When talking about the best players to ever don an Orlando Magic jersey, names like Tracy McGrady, Penny Hardaway, and Shaquille O’Neal come to mind. But one name that usually gets brushed under the rug is Dwight Howard. So, when asked who the greatest Magic of all time was, Howard just could not help but make a case for himself.
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Dwight Howard recently claimed that he did the same things that Shaq did in Orlando despite being a bit undersized. In a recent episode of Above The Rim with D-12, the veteran center was asked which team he would want to end his career in. Despite winning an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard went with the team that drafted him first overall in 2004.
This kicked off the conversation of who the best Magic player ever was. And that is when Howard said, “You know why they’re gonna say Shaq is the best player. They’re gonna look at the career and say he got more rings.”
But when it came to making a case for himself, D-12 said, “Hell, you’re 7’4. I’m 6’10, doing the same thing Shaq doing…I’m not making no excuses. He did what he did and I love everything that he did but come on, man. As far as whoever was in that Magic jersey, come on man. I’m the best one.”
More often than not, Shaquille O’Neal gets the credit for being the best player ever to don an Orlando Magic jersey. But let’s take a moment to consider the things Dwight Howard did during his time with the Magic.
Not only did Dwight spend more time in Orlando but he won more awards and accolades and is still the leader in points, rebounds, and blocks for the Magic. Howard led the Magic to their second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. Shaq led the team to a playoff appearance thrice in the four years he spent in Orlando.
Dwight Howard on the other hand was with the Magic for eight years and made the playoffs six times. So, while the average may come down to the same number, it isn’t rocket science to conclude that Howard did way more for the Magic than Shaq and yet O’Neal got his jersey retired first.
Why Shaquille O’Neal was so hard on Dwight Howard
Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard weren’t always on the best of terms during their time in the NBA. In fact, the animosity between the two players carried over long after Shaq had retired from the league and had hung his sneakers for good.
Now, there hasn’t been a valid response from either player as to why there was friction between the two. It could’ve been because both players had somewhat of the same career path, being drafted by the Orlando Magic and then going to the Los Angeles Lakers. Or it could’ve been because Howard went on to steal Shaq’s ‘Superman’ moniker in the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
But after years of going back and forth with one another, O’Neal went on record to reveal why he was so hard on Howard.
“I used to love Dwight. He did something I couldn’t do. I wish I could jump that high. I love Dwight Howard. Other people don’t know it…But as a big brother, I ain’t gonna let my little brother slide. Cause I want you to be better than me.”
Shaq revealed the reason he picked on Dwight and was so hard on him was to push him to be the best he could be. Something the entire world mistook for hatred, when in fact, O’Neal only wanted the best for Howard.
