Former No. 1 draft pick Dwight Howard’s legacy will now live on in basketball glory, as it was announced earlier this year that he’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame. To celebrate the massive honor, the eight-time All-Star and former NBA champion is planning to bring a few fellow big men along for the ride.
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Howard took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he wants Kevin Garnett, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and “The Diesel,” Shaquille O’Neal, to walk him out for his Hall of Fame induction. Honestly, you couldn’t ask for a more star-studded escort.
That said, Shaq’s inclusion did raise a few eyebrows. After all, the two have been at each other’s throats for years, with Shaq repeatedly criticizing Howard for taking his “Superman” moniker. Their rivalry may not be on par with Magic vs. Bird — since it never played out on the court — but sometimes, words sting harder than backdowns and slam dunks. Still, it seems Howard is now looking to bury the hatchet.
In an interview after a Big 3 game, Howard spoke about what his soon-to-be induction means to him. “It’s everything. This is what we play for. To be in the Hall of Fame. That’s like going to heaven. I’m thankful for that,” the ex-Los Angeles Lakers star said.
Then, he was asked about Shaq. “Whatever he says will be amazing, and I’m looking forward to that day,” stated Howard, who didn’t seem concerned about what O’Neal might come up with on stage during the biggest night of his professional career. And that’s because it was never a rivalry based on hatred for one another.
Shaq told Lakers coach J.J. Redick on an earlier episode of his podcast that his way of challenging younger guys comes from a place of care. “I actually like Dwight. I’m the current president of the Big Man Alliance,” he told Redick. “And sometimes I will add fuel to the fire to see what kind of people they are.”
Shaq also happily agreed to walk out with Dwight at the Hall of Fame. “I’ll be there, that’s my guy,” he said during a live episode of his Big Podcast.
It just goes to show you that basketball is a game at the end of the day. Sure, there are fierce competitors, but they should have fun with it. No one has ever had more fun than Shaq, and once Dwight saw that, of course, he’d invite the most iconic big man of all time to be part of his special moment.
Some rivalries last forever. But with the benefit of hindsight, we can see this wasn’t one of them. It was just O’Neal trying to motivate a fellow big man. And you know what? It worked.
