Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal had well-publicized beef, the two never quite liked each other too much. In fairness to Howard, it seemed to be that Shaq had a problem with him inheriting his Superman nickname more than anything else. But one way or another, the two dominant big men have never quite seen eye to eye, with barbs being traded till the year 2022.
Earlier this year, when Howard was still a part of the Los Angeles Lakers, O’Neal took another opportunity to be dismissive of Dwight’s accomplishments. Whether Howard will make it into the Hall Of Fame or not is a matter of some debate, although the man himself seems to think that he should be in.
Shaq, however, does not. In conversation with Adam Lefkoe, Jamal Crawford, and Dwyane Wade, the Big Aristotle made it clear that he does not consider Dwight to be a Hall Of Famer.
Adam Lefkoe: “They have five Hall Of Famers.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Three.”
Adam Lefkoe: “They have five. Bron, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard.”
Jamal Crawford and Dwyane Wade: “Five.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Four.”
Jamal Crawford: “Five, Shaq.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Four. Email it, tweet it. That’s four. I’m gonna say it again, they have four.”
This claim from Shaq had several NBA fans up in arms, with some claiming that it is an example of Dwight Howard being the most disrespected NBA player ever. A 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, an NBA champion, and a 5-time All-NBA First Team selection, it’s hard to argue against Dwight’s achievements.
Ultimately, Shaq will always know that he was better than Howard as a player, and maybe that’s why the comparisons seem to have irked him to this degree. The two big men may always have some lingering tension between them, but whether Dwight makes it to the Hall or not is something only time can tell.
