
via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 09: Shaquille O’Neal attends the WBC heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder at T-Mobile Arena on October 09, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 09: Shaquille O’Neal attends the WBC heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder at T-Mobile Arena on October 09, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal spent a long time dominating the league. There have been only a handful of players who have challenged Shaq while the 7-foot-1 inches center was still in his prime. One of them happens to be Dwight Howard. Believe it or not, Shaq and Howard have a lot in common. For this reason, there was some bad blood between the two which continues to date. Recently, a player who has played with both of them gave some eye-opening insights.
Jason Williams, or White Chocolate, as he is affectionately known, joined the All the Smoke podcast recently and talked about prime and healthy Howard.
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A former teammate of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard gives his take
Jason Williams has had first-hand experience playing with two of the greatest big men ever. Despite their beef and differences, Shaq and Howard have a lot in common. They both were drafted #1 overall by the Orlando Magic and took them to an NBA final. Moreover, they both won their first ring with the Los Angeles Lakers!

USA Today via Reuters
NBA, Basketball Herren, USA All Star-Saturday Night, Feb 15, 2020 Chicago, Illinois, USA Former NBA player Shaquille O Neal laughs while standing next to Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard during the slam dunk contest during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKylexTeradax 14049251
Keeping all the trolls and mocking aside, Howard has had an incredible career in the league. Moreover, people tend to forget just how good a young Dwight Howard was. During an episode on the All the Smoke podcast, the hosts and Williams talked about a prime Howard.
Williams said, “Look, there’s not too many guys that I have seen play better than Dwight Howard. What he brought to the table, what he did man, you are not gonna see another Dwight Howard.”
The hosts, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, then talked about the time they both were served a basketball lesson by Howard while he was with the Orlando Magic.
Following an incredible title win with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, the 8 time NBA All-Star has been playing in Taiwan. This has been the center of numerous jokes by the NBA world, Shaquille O’Neal in particular. Despite the trolls and the jokes, the 3 times DPOY has been performing exceptionally in the league and is making some good money.
Who has better stats between Shaq and Howard?
During their individual primes, there was little to no difference between Shaq and Dwight Howard. Although Shaq most certainly has more accolades than his counterpart, Howard has had a Hall of Fame career himself.
In 20 seasons in the league, O’Neal averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. On the other hand, Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18 seasons.
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Who’s your favorite, Shaq or Howard? Let us know in the comments below!
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