Dwight Howard Scoffs At Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘Petty’ One Sided Beef With Him

Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard’s rivalry traces back to 2008. After years of petty back-and-forths, the NBA icons appear set for another round. This time, they seem to be arguing over their shared nickname, ‘Superman’.

Although Shaq had long established his claim to this nickname, Howard appeared in the Dunk Contest donning a Superman shirt and a red cape. His bold move paid off as he dominated the competition and won it by some margin. This unofficially marked the moment he unseated O’Neal as the new Superman’ of the league.

Shaq never made peace with the incident. He saw it as an insult to his legacy. Part of his frustration also stemmed from Howard’s refusal to ask for his permission before publicly wearing such a costume. This annoyance became evident during an episode of TNT’s Inside the NBA. ‘The Diesel’ once shouted out in frustration,

“I don’t give a damn what he [Howard] had on, there is only one Superman.”

Years passed, but their stance has remained unchanged. Howard consequently defended his actions during the latest episode of Above the Rim and he stirred the pot even more.

“Why do I have to ask him [Shaq] and not Warner Brothers? They own the damn rights to Superman, not Shaq.”

This mocking remark spread like wildfire. After an NBA fan page posted these comments on Instagram, Shaq took notice. The tension peaked shortly after. O’Neal couldn’t keep his composure anymore, and chaos ensued. He took a direct shot at Howard for never becoming a multiple-time NBA champion like him, commenting,

“U can’t call yourself me and have one ring that you was a role player in getting. It’s only one baby. And he’s said it.”

This prompted Howard into action. He clarified that, unlike ‘The Diesel,’ he never called himself ‘Superman’. It was the fans who labeled him that. He also pointed to his desire to discuss the issue with O’Neal in the past, but Shaq never gave him the chance. Still, he insisted it was water under the bridge now, responding,

“I never call myself you! This is petty. My nickname is ‘DEEBO’! Other people called me Superman & we could’ve talked about whatever issue there is but you got me blocked. But it’s all love Shaq, keep being a legend.”

Howard soon regretted how their relationship had unfolded over the years. He posted a clip of his original remarks from the podcast on X, along with a screenshot of Shaq’s Instagram comment and his subsequent response. The caption read,

“The fact that we can’t end this one sided beef is petty.”

This showcases how Howard is willing to work on their relationship while Shaq has shut the doors on him. This has been the case for years, and it seems likely to stay that way for the rest of their lives.