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Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard have had a long and complicated history. After the retirement of O'Neal, Howard took on the role of the Orlando Magic's dominant center with a ferocious package of dunks.
While many viewed Howard's time in Orlando and in the NBA's Slam Dunk contests as the 'second coming' of O'Neal, the Hall of Famer seemed unamused. Time and time again, O' Neal would criticize Howard, putting the eight-time All-Star on defense as he clarified his use of the 'Superman' nickname.
Although many believed that Howard had taken the Superman nickname from O'Neal, he explained that he got it from Soulja Boy. Despite the apparent tension, during his recent sitdown with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal explained that he has been tough on Howard, the same way Kareem was on him.
This week, O'Neal sounded off on an all-time great debate between the Lakers and Magic, indicating that he and Howard would be an exciting duo. Given the two's past, many were surprised by O'Neal's comments.
Is Shaquille O'Neal extending olive branch to Dwight Howard?
From the look of things, many reckon O'Neal may have been looking to extend an olive branch by giving Dwight Howard a small shoutout. Given his recent comments during his sitdown with Abdul-Jabbar, could O'Neal be ready to put his criticism of Howard in the past?
To answer that question, we must look at the dynamic between O'Neal and Abdul-Jabbar, who seemingly had a relationship much like O'Neal and Howard. Abdul-Jabbar was hard on O'Neal, the same way O'Neal has been on Howard.
Similarly, Wilt Chamberlain was hard on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar years back, something O'Neal called a rite of passage. While there has been no word on a potential sitdown between O'Neal and Howard to clear the air, in May, Howard said that he wanted to squash any beef.
Shaquille O'Neal's latest comments on the new social media platform Threads may suggest that he wants to put things behind them.
