Shaquille O’Neal Maintains Innocence In Dwight Howard Beef After Clever Hall Of Fame Decision

At the start of the year, Shaquille O’Neal drew a hard line in his feud with Dwight Howard, declaring on X, “Won’t ever say your name again ever again.” The jab came after Howard accused the Lakers legend of being “insecure,” fueling yet another round in their long-running back-and-forth. But time—and a Hall of Fame induction—has shifted the tone. With the three-time Defensive Player of the Year officially enshrined, Shaq put the rivalry aside to salute Howard’s career. From one “Superman” to another, O’Neal made sure to give flowers to the newest Hall of Famer.

The Big Aristotle arrived at the HOF ceremony, and after giving his word, he will be present for Howard. Before appreciating DH-12, Shaq wanted the world to know why he wore a suit with white and black and a touch of green with plenty of flowers. Why this choice? “Because I’m finally giving flowers,” said O’Neal, and yes, the flowers are the type of appreciation and a message from one Big Man to another.

“Mr. Dwight Howard…It’s big for him, it’s big for his family, it’s big for the big man alliance, of which I am the reigning president. That’s right, me. It’s big, I’m happy for him.” So, is the rivalry finally over? “It wasn’t that we had a problem. You know my leadership style. I learned it from you. I’m hard on guys to motivate them. Some people can take it, some people can’t. But when we met, I told him it’s never hard feelings. I just did that to make him angry. And whenever I made him angry, he played well. So my style worked for Penny Hardaway, it worked for Kobe, it worked for D-Wade“.

It’s not the first time that Shaquille O’Neal has stated his innocence and claimed there was no personal agenda. In April, Dwight Howard made it clear that “I want KG, Shaq, and Kareem to walk me out” during the ceremony. And days later, on his Big podcast, Shaq obliged with zero hesitation. “I’ll do it… That’s my guy.” During that episode’s conversation, Diesel explained his stance: “What makes you think I don’t like you?” According to O’Neal, that was his tough love.

It was the same as how he used to push other greats like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, saying, “This is what I do to get my guys to go to that next level.” We can trace this back to Shaq’s comments from 2013. “The other guy [Howard] needs to step into his own. I would like to see him average 28 and 10… I see a kid with a lot of talent. When I see him averaging 16 or 18, that’s not enough for me.” But this challenge over the years became jabs that Doward did not like.

Who apologized in the Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard beef?

Two centers dominated the opposition and began their careers with being the overall #1 for the Orlando Magic, and later championships for the Lakers. Despite these parallels, Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard’s relationship soured in 2008. During that all-star weekend, the latter balled out in the dunk contest, but his choice of costume did not impress Shaq. DH12 wore a Superman cape, despite the nickname belonging to the four-time NBA champion. The war of words continued on X, but the bitter rivalry ended when they unexpectedly met in Orlando.

On the Dan Patrick Show in April, Dwight Howard stated he was eating with his family at a restaurant, and that’s when the owner informed him that Shaquille O’Neal was there too. The 3x DPOY couldn’t let this opportunity go and described it “a real good conversation.” Later, Howard said to Daily Mail,“Overall, he apologized, it was just a misunderstanding, like a lot of things be.” Yes, the former champion and the recent HOF inductee said it was Shaquille O’Neal who apologized. Further, he stated that it was a misunderstanding that turned into hate. But now the Supermans are on the same team.

“And we are the biggest men in the world, Supermen… as people would say, instead of fighting each other, especially with him being a big brother, older male figure in my life.” Understanding this, O’Neal made sure to keep the beef buried and move on. What better than giving flowers, than actually wearing a blazer with that design, and letting the world know it was only for Howard!