Ball Around

Shaquille O'Neal Rips Dwight Howard, 'A Jokester Can't Take a Joke'

The two Hall of Famers got into it this week.

Alex Kirschenbaum

February 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls player Zach LaVine (left) watches NBA great Shaquille O'Neal (center) videotape Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard (right) in a Superman costume dedicated to the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
February 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls player Zach LaVine (left) watches NBA great Shaquille O'Neal (center) videotape Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard (right) in a Superman costume dedicated to the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former 15-time All-Star NBA center Shaquille O'Neal was shredded by his frequent nemesis, former eight-time All-Star NBA center Dwight Howard, during the latter's appearance on Ray Daniels' "The Gauds Show," as Aikansh Chaudhary of The Big League notes.

"I hated the most is the fact that he always thought I was trying to be him or be like him," Howard said. "But again, if I wanted to be you or be like him, shouldn't you take that as a compliment and to show how great you are as a player and a person? All right, Shaq, I just never disrespected. ...But he's always had something to say and you know there are times where I got enough and I'm like, yo Shaq just gotta stop."

A very irked O'Neal, who's now a beloved TNT analyst, responded to Howard on Monday via X.

"@DwightHoward the fact u think I care about u is funny, but I won’t ever bring your name up again sensitive big man, a jokester that can’t take a joke," O'Neal told his nemesis. "Won’t ever say your name again ever again. Have a great day and now u have been deleted. Have a great day. #inevercared #trustme #dontneedvalidationyoudo #stayoffpodcasts #thefactyouthinkicareisfunny #yougottashowrespecttogetrespect #nowyouredeadtome"

O'Neal had long been annoyed by the younger Howard seemingly adapting his personality and even his career choices during his rise. Both were selected with the No. 1 draft pick by the Boston Celtics (albeit 12 years apart), both then hopped to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Howard adopted O'Neal's "Superman" nickname for himself. In 2020, at the All-Star game, Howard returned to the Slam Dunk Contest in Superman attire, where an excited O'Neal was on-hand to support him and tape the proceedings, with their argument seemingly quashed.

Howard quickly hopped back online with his own rebuttal to O'Neal.

"I know you care," Howard wrote. "Cuz yo insecure ass been hating and talking shit for 20 years. You to big to be this insecure. I hope you don’t bring my name up again. 52 years old tweeting me. And still hating. Now all this time you was joking. You always been jealous. Jealous of Kobe, penny, dwayde. You jealous of Charles too. Go move around big lazy insecure ass. I still have that long 5 Paragraph direct message you sent me a couple years ago telling me that I’m not that great to hate. And you still doing it. It’s 2025 grow the hell up. and move on."

Eager to have the last word, O'Neal then responded to this response.

"I kno u r but what I am, my legacy is set I kno what im a b remembered for," O'Neal rebutted.

Time will tell where this debate will go, but it's clearly nowhere good.

O'Neal is already in the Hall of Fame, while Howard was nominated for the honor this year and seems likely to make the cut on his first try.

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Alex Kirschenbaum
ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

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