Old Feud Reigniting? Shaquille O’Neal Claps Back After Dwight Howard Imitates Him on Instagram

Published 08/07/2021, 10:30 AM EDT

The Shaquille O’Neal vs Dwight Howard beef, in its latest chapter, saw the two centers go at it once again. While there’s no love lost between the 2 centers given their public dislike for each other, the latest bit of sparring is hilarious. Where did this beef begin? Could it date back to their days facing off against each other? No one knows!

However, aficionados have pointed toward Dwight’s infamous ‘superman’ nickname, which coincidentally was O’ Neal’s persona as he bullied the traditional center back in his prime. This time around though, the beef was surrounding Howard’s impersonation of Shaq Diesel as he returned to the Lakers training facility for his 3rd stint with the Purple and Gold.

Dwight's impersonation of Shaq 😂
(via @DwightHoward) pic.twitter.com/L31RG7SE8p
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 6, 2021

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‘Only One Superman’: Shaquille O’Neal Reinstates that He Better Deserves the Title Than Dwight Howard

Howard mimicked O’ Neal’s recent take, picking Milwaukee to repeat following the 2021 free agency. Dwight Howard struck the perfect pitch, saying, “I still got the Milwaukee Bucks winning. Why? I got Giannis, he’s the new Superman, so I think he’s going to win.”

Its Shaquille O’Neal vs Dwight Howard

Shaquille O’ Neal has never shied away from confrontation. Whether it be going at other players on the court, or on air on NBA on TNT, O’ Neal doesn’t hold back. And true to his reputation, ‘Diesel’ din’t pull his punches as he called out Howard’s game.

And while Shaq previously has been rather brutal in his retorts, he too possibly saw the humor in Dwight’s imitation bit. However, the 4x champion, much like his dominance on the court, wasn’t letting this one pass.

Shaq had something to say about Dwight's impersonation of him 😂 pic.twitter.com/zTGXFMT5aW
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 7, 2021

This time off the air, he took to Instagram reposting the video with the caption – “Not bad @dwighthoward reminds me of your game SO SO.”

Watch this story – Looking Back At Shaquille O’ Neal And Dennis Rodman’s Most Heated Faceoff

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The feud runs deep

Following multiple impressions of on-air analysts also including Charles Barkley and Shannon Sharpe, Howard took a sly jibe as he clapped back at O’ Neal’s “that ring doesn’t count” narrative saying “Aight Shaq— got dang!”

This wasn’t the first, and probably won’t be the last time these 2 engage in a duel, especially with Dwight back in L.A. And with both being eccentric and lively personalities, box office entertainment doesn’t get better than this!!

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“Stop Acting”: Lakers Legend Shaquille O’Neal Laughs Off the Idea of Dwight Howard Being a Future Hall of Famer

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Written by:

Nikhil Naik is an NBA writer at EssentialySports. Having completed his bachelor's degree in Hospitality, he has worked with the Indian Hotels Company Limited, at the Taj in Mumbai. Nikhil has been playing basketball since 2014.

Old Feud Reigniting? Shaquille O’Neal Claps Back After Dwight Howard Imitates Him on Instagram

Its Shaquille O’Neal vs Dwight Howard

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The feud runs deep