NBA history, often compared and contrasted throughout their careers. O’Neal set the gold standard for modern centers, winning four NBA championships and earning a reputation as one of the game’s most unstoppable forces. Howard followed in his footsteps with his own dominant run, earning multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards and helping the Los Angeles Lakers capture a championship in 2020.

Their relationship was long marked by a public tension that began when Howard adopted the “Superman” persona—an identity closely associated with Shaq. While both stars have since squashed their beef, Howard recently addressed where things stand between the two.

Dwight Howard Clarifies His Relationship with Shaq

In a recent interview with NBA reporter Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Dwight Howard addressed whether his reconciliation with Shaquille O’Neal was authentic or just staged.

“I don’t think none of it was for cameras,” Howard said. “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.”

Dwight Howard on Shaq: “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… https://t.co/eiYzfRPdWa pic.twitter.com/bMoZUOz8kG
— Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 2, 2025

Howard explained that with his NBA career behind him, there was no reason to let tension linger.

“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.”

Howard also emphasized that his respect for O’Neal extends beyond the court.

“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.”

Years of public jabs defined the relationship between the two former No. 1 overall pick. However, the two recently made peace after Shaq accepted Howard’s request to walk him out at his upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony (h/t Big Podcast With Shaq). Howard would later make a surprise appearance on O’Neal’s podcast weeks later.

Howard will be enshrined as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 (via ESPN's Shams Charania), a capstone on an accomplished career. His resume includes eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA nods, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five rebounding titles, and an NBA championship. He also won Olympic gold with Team USA in 2008. Earlier this year, Howard was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame in March.

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

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