Shaquille O’Neal Gives Dwight Howard “Flowers” at HOF Induction After Burying the Hatchet in Long-Standing Feud

When it comes to big-man beef, few NBA rivalries carried the same mix of pride and pettiness as Shaquille O’Neal vs. Dwight Howard, and that was one of the focal talking points heading into the weekend, when Howard was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

What started as a playful back-and-forth over who really owned the title of “Superman” quickly turned into years of jabs. Shaq, the most dominant center of his era, was not exactly thrilled about Howard trying to follow in his footsteps. And Howard, never one to back down, made sure to fire back whenever Shaq turned up the heat.

It was surprising when Howard asked Shaq to be the one to mark his Hall of Fame induction. Not only did this squash the beef, but it also made Shaq admit that all the tough talk over the years was only to motivate Howard. And he believed it worked, something he told the world earlier tonight.

The four-time NBA champion reiterated his point at the Hall of Fame ceremony. While speaking with Dennis Scott, Shaq showed off his flowered blazer and revealed that he chose that jacket specifically for Howard.

“Why am I wearing this blazer? Because I’m finally giving flowers. Mr. Dwight Howard,” Shaq stated. “It’s big for him, it’s big for his family, it’s big for the Big Man Alliance, for which I am the reigning president. It’s big, I’m happy for him.”

Shaq later addressed their so-called rivalry and how it was just a tactic of his leadership style. “It wasn’t that we had a problem. You know my leadership style. I learned it from you,” Shaq told Scott.

“I’m hard on guys to motivate them. Some people can take it, some people can’t. But when we met I told him ‘It’s no hard feelings.’ I just did that to make him angry. Whenever I made him angry he played well.”

Again, this was not a monumental revelation from O’Neal. He will continue to “press” players he likes because that is just who he is. Shaq is as much a dedicated prankster and pot stirrer as he is a kind and generous individual. Still, it is nice that the feud with Howard has finally come to an end.

Dwight Howard’s thoughts on Shaq rivalry

A few years ago, Howard and Shaq would not have let an opportunity to take jabs at each other pass so easily, especially on a stage. But that moment has passed. Both now believe that this “rivalry” made Howard a better player, one who retired as an eight-time All-Star and an NBA champion, and one of the best big men the league has seen in recent decades.

Howard himself shared how good it feels to finally have their somewhat public tiff behind them. “I don’t think none of it was for cameras. I’m not in the business of trying to do anything for show,” the former Los Angeles Lakers man said to Brandon Robinson in a recent interview.

“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,” Howard added.

“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.: 

What started as playful jabs and a battle for the “Superman” crown has finally settled into mutual respect. Shaq, one of the greatest centers of all time, gave Howard his flowers. Howard got his Hall of Fame moment, and fans got to see two men amicably bury the hatchet.

The beef might have been fun while it lasted, but it is clear now that it was never that deep. In the end, both big men carved out their own legacies, and the game is better for it.