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Imago

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Imago

The Orlando Magic have seen some great big men join their ranks. While the two don’t get along one bit, both Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard were franchise cornerstones in Orlando at one point. Shaq and Howard went on to win rings elsewhere but a sense of animosity persisted between them. As Dwight works toward an NBA return, he has constantly wished that the two centers could mend fences. During the NBA Finals, the league had some select rookies present during media day. The Rookie of the Year winner, however, may have inadvertently started up the feud again with his choice of answers.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

While at the event, Magic Rookie, Paolo Banchero, spoke in depth about the Finals. His career, and of course, the legacy of Orlando’s Big Men.

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Paolo Banchero sides with Shaquille O’Neal

As part of media day, three other rookies were also present. Benedict Mathurin, Walker Kessler, and Jalen Williams were present at the event.? Speaking about his presence, Paolo revealed how the NBA presented him with the opportunity. Wanting to take in the Finals atmosphere, he immediately accepted.

Additionally, Banchero mentioned how he enjoyed the question-asking side of the bracket as well and could see himself becoming an interviewer in the future.

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With the Nuggets-Heat Finals at 2-1, Paolo even offered his two cents about the series. “It?s a great series. I think it?s gonna be back and forth the whole way. I?ve been saying Nuggets in 7, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Heat won as well.” But the main meat of the interview came when asked about the legends before him.

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When he was asked who among the two bigs was better in their Orlando days, Banchero replied, “I have to give the slight edge to Shaq because he has a lot of the records also Dwight does have some records as well. But I think Shaq came out dominating quicker as a rookie” While the Orlando days are surely a debatable topic, over their careers, Shaq was clearly the bigger force. With Paolo’s comments, Howard might be reconsidering wanting to reconcile with Diesel.

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Dwight’s plea to Shaq for reconciliation

Recently, Dwight alleged that he wanted to squash any beef he and Shaq may have. Going a step further, Howard proclaimed that he hasn’t had any problems with the big man. Citing his age, the 2020 NBA champion said that he had outgrown having petty squabbles with anyone.

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He further pleaded to reach a resolution between the two. “I don?t have no beef with anyone. The me and Shaq thing, I don?t know what it is. If we have to go to dinner, or if we have to come on this show to have a discussion, I?ll do whatever it is.”?

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As the two “Superman” of the NBA, it would be a nice change of pace if the two finally got along. Hopefully, Shaq can let the beef slide soon.

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Priyanshu

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Priyanshu is an NBA beat Writer at EssentiallySports, with a healthy command over the technical aspects of the sport. Priyanshu has creatively covered the often entertaining interactions between legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley along with in-depth analysis of the games. He was at the forefront of the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, covering each and every aspect of the historic night in Springfield, Massachusetts. Furthermore, his article on Shaq and the UFC garnered close to a million pageviews. Moving away from the world of sports, Priyanshu is also an avid gamer, who can display other-worldly skills on NBA 2K.

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Jayant Chhabra

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