“Superman Is At Home”: Shaquille O’Neal Takes Offense To Dwight Howard’s Moniker Yet Again

Shaquille O’Neal has numerous nicknames he goes by, but Superman is the closest to his heart. And the supremacy he had in the league justified that nickname even more. So, when Dwight Howard started using it, Shaq had to intervene.

But despite putting the battle for the Superman title behind them years ago, Shaq seems to have reignited that beef once again.

Howard recently uploaded a video on his Instagram, showing off his dunking skills. He decided to caption it: “Superman bringing us the show.”

 

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This caption immediately caught Shaq’s attention, who decided to call him out in the comments section.

“Superman is at home on the throne with four rings. don’t compare me to no one i rather not be mentioned im offended.”

Shaq on IG in Dwight Howard's comments pic.twitter.com/OOLEknfTQX

— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) August 15, 2024

Shaq and Howard have shared the Superman moniker for years. However, it was O’Neal who started using it first, which would explain why he always had a bone to pick with the former Laker.

Howard earned the Superman nickname after his famous 2008 slam dunk contest performance. Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith was the first one to call him by that moniker and it stuck with D-12 ever since.

But little did Kenny know that Shaq would go on to hold a grudge over it for years to come. Seeing someone else use that title in the league bothered O’Neal even after a decade. He brought it up on an episode of Inside the NBA a few years ago.

But despite fighting over a nickname for years, Shaq and Howard had seemingly buried the hatchet. However, it seems as if the four-time NBA champion is ready to dig the past up again.

Shaq’s love for the Man of Steel

The Superman nickname maybe just a moniker for Howard, but it was much more than a title for O’Neal. The Lakers legend’s love for the DC character goes back to his childhood.

Not only does Shaq don the Superman logo on his bicep, but he also played a variant role of a comic book character of the Man of Steel. Coming from the same DC Universe, O’Neal brought Steel to life on the big screen back in 1997, which explains another reason behind his obsession with that nickname.

And if that weren’t enough, then mourning a comic book character’s death should leave no doubt in one’s mind about Shaq’s attachment to the name. Back in 1992, the seven-footer mourned Superman’s death in the comics.

DC’s Superman #75: The Death of Superman introduced the Doomsday character who eventually killed the Man of Steel in the comics. Shaq joined millions of avid comic book readers to mourn their favorite character’s death.

It was after that edition that O’Neal decided to get the tattoo on his arm that he flaunts to this day.