It's no secret that Dwight Howard and Shaquille O'Neal share a lot of history. However, the two Orlando Magic veterans have made peace, with Shaq even inducting Dwight into the Hall of Fame class of 2025. That said, Howard still feels O'Neal should have been mindful of his words.
There is no denying that Shaq is highly critical of the modern era, especially when it comes to the big men. Something we first witnessed in the case of Dwight, whose initial career trajectory drew several comparisons to Shaquille's. Regardless, they both played a different style of ball.
However, the parallels to Howard did not sit well with O'Neal from the get-go, and matters only got worse after the former began to be referred to as Superman as well. As a result, the two shared a fractured relationship for several years, taking digs at one another publicly.
Notably, Dwight was not the only one on Shaq's hitlist, with the Inside the NBA analyst finding his next big man target in JaVale McGee . Recently, appearing on the podcast "Above The Rim with DH 12," Howard addressed how old-school players could impact new budding careers.
"You know, how they were always saying the older players always coming down on the younger players and the younger players don't respect the older players, and it's because the older players is talking bad. I just think it's really just how we communicate," explained Howard.
"The same thing with Shaq. In his mind, he trying to push me a certain type of way, but I'm taking it… People who don't know basketball like we do, they looking at it in a different way," added Dwight, shedding light on the JaVale McGee -Shaqtin' a Fool saga.
The show Inside the NBA certainly holds a special place in the hearts of most fans, given its unfiltered format and beloved panelists. One of the biggest highlights of the Emmy Award winner remains the Shaqtin' a Fool segment, hosted by none other than O'Neal himself.
A segment primarily meant for a good laugh entails clips of players making the most unthinkable lapses. Though not meant to hurt sentiments, the show did shape many perceptions and opinions, with JaVale McGee bearing the brunt of it for a long time.
Howard, who had also had his fair share of run-ins with Shaq, reflected on the McGee situation as well.
"Like, think Javale McGee, he went years with people just clowning his name, 'Oh, he always on Shaqtin' a Fool. He can't be that good. JaVale McGee is nice in basketball… He's still going crazy in Puerto Rico, Australia, and Singapore, I think he was just in. He's doing his thing. He can hoop… The opinions of the greats and people that play in the league it matters in the society that we live in," added Howard.
Eventually, after a lot of back-and-forth between O'Neal and McGee, the Los Angeles Lakers legend decided never to feature JaVale on the segment.
Related: Kenyon Martin explains the differences in guarding prime Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan
While Shaq and Dwight mended their fences, the same is not true in McGee's case.
O'Neal seems to have found a new target in four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert . The Diesel has, in recent years, gone on a rant against the seven-foot Frenchman. The tensions began around 2019, when Shaq asked Rudy to man up after the former Minnesota Timberwolves got emotional about not making the All-Star Team.
This was followed by O'Neal throwing regular shots at Gobert's $250 million contract. The latest instance being Shaq declaring to wear a dress if Rudy makes the Hall of Fame. Well, Shaq should have been careful with his words, considering it is highly unlikely that Rudy will not make the Hall of Fame, courtesy of his resume.
Never doubting O'Neal's accolades and status as an all-time great, but the three-time Finals MVP could choose his words when it came to assessing players, especially given how things could be blown out of proportion in the social media era we live in.
Related: Shaquille O'Neal on the habits that shortened his prime: "I hate water"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
