The beef between Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard lasted 15 years or so. It got so bad that the two Hall of Famers’ mothers got involved to convince their sons to bury the hatchet. The two have now developed a brotherly bond, as Shaq will walk out with Dwight during the latter’s induction into the Hall of Fame. For a time, though, it was brutal. Shaq did everything in his power to attack the man who took his place and nickname in Orlando Magic lore.
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While Shaqtin’ A Fool started as a joke, there was a period where it was all about making Howard look bad. Shaq’s petty side has come out before with many big men, from journeymen like Javale McGee to legends like Hakeem Olajuwon. His ego is massive and yet well-deserved as one of the best to ever play in the NBA.
Dwight joined Shaq’s The Big Podcast to “finally squash the beef.” During the interview, Dwight revealed why he asked Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Garnett to walk him out on stage for his induction ceremony. From contemporaries to legends, it’s an impressive group.
However, it was not Kareem or Shaq that Dwight tried to model himself after. Instead it was the only MVP in Minnesota Timberwolves history that served as Dwight’s inspiration.
Garnett was arguably the most versatile player the NBA had seen when he joined the league. His blend of ball handling, rebounding, defense and inside the arc scoring made him the ultimate point forward.
When Dwight Howard was in high school, he played point guard. It was only after he grew from 5’8 to 6’11 in one year that he transitioned to center.
Shaq, as expected, did not believe this. “Show me some footage.” he insisted. “You weren’t no guard.”
Howard mentioned other inspirations during that time like Magic Johnson, the prototypical oversized superstar guard, but Shaq wasn’t having it. Between teasing and jokes, Dwight called himself a point center, much to the exasperation of O’Neal.
It’s so nice to see the two having a positive relationship. It’s too bad it didn’t happen sooner.
