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Dwight Howard

After years of public bickering, Shaquille O’Neal finally put an end to it with a stunning gesture.

O’Neal agreed to Dwight Howard’s request to walk him out at his Hall of Fame induction.

“That’s awesome, I’ll do it,” O’Neal said on “The Big Podcast with Shaq” on Thursday. “I’ll be there. Of course, that’s my guy.”

Howard and Carmelo Anthony lead the 2025 HOF Class. Both Hall of Famers will be inducted twice — first for their individual basketball careers and second as members of the Team USA “Redeem Team” in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Also selected for enshrinement are WNBA greats Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Bulls coach and two-time NCAA champion Billy Donovan, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and longtime NBA referee Danny Crawford.

After Howard got the great news, he immediately put out a request on X about O’Neal and other HOF big men to accompany him in his enshrinement.

“I want KG , Shaq, and Kareem to walk me out 🙏🏾 #hof,” he wrote on April 5.

Howard and O’Neal both played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers franchises. They also shared the “Superman” nickname which caused tension between the two HOF big men.

Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 58.7% from the field throughout an 18-year NBA career. He was an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA and five-time All-Defensive team member and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Howard won a championship with the Lakers  in 2020 at the tail-end of his career.

The Origin of Shaq-Howard Beef

The already-quashed beef between O’Neal and Howard started in 2008 when the latter won the NBA Slam Dunk contest wearing a Superman cape.

As Howard took on the “Superman” monicker, which originally belonged to O’Neal, it did not sit well with the NBA legend.

So u wear a cape and win a dunk contest and they call u superman
So

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) November 19, 2008

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Then in 2012, O’Neal said in an ESPN story that Brook Lopez was better than Howard, who was coming off his fifth All-NBA First Team selection.

“We as players, we always watch people before us. When I came in it was Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, guys who played like true centers who played inside. What we have now are centers that are going to the European style, which is a lot of pick-and-roll. Dwight Howard, who’s a pick-and-roll player, some people say he’s the best center in the league, but me being an old-school center, I’m going to go with [Brook] Lopez and Andrew Bynum because they play with their back to the basket.”

O’Neal later tweeted his comments were to motivate Howard after the latter responded he “doesn’t care what Shaq says.”

@RollUp_StayHigh exactly I want Dwight to hear me get mad and dominate want him to b greater than great. A true leader pushes his sodiers

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) October 4, 2012

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Social Media Beef Re-Ignited

Then in 2016, O’Neal posted a photoshopped image of him dunking over Howard.

Their beef reignited in 2022 when Howard joined the T1 League in Taiwan.

“He’s supposed to have 30 points playing against a dude 5’8″,” O’Neal said on his podcast at the time. “Good job. This league reminds me of a Lifetime Fitness league every Saturday when I go work out on Saturday. Great job, Dwight. I’m proud of you.”

In 2024, they went back-and-forth again when Howard claimed O’Neal blocked him on social media.

“Who blocks someone over a nickname owned by Warner [B]rothers,” Howard commented. “There is no REAL Superman it sound petty.”

Howard’s attempt to quash the beef later was met with another O’Neal diss.

Gotta have more than one ring to get in the ring with me, I’ll stick with a real champion like @RobGronkowski, and you can have the Superman belt, all yours buddy,

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) November 18, 2024

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Early this year, O’Neal they still continued to bicker.

@DwightHoward the fact u think I care about u is funny, but I won’t ever bring your name up again sensitive big man, a jokester that can’t take a joke. Won’t ever say your name again ever again. Have a great day and now u have been deleted. Have a great day. #inevercared #trustme…

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 7, 2025

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Howard offered to make peace again by inviting O’Neal to his podcast. But the NBA legend was not interested.

I know you care. Cuz yo insecure ass been hating and talking shit for 20 years. You to big to be this insecure. I hope you don’t bring my name up again. 52 years old tweeting me. And still hating. Now all this time you was joking. You always been jealous. Jealous of Kobe,…

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) January 7, 2025

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Until Howard joined him at the Hall of Fame.