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Los Angeles Lakers
Orlando Magic
Aug 20, 2025 4:22 PM EDT
Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal had a longstanding beef that lasted for years when Howard was both in and out of the NBA. However, it appears that the two of them have buried the hatchet following the official announcement that Howard would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Following some confusion regarding O’Neal’s involvement in presenting Howard on stage, the Hall of Fame announced that the former would present the latter during his induction. O’Neal will be joining other NBA legends who will present Howard.
Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish, Dominique Wilkins, and Dennis Rodman will present Howard in addition to O’Neal. Like Howard, O’Neal, Wilkins, and Ewing are all Orlando Magic alumni, though Howard and O’Neal were in their prime when they played for the Magic. Howard and O’Neal also played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39). — Source: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Dwight Howard Believes Shaquille O’Neal was the Best Center of the 21st Century
CBS Sports recently shared their NBA All-Quarter Century teams. Howard was named to the third team, while O’Neal was named to the second team. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was ranked ahead of them. Howard took exception to O’Neal’s placement.
While sharing the teams, Howard responded via his X account with the caption, “Put Shaq first team.”
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Throughout his 19-year NBA career, O’Neal made 15 All-Star teams, 14 All-NBA teams, three NBA Finals MVPS, won four titles, and won an NBA MVP in 2000. He is consistently recognized as one of the most dominant players of his era and of all-time.
At the moment, Jokic doesn’t have the same accolades because he hasn’t played as long as O’Neal did, but he has won a title to go with three MVPs, seven All-Star game appearances and seven All-NBA appearances.
The difference between the two is that O’Neal entered the NBA with the expectation that he would be a superstar, while Jokic was a second-round pick who came in with minimal expectations before rising through the ranks to become the player he is.
They were also very different as players. O’Neal was an elite athlete despite his mass, while Jokic was more crafty despite his doughy frame. Howard isn’t too far behind them in terms of overall legacy.
He made eight All-Star teams and eight All-NBA teams, won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, made five NBA All-Defense teams, and won a title. That undoubtedly contributed to his being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
About the Author
Matt John
Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports
Matt John is a contributing writer for the Athlon Sports trending and breaking news team.