Add another entry into the long list of comments made in the now years-long feud between NBA stars Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal. Howard, who has not played in the NBA since 2021/22 season, recently appeared on an episode of Thanalysis, a podcast hosted by current free agent Thanasis Antetokounmpo and shed some new light on his ongoing feud with the four-time NBA champion and current analyst on TNT’s Inside The NBA.
When asked about his feelings on the feud and whether he intentionally emulated O’Neal during his career, Howard said:
“Me going to Orlando was not orchestrated by me to copy [O’Neal]. Me going to LA… me getting the ‘Superman’ had nothing to do with [O’Neal]. So, you know, to take it and make it seem like I’m trying to either one-up [O’Neal] or disrespect [O’Neal], it’s like the total opposite of who I am.”
Howard was referencing the similarities between the two players’ careers. Both players started their careers with the Orlando Magic before moving to the Los Angeles Lakers, and both were given the moniker “Superman” at points in their careers.
Howard also stated in the interview that he wasn’t even aware of the Hall of Famer until well into his high school career:
“I didn’t know about Shaq until 11th grade going into my 12th grade year when the Lakers was playing Philadelphia in the Finals. That’s the first time I knew about Shaq, and at that time I didn’t even know that him and Penny [Hardaway] was on the same team in Orlando. I just knew about Penny, I never watched centers until I got to the NBA.”
Penny Hardaway and O’Neal were teammates on the Orlando Magic from 1993 to 1996. The pair reached the NBA Finals with Orlando in 1995, losing to the Houston Rockets in four games. Hardaway is currently the head coach at his alma mater, the University of Memphis.
Dwight Howard v. Shaquille O’Neal Origins
Howard and O’Neal’s feud goes back all the way to 2008, when Howard participated in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest. During the contest, Howard, then playing for the Orlando Magic, put on a Superman costume and cape for one of his dunks. O’Neal took offense to Howard’s move, as Superman had been one of his many nicknames over the course of his career. The two have traded various barbs, both in interviews and on social media, in the years since Howard’s Dunk Contest.
Similar Career Paths
Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal had strikingly similar career paths. Both centers were drafted first overall in their respective draft classes (O’Neal in 1992 and Howard in 2004) by the Orlando Magic. O’Neal and the Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995, while Howard and the Magic reached the Finals in 2009. The Magic lost both Finals appearances. Both players became renowned for the interior dominance, showing rare displays of paint defense and rebounding in their primes.
After beginning their careers in Orlando, both big men were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal won three championships in his time in Los Angeles and a fourth playing for the Miami Heat, while Howard’s first stint with the team was more tumultuous. Howard left the Lakers after only one season, although he returned to the team in 2019 and won a championship as a key piece of the Lakers’ rotation.
Both players became journeymen to close their careers, with O’Neal suiting up for the Suns, Cavaliers, and Celtics in his final years and Howard joining the Hawks, Hornets, Lakers (for a third time), Wizards, and 76ers before embarking on a successful career in the Taiwanese T1 League.
For more basketball and sports content, follow me on Bluesky @rossbembenek.bsky.social. For the latest news and updates in the basketball world, make sure to check in on Hardwood Heroics here!
