Dwight Howard is not one to mince words. After the apparent snub from the NBA Top 75 team, the former Orlando Magic star pointed to none other than Shaquille O’Neal as the person responsible for leaving him out of the prestigious list.
In 2021, the NBA compiled a list of the 75 best players in its history, to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The selection was made by a voting panel made up of 88 basketball personalities, including journalists, coaches, general managers, team executives, and players and former players.
The list generated controversy from the first moment due to the exclusion of players such as Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green among others. Howard was also not included in the team, and he is certain who was to blame for his exclusion.
It was all Shaq’s fault
In a recent dynamic with his followers on X (formerly Twitter), a fan asked him what he thought about his exclusion from the NBA Top 75 team. True to form, Howard did not avoid the question, answering “Politics! Just look who voted.”
The former Los Angeles Lakers player accompanied his answer with an image listing 25 of the voters. The names include Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Nancy Lieberman, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Although Howard did not mention any names in particular, his feud with O’Neal is well known and dates back to the years when he was a rising star and Shaq had just retired. Thus, it is not strange that DH12 sees some sort of conspiracy orchestrated by the Big Fella to deprive him of one of the greatest accolades of his career.
What started the feud between Howard and O’Neal?
The feud began over who deserved the nickname “Superman” the most, which the media used interchangeably for the two players. Although Shaq was the first to use it, a spectacular performance by Howard in a dunk contest at the All-Star Game also earned him the nickname.
It’s been 22 years since then, and the feud has continued to grow, with innuendos and criticism flying from both sides through the mainstream and social media. However, there’s a big difference between that and Shaq deliberately blocking Howard from being recognized… or is there?
