Dwight Howard has made some bold claims since his exit from the NBA. However, his recent take on limiting Nikola Jokic might be the most realistic one yet. NBA fans are well aware of the fact that Shaquille O’Neal is no fan of Howard. The two have been beefing for decades now. Despite their on-and-off feud, O’Neal shared a graphic recently on his Instagram Stories, backing Howard’s statements about a hypothetical clash against Jokic.
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Shaquille O’Neal never forgave Howard for stealing his “Superman” moniker. To this day, Shaq mocks the former Orlando Magic star whenever he gets an opportunity to do so. On numerous instances, the four-time NBA Champion has ripped apart the 2020 NBA Champion for playing in Taiwan instead of the NBA.
Shaquille O’Neal seems to agree that a prime Dwight Howard would lock down a prime Nikola Jokic
Dwight Howard recently made a bold claim, stating that a hypothetical contest between Jokic and him, in their prime, would result in the 2023 NBA Champion being limited to minimum output on the floor. The 6ft 10” Center further pointed out that he did manage to lock down the Joker during their 2020 Playoff battle.
“I’m happy for Nikola Jokic. But in 2020, I was stopping this man, and I wasn’t even in my prime. Imagine me in my prime. There would be no question,” Howard said, as per the quote in Shaq’s shared story.
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The former Lakers star is right to a certain extent. During the 2020 Western Conference Finals, the Serbian superstar averaged 21.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. Whereas, Howard played a solid role in helping LeBron James lead the Lakers to a title win.
Shaquille O’Neal, as surprising as it seems, backed a prime Dwight Howard to prevent a prime Jokic from going on a scoring rampage.
Shaq seems to agree with Dwight Howard over his Nikola Jokic statement 🤔 pic.twitter.com/qgzdGmzUPn
— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) September 9, 2023
There’s no doubt that the 37-year-old was one of the greatest shot blockers of the 2000s. Most of the best players of the time had a tough time against the three-time DPOY.
Howard was one of the deadliest defenders in his prime
People seem to have forgotten about Howard’s career as an NBA professional. The eight-time All-Star was one of the most feared Centers of the 2000s and early 2010s, who asserted his command in the paint. Protecting the rim, the big man prevented several superstars from going on a scoring rampage.
To be fair, Nikola Jokic wasn’t in his prime during the 2020 Bubble. Over the next two seasons, the 6ft 11″ Center recorded 26.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists, while being the winner of back-to-back MVP awards. Additionally, Jokic won the Larry O’Brien trophy and the Finals MVP this past campaign.
