Shaquille O’Neal has found a way to keep his fans entertained even after retirement. From his dominance on the court to his hilarious quips on the mic, the transition has been smooth. His pride in his game and being one of the most dominant big men in the history of the game still shows in his words, and he wants confirmation of it from others as well.
During a recent episode of the Big Podcast with Shaq, the 7-footer wanted confirmation from his guest, JJ Redick, but the latter found himself in a sticky situation when Shaq threw a curveball at him. The 4-time NBA champion told Redick, “So you probably got Dwight [Howard] over me as the Magic’s best big man ever. Dare you to say it, dare you to say it.”
While Redick tried to tiptoe his way past the dare, Shaq pressed on by saying, “The best Orlando Magic big man ever, say it it’s only three – me, Dwight and Greg Kite.” JJ Redick showed his quick wits and turned the conversation towards Shaq, who is one of the best players in the league and doesn’t get many shoutouts.
Shaq’s blunt attitude towards Dwight Howard is no secret ever since the two bickered over the tag of “Superman” and his question to DH12’s former teammate was one of his mischievous ways of keeping that beef alive. But was Dwight Howard really better than Shaq during his Orlando career? A close inspection of their careers has the answer.
Comparing Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard’s Magic Career
Shaquille O’Neal made his big break in the NBA with the Orlando Magic in 1992 after being the first overall draft pick. Averaging 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 295 games for the Magic in his career, Shaq marked his territory as the best big man of his time. The 1993 Rookie Of The Year and 1995 Scoring Champion awards were his gains from his spell in Orlando as the team collectively failed to win a championship in those years. A move to the Lakers in 1996 ended his journey with the Magic, and after his heroics in the Gold and Purple threads, he is mainly associated with the LA franchise.
Apart from the similarity in size, Dwight Howard also had a similar career path to his predecessor. After being drafted overall first by the Magic in 2004, Howard became synonymous with the Orlando side. The center averaged 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 621 games for the Magic while picking up 3 Defensive Player Of The Year awards from 2009-2011.
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He also achieved the feat of winning back-to-back NBA blocks leader awards in 2009 and 2010 which Shaq never won. While Shaq was a more significant threat muscling his way forward, Dwight was a rebounding machine with excellent defensive ability around the rim.
Thanks to his stellar career with the Magic, Dwight Howard was the obvious choice to have his jersey retired, but Shaq earned that prestigious honor instead. That only soured their relationship, but Shaq recently revealed why he pokes at Howard at any given chance and, knowing the Big Aristotle, that won’t come to an end anytime soon.
Also Read: “Like Seeing God”- Shaquille O’Neal Recalls First On-Court Encounter With Michael Jordan
