At the start of the year, Shaquille O’Neal boldly stated, “Won’t ever say your name again ever again”. This occurred during the back-and-forth on X, where Dwight Howard called the Lakers legend “insecure.” But now, the water is under the bridge, due to 3x DPOY’s well-deserved Hall of Fame moment. From one superman to another, this moment was a long time coming, and Shaq made sure to give flowers to the latest inductee!
The Big Aristotle arrived at the HOF ceremony, and after giving his word, he will be present for Howard. Before appreciating DH-12, Shaq wanted the world to know why he wore a suit with white and black and a touch of green with plenty of flowers. Why this choice? “Because I’m finally giving flowers,” said O’Neal, and yes, the flowers are the type of appreciation and a message from one Big Man to another.
“Mr. Dwight Howard…It’s big for him, it’s big for his family, it’s big for the big man alliance, of which I am the reigning president. That’s right, me. It’s big, I’m happy for him.” So, is the rivalry finally over? “It wasn’t that we had a problem. You know my leadership style. I learned it from you. I’m hard on guys to motivate them. Some people can take it, some people can’t. But when we met, I told him it’s never hard feelings. I just did that to make him angry. And whenever I made him angry, he played well. So my style worked for Penny Hardaway, it worked for Kobe, it worked for D-Wade“.
Hall of Fame 2025 is here and this is what Shaquille O’Neal has to say on Dwight Howard:
Shaq: Why am I wearing this blazer?Because I’m finally giving flowers.
(You’re finally giving flowers to who?)
Shaq: Mr. Dwight Howard. It’s big for him, it’s big for his family, it’s big…
— Vaibhavi Malhotra (@vmalhotraaa) September 6, 2025
This is a developing story…
The post Shaquille O’Neal Maintains Innocence In Dwight Howard Beef After Clever Hall Of Fame Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.