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Shaquille O’Neal explains why he bullies Dwight Howard as the two seemingly bury hatchet
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard reconcile as Shaq opens up about their past tensions, revealing the reasons behind the perceived bullying. Watch the heartfelt conversation unfold.
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Two days ago, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal made an appearance on Trae Young's podcast, From The Point, shedding light on his relationship with Dwight Howard and seemingly burying the hatchet with his former on-court rival.
O'Neal expressed his sentiments, stating, “If I mention your name, it means I love and respect you. Like, I used to love Dwight. He did something I couldn’t do. I wish I could jump that high. I love Dwight Howard. Other people don’t know that this is my first time saying that. But as a big brother, I ain’t gonna let my little brother slide. Cause I want you to be better than me. Sorta like, a lot of people don’t understand this thing of ours, they think it’s just hate. No, it ain’t hate. I’m telling you how to get here. You know I’m here Dawg, I’m telling you how to get here.”
O'Neal's comments came after Dwight Howard earlier raised eyebrows during an interview in the All-Stars Podcast by Strong Group in the Philippines, where he questioned the Magic's decision to retire O'Neal's jersey. 
He said, "How many years did Shaq play in Orlando?" asked Howard. "Four years, so that's kind of crazy. I played there for nine years. What we did in Orlando, no offense to Shaq; he should have his jersey retired, but I should have mine too. Me, or at least T-Mac and Anfernee Hardaway."
Howard continued, "I understand that people are upset about certain things. But facts over feelings. The facts show that these guys are the pillars of the Orlando Magic - Shaq, Penny, T-Mac, and Dwight. When you hear about the Orlando Magic, who do you think about? It's one of the four guys…You might not even think about Shaq first because you're gonna think about Shaq with the Lakers."
The ongoing tension between the two centers stems from Howard adopting the "Superman" nickname, previously associated with O'Neal. This disagreement has persisted since the 2008 All-Star dunk contest when Howard first embraced the moniker.
Their rivalry took a turn in 2022 when O'Neal criticized Howard's stint with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan's T1 League on the November 24 episode of The Big Podcast.
O'Neal said, “You should never be complimented for being a good father because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? He’s supposed to have 30 points playing against dudes 5’8”. This league reminds me of the Life Time Fitness league every Saturday when I go to workout on Saturdays.”
Howard went on live on Instagram after seeing the comments and told O'Neal to "stop hating". He said during the live, "I have never in my life come at you about your basketball career, your family, your kids, or anything of the sort. Because there's no need to. The world is too big to hate on another man. … Have I joked about, I've mimicked your voice, have I mimicked what I see on TV? Everybody does that. Comedians do that. People do that all the time. And I do it all the time, I do that to everybody. But I do not hate people. I saw a video of you talking about me playing basketball in Taiwan and I’m playing at the Life Time League. Do not disrespect my teammates in this league and these people in Taiwan like that. That is highly disrespectful and it’s hating. And you are too old to be hating. You are too big to be hating. You are supposed to be Superman, the original Superman. The original Superman is hating? The OG Superman is hating?”
Despite their history of public disagreements, it appears that Shaquille O'Neal is now extending an olive branch, asserting his love and respect for Dwight Howard.
Shaquille O’ Neal Statistics
Regular Season:
- Points per Game (PPG): 23.7
- Rebounds per Game (RPG): 10.9
- Assists per Game (APG): 2.5
- Steals per Game (SPG): 0.6
- Blocks per Game (BPG): 2.3
- Field Goal Percentage (FG%): 58.2%
- Three-Point Percentage (3P%): 4.5%
- Free Throw Percentage (FT%): 52.7%
Playoffs:
- Points per Game (PPG): 24.3
- Rebounds per Game (RPG): 11.6
- Assists per Game (APG): 2.7
- Steals per Game (SPG): 0.5
- Blocks per Game (BPG): 2.1
- Field Goal Percentage (FG%): 56.3%
- Three-Point Percentage (3P%): 0.0%
- Free Throw Percentage (FT%): 50.4%
Over his 19-year career, Shaq has played 1,207 regular-season games, averaging 34.7 minutes per game, showcasing his dominance with impressive all-round contributions on the court. In playoffs, he played 216 games, averaging 37.5 minutes per game, and maintained his high-level performance in crucial postseason moments.
Dwight Howard’s NBA Statistics
Career Regular Season Totals:
- Field Goals (FG): 7051-12016 (58.7%)
- 3-Point Field Goals (3PT): 22-103 (21.4%)
- Free Throws (FT): 5361-9455 (56.7%)
- Points (PTS): 19485
Per Game Averages:
- Points (PTS): 16.7
- Field Goals Made (FGM): 6.0
- Field Goals Attempted (FGA): 10.2
- Free Throws Made (FTM): 4.9
- Free Throws Attempted (FTA): 8.6
- Rebounds (REB): 12.1
- Assists (AST): 1.4
- Blocks (BLK): 1.9
- Steals (STL): 0.9
- Turnovers (TO): 2.7
Career Achievements:
- A consistent performer, Howard's career field goal percentage is an impressive 58.7%, showcasing his efficiency in scoring.
- He has made significant contributions on the defensive end with a career average of 1.9 blocks per game.
- Rebounding has been one of Howard's strengths, averaging an outstanding 12.1 rebounds per game over his career.
- Despite not being known for his three-point shooting, Howard has attempted 103 shots from beyond the arc, making 22 of them at a 21.4% success rate.
- Howard has been a force in the paint, accumulating a total of 2228 blocks and 1081 steals throughout his career.
ALSO READ: Shaquille O'Neal Net Worth - How much is Shaquille O'Neal Worth in 2024?
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