Dwight Howard’s Words to Shaquille O’Neal at Hall of Fame Will Bring Relief to Mama Lucille

In 2009, Dwight Howard dragged the Orlando Magic past LeBron’s Cavaliers to the Finals, averaging 25 and 13. It should’ve been his crowning moment. Instead, it turned into fuel for one of the pettiest beefs in NBA history: Shaquille O’Neal vs. the self-proclaimed “Superman.” But maybe there is room for two supermen in 2025… Shaq does not seem to deny so. 

Back in the day, Shaq didn’t exactly welcome the next big man on the block. The four-time champion took shots at Howard’s footwork, dismissed his Finals run, and even anointed Andrew Bynum as the “best big man in basketball.” Howard, who had playfully dubbed himself “Superman” during the 2008 dunk contest, laughed off the digs in public. But behind the smile, the criticism cut deep as Shaq was making it clear the throne wasn’t up for grabs.

The feud grew loud enough that Shaq’s own mother, Mama Lucille, once had to step in. She reportedly told her son to apologize and to stop tearing down Dwight in interviews. Did Shaq listen? Not really. For years, fans were treated to a steady diet of TNT soundbites, social media shade, and uncomfortable encounters whenever their names crossed paths. Two giants, one nickname, and zero chill… until now.

Because fast forward to 2025, and the story flipped. Howard, now enshrined in the Hall of Fame, grabbed the mic and aimed his words straight at the Diesel: “Shaq. We did not always see eye to eye. But in hindsight, I believe it was just sibling rivalries… I really blame Soulja Boy, y’all. But I just want y’all to know that the two original superman is in the building today.” And then came the moment nobody saw coming.

Howard honored Shaq as a brother, calling it “an honor” to have him walk him into Springfield’s arena of greatness. For the first time in nearly two decades, the cape tug-of-war ended with a smile instead of a jab. And Howard wasn’t the only one playing nice.

Before the official Hall of Fame ceremony started, the Diesel himself said that he was here to give Dwight Howard his flowers. And well, in all fairness, Dwight had asked all KG, Shaq, and Kareem to walk him out during the ceremony. But to really understand why this Hall of Fame moment mattered, you have to revisit just how relentless the rivalry was.

Shaquille O’Neal and the Superman beef that refused to fade

On one side, a four-time champion, three-time Finals MVP, and 15-time All-Star who redefined dominance in the paint. On the other hand, an eight-time All-Star, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and centerpiece of a franchise that once dared to crown him “Superman.” Both men built Hall of Fame resumes anchored by force and charisma. Yet their clash became less about basketball and more about legacy and ego.

After Howard’s Superman dunk contest win in 2008, O’Neal blasted out a pointed line on social media: “So u wear a cape and win a dunk contest and they call u superman.” From there, the shots kept coming. On TNT, Shaq nitpicked Howard’s footwork, called out his post game, and even questioned whether he had the edge to be a real franchise anchor.

Howard tried to keep it light, even joking that the two might need to “throw hands,” but later admitted the shade stuck with him. “What I hated the most is the fact that he always thought I was trying to be him or be like him… But again, if I wanted to be you or be like him, shouldn’t you take that as a compliment?”

By 2025, though, the stalemate finally began to crack. On Carmelo Anthony’s 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Howard admitted the feud cut deeper than most knew: “Anything that has any negativity to it, I’m not going to speak on it… because you have a life to live. And words hold power. So I don’t do that.” Shaq, never one to bite his tongue, doubled down on X by calling Howard a “jokester that can’t take a joke” before adding: “now u have been deleted.”

Howard fired back, pointing out he’d never disrespected Shaq publicly and wondering why the hits never stopped. That summer, Howard surprised Shaq at a bar in Orlando. What fans expected to be a blow-up turned into a breakthrough. “Everybody think we were going to f—— fight,” Shaq recalled on The Big Podcast. Instead, they talked it out. Howard even asked him to walk alongside him at his Hall of Fame induction, and Shaq said yes.

And that’s what made 2025 so surreal. After nearly two decades of jabs and jilted respect, Dwight Howard didn’t just bury the hatchet, but also honored Shaq as the man who helped pave the way. Shaq, for once, didn’t clap back. He stood there, smiling, ready to escort his one-time rival into the Hall of Fame. And just like that, the “Superman” saga ended not with another punchline, but with two giants finally sharing the cape.