Back In The Day NBA

Shaquille O'Neal Turns Down Request To Meet Former NBA Star In Boxing Ring

Shandel Richardson

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul recorded a big payday after their fight last week in Dallas.

They drew a record number of viewers while taking home reportedly $60 million between the two of them. The dollar signs raised the eyebrows of former NBA center Dwight Howard.

If Tyson and Paul can make that much, Howard figured why can't he? So he proposed a boxing match with Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

Howard wrote on X, "Shaq wassup, let's make bread." The message was accompanied with a boxing glove emoji.

O'Neal refused to take the bait. He turned down the request, suggesting Howard lacked the credentials to fight him.

Here's what O'Neal posted in response: "Gotta have more than one ring to get in the ring with me, I’ll stick with a real champion like , and you can have the Superman belt, all yours buddy,"

Watching these two NBA giants clash would draw ratings because they are two of the more personable personalities in league history. O'Neal not only drew large crowds for his basketball talent, he was also a rapper and movie star. He still appears in more commercials after his career ended than most of today's stars. O'Neal also has a huge following because of his work as an analyst on TNT and his popular podcast.

Howard had a similar impact when he played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers but his star power faded after his playing days ended.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com