Kobe Bryant shared a hostile relationship with Shaquille O’Neal when they were teammates. But the two buried the hatchet just a few years after their separation and became friends by the tail-end of Bryant’s career.
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However, in 2019, Bryant once again commented upon Shaq’s laziness, prompting speculations that the two are still feuding. Somehow, O’Neal used the situation to drag Dwight Howard into the narrative.
During an interview with Patrick Bet-David, Bryant opined that if Shaq worked as hard as himself, then he’d have been the Greatest of all Time. But then he clarified that there was no beef between him and O’Neal.
On X, the 5x champ revealed that they shared an endearing relationship as they had matured enough to let go of their past animosities. Bryant wrote,
“There is no beef with @SHAQ I know most media want to see it but it ain’t gonna happen. Ain’t nothin but love there and we too old to beef anyway #3peat”
This clarification provided an opening for Shaq to take potshots at Dwight Howard, who is always in his cross-hairs. The 3x Finals MVP deliberately misspelled Howard’s name and pretended Bryant’s comments were aimed at D-12.
Shaq replied, “It’s all good bro, when I saw the interview, I thought you were talking about Dwite, is that how u spell his name lol”.
Mamba didn’t get along with D-12 when they were Lakers teammates, and the two separated after a singular season. Bryant knew that his former teammate was trying to spice things up by inserting Howard into the conversation.
Thus, Bryant was at a loss for words when he came across his reply. He quote-tweeted, “Bruh”
Bruh 🤦🏾♂️💀 https://t.co/ne9xLTdR8y
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) August 28, 2019
Shaq has always taken such wild shots at Dwight Howard out of the blue. He usually gives tough love to the 3x DPOY. He has kept Howard on his radar ever since he snatched the “Superman” moniker from him.
Shaq always puts Howard in a blender
Shaq’s criticism of D-12 became rampant after he joined the Inside the NBA crew in 2011. When Howard left Bryant and his Lakers after just one season in 2013, Shaq claimed that the lights were too bright for Howard in LA. He has always labeled Howard as being soft as a big man.
However, while there were some instances of constructive criticism, Shaq started to target D-12 for the minutest of things. In 2021, when Howard did an impression of O’Neal, the 3x Finals MVP took a shot at his whole career. He responded, “Not bad Dwight Howard, reminds me of your game SO SO”.
In 2022, when the 2020 champion shifted to the Taiwanese basketball scene, O’Neal made a bunch of jokes at his expense. His mean words disheartened Howard, who wrote an emotional message urging him to mend things. Shaq’s mother, Lucille O’Neal scolded him for hurting Howard.
Thus, on his Big Podcast, Shaq apologized to the former NBA athlete. He said, “Mr. Dwight Howard, I owe you apology and I will never hurt your feelings again.”
But Shaq just couldn’t help himself. He continued to take various digs at Howard, despite his apology. It is in line with O’Neal’s stubborn behavior. He just can’t let go of his seemingly mean attitude towards Dwight Howard.
