Shaq Sounds Ready To Bury The Hatchet After Years Of Bad Blood With Dwight Howard

These Supermen are on a quest for peace. 

Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard, retired NBA giants, have finally buried their long-running feud … or so it seems. 

The reconciliation comes fresh off Howard’s Hall of Fame nomination for the Class of 2025.

The beef between them boiled down to Shaq calling Howard a "copycat" and Howard firing back, urging Shaq to move on, with some colorful language thrown in.

The bad blood began in 2008 when Howard wore the iconic Superman cape at the once-relevant NBA Dunk Contest, prompting O’Neal to take the gloves off. 

ORLANDO - Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic keeps his eyes on Shaquille O'Neal of the Boston Celtics on December 25, 2010 at the Amway Center. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

The feud has been volatile ever since.

Howard has done his share of prodding, once calling Shaq a "sensitive" NBA legend. 

In a tweet, Howard wrote, 

"I know you care. Cuz yo insecure a** been hating and talking s**t for 20 years. You to[o] 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 [Bryant], Penny [Hardaway], [Dwyane Wade]. You jealous of Charles [Barkley] too."

Shaq had previously posted on X, "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." 

Despite the barbs, Howard recently listed legendary centers he’d want to walk him out at his Hall of Fame ceremony, including Shaq, alongside Kevin Garnett and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — ironically, all names who have criticized him in the past.

On his podcast with Adam Lefkoe, Shaq responded warmly to Howard’s gesture, calling him a friend and saying he’d be honored to present him as a Hall of Famer. 

"I'll do it, I'll be there... that's my guy," Shaq affirmed.

While Shaq’s legacy unquestionably towers over Howard’s, O’Neal has sometimes been petulant, swatting away any notion of boosting Howard’s image as a supposed heir to the "Superman" persona. 

Are the big men bluffing or on a serious path to peace? Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com  

Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela