Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal’s beef might be concluded after some in-ring competition. After all, both have issued challenges on social media. Shaq had an issue with DH12 using his nickname, and with them playing the same position, the comparisons would have been made someday. But Howard recently revealed that he had no intention of playing that position, and that’s why he never truly paid attention to the 4x NBA Champions game while growing up.

“It’s not like I’m trying to be like Shaq. To be honest, I never paid attention to Shaq until I saw him win against Philly. That’s the first time I really who Shaq was when they beat Philly at the Lakers.” Dwight Howard spoke on the Entirely NBA podcast, dismissing any notion of him mimicking his game after Shaquille O’Neal. The first time he noticed the Lakers legend was during the 2001 finals against the late great Dikembe Mutombo.

“I was in 11th grade and I was like dang he doing Mutombo dirty. Just every play elbow to the chest dunk that’s not even legal.” Shaquille O’Neal ended up with 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game in the finals. There was a reason why the 52-year-old was ticked off and wanted to perform against Mutombo.

On the Houston Texans’ Goat Talk podcast, last week the 3x Finals MVP spoke about the motivating factor. “Everybody know we gonna beat Philly, but he (Uncle Jerome) want to make sure. So he comes here early in the morning… And he slapped the paper down… ‘Dikembe [Mutombo] said he gonna play you one on one.'” Before he continued his story, he made sure to pay respect to the 8x NBA All-Star. “Dikembe… I love you, brother. Rest in peace…”

“So I got to give it to him… He was a great guy. But jealousy motivates me. Doubters motivate me. All this stuff motivates me…” It was enough reason for the Big Aristotle to perform against the 76ers and win another ring with the Lakers. But at one stage during the finals, Shaq doubted the Congolese native’s performance.

Shaquille O’Neal and Mutombo had a different point of view on the finals

In Game 3, the Lakers center scored 30 points and 12 rebounds, but 2:21 remaining was called fouled out. Shaquille O’Neal caught Mutombo’s jaw with his leading left elbow. The Lakers legend accused the 76ers star of flopping and getting the decision in his favor. Naturally, the 4x DPOY disagreed.

“I’m not flopping, I’ve never been called or looked at like someone who’s been flopping in a game. I think if I had been flopping, I would not be Defensive Player of the Year or I would not win as many trophies as I have won in my career.”Mutombo spoke to The Baltimore Sun in 2001, “How am I going to flop if I have so many stitches in my mouth?” 

So, both Centers have different versions of the finals etched in their memory. And Dwight Howard too took the side of the 76ers Center, as he explained Shaquille O’Neal‘s illegal moves. Which further fuels their personal feud, and might end with a boxing match.