In a recent encounter on social media, Shaquille O’Neal went to blows with a longtime rival. On Instagram, the Diesel was seen going back and forth against Dwight Howard over the use of the iconic “Superman” nickname on the court.
Shaquille O’Neal: “You can’t call yourself me and then have one ring that you was a role player in getting. It’s only one baby. And he’s I said it.”
Dwight Howard: “I never called myself you! This is petty. My nickname is Deebo! Other people called me Superman and we could’ve talked out whatever issues there is but you got me blocked. But it’s all love Shaq, keep being a legend… Who blocks someone over a nickname owned by Warner Brothers there is no real Superman it sounds petty.”
Shaquille O’Neal (a 4x champion) and Dwight Howard only had a few years in the league together but they’ve long been considered fierce rivals. While Dwight harbors no hatred for O’Neal, it’s no secret that he’s grown frustrated with Shaq’s antics year after year.
The start of this dynamic was in the 2008 Slam Dunk contest. Due to Howard’s impressive athleticism, and his ability to “fly” above the rim, fans started calling him “Superman” and he fully embraced it. That year, he won the dunk contest wearing the signature red cape and it’s a moment that will live on forever in the minds who saw it.
The problem for Dwight is that the “Superman” tagline was already in use by another center: Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq has always been a massive Superman fan, as proven by the ‘S’ tattoo on his arm and the emblem which is featured on many of his cars. His superhuman power and strength used to literally break rims and by the time he retired in 2011, there was no player in the league more deserving of being named after a superhero.
For a while, Dwight Howard was on a similar path as Shaq and when he was in his prime with the Magic, his play did slightly resemble what we used to see from the Diesel himself. But with just one championship under his belt and a track record of failure for his first 12+ years in the league, Howard was never able to live up to the Superman nickname and Shaq still hasn’t forgiven him.
To this day, Shaquille O’Neal holds a major grudge over D12 and condemns him for trying to steal his identity on the court. Now, with both Howard and O’Neal retired, no player carries the “Superman” nickname and it’s probably for the best.
For Shaq, anyone who takes up that name is asking to be held to the highest standard and most players have no hope of meeting that standard. As one of the greatest players ever and the most dominant big man we’ve seen, O’Neal will only relinquish his nickname to someone who is worthy and, so far, there hasn’t been a player who has matched Shaq’s level of dominance.
Dwight Howard found out the hard way that you can’t just call yourself anything out there. Proper respect must be shown to the legends of the game or it can risk backlash of epic proportions.
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