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Shaquille O’Neal before the qualifying ahead of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on November 19, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Shaquille O’Neal before the qualifying ahead of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on November 19, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Shaquille O’Neal is the most dominant player in NBA history. During his 19-year hall-of-fame career, Shaq was reported to have beef with a few of his teammates and opponents, most notably Kobe Bryant. But there was a budding rivalry during the later stages of his career that has stood the test of time, and the sourness of it remains to this day. We are talking about his rivalry with one-time NBA champion Dwight Howard.
After virtually officiating Carnival Cruise’s vow renewal ceremony on this year’s Valentine’s Day, Shaq was one-upped by his arch-nemesis as Howard shared a post on his Instagram officiating a wedding ceremony in Spain.
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Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard officiated multiple ceremonies in 2023
Earlier this year, Shaq officiated the largest vow renewal ceremony at sea which was conducted by Carnival Cruise on Valentine’s Day. ‘The Big Aristotle’ has been the CFO (Chief Fun Officer) of Carnival Cruise since 2018, and he stood true to his position during this ceremony, helping 1000s of couples renew their wedding vows.

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NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Kansas Late Night in the Phog Oct 14, 2022 Lawrence, Kansas, US Shaquille O Neal, AKA DJ Diesel, performs during Late Night at the Phog at Allen Fieldhouse. Lawrence Allen Fieldhouse Kansas USA Copyright: xJayxBiggerstaffx 20221014
Dwight, on the other hand, became an ordained minister in 2022 and officiated the wedding of London Wilmot and Pure in Spain. He wrote,“Took a trip out to Spain to officiate another wedding. Man it’s no feeling better than seeing two people come together and unite in Love.” Shaq and Howard have been compared since the beginning of Howard’s career as both were selected No. 1 overall by Orlando Magic in their respective draft class and played the same position. In 2019, Howard moved to Shaq’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers and helped them win a title in 2020, which only helped fuel the comparison. So, people could not help but compare the two after they both officiated these ceremonies.
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Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard’s rivalry dates back to 2008
The beef between Shaq and Dwight started back in 2008 when Dwight Howard showed up wearing a Superman cape in the 2008 Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend. ‘Superman’ was a nickname that had been associated with Shaq since the beginning of his career because of his sheer dominance on the court. Shaq was not pleased with Dwight using the Superman persona during one of his dunks.
Their beef has only grown since then, as Shaq and Howard have gone back and forth through the years.
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Dwight is living his new life after NBA as he has been playing in Taiwan’s T1 League. He was an All-Star last season and also won the All-Star Game MVP, scoring 37 points in the game. The comparison and rivalry between Shaq and Dwight might never end, and it will be interesting to hear Shaq’s take on Howard’s latest endeavors.
Watch This Story: After Calling 23-Year-Old Millionaire Young Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal Shares Biggest Enemy’s Surprising James Harden Comment
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