For years, NBA fans have watched the beef between Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard unfold. The two giants—Shaq, a 4-time NBA champion, and Dwight, an 8-time NBA All-Star—have had their fair share of back-and-forth. It left fans asking one question: what sparked this beef in the first place? Well, Dwight Howard finally broke his silence and answered that very question.

Yesterday, Dwight opened up about the tension between him and Shaq. More importantly, he spilled what exactly pushed him to engage in a war of words with the veteran big man. 

“A code.” Yup! You read that right. The whole reason was that Shaquille O’Neal failed to follow the “code,” Howard said on the 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast. So, what code? To clarify matters, Dwight used Melo as an example.

“I got a code with Melo and I don’t know him personally like that. But you know what I’m saying? Like, we go back and all that stuff, but I’m not going to talk about his personal life. I’m not going to say nothing about Melo. Anything that has any negativity to it, I’m not going to speak on it … because he got family. He got kids, he got people that watch shows. And they see what we say. So, I’m not going to do that. And that’s with any male. Any female. Period. If it’s public, I’m not going to get out here and bash you or talk negative about you, because you have a life to live. And words hold power. So I don’t do that.”

Howard, for his part, also made it clear that he’s never had a disrespectful conversation with Shaq. But what stood out was Dwight’s attitude. He has had no interest in keeping the tension alive. His respect for the Lakers legend was evident when he asked, “Why are we still doing this?”

Clearly, DH12 is ready to move past the drama and show respect for a fellow star. However, Howard’s words made it clear that he was deeply disappointed. “Why is it always something that you got to say about me? I don’t bother you…whatever you do I respect you as the OG of the league.”

For Dwight Howard, the biggest letdown wasn’t the public back-and-forth. It was the fact that the ‘Diesel’, in his eyes, had never respected the bro code. That’s what really got to him the most.

Whatever the reason might be, we as fans just want them to move past the beef, and live their lives. And have fewer enemies. But interestingly, Shaq is not someone who lets go of things very easily.

Shaquille O’Neal Claps Back with a Bold Social Media Post 

As reported by CBS Sports, the feud between Shaquille O’Neal and Howard goes way back. It was when Shaq was still in the NBA. The conflict started when Howard took on the “Superman” moniker, a nickname that O’Neal had made famous during his own career. Howard revealed that during his time on DWTS last year, he tried to bury the hatchet with Shaq. But despite his efforts, the feud didn’t end. And it left Howard to wonder if they should just settle it the old-fashioned way, by squaring off. 

Last month, Howard was on The GAUDS Show where the host asked about his tense relationship with O’Neal. And his answer might shock you. He said, “Never disrespected him. But he’s always had something to say. There’s times where I’ve gotten upset and I’m like, ‘Yo, Shaq, this gotta stop, man.’ I tried to [talk to him],” Unfortunately, despite all his efforts, the beef remains unresolved. Naturally, Shaq caught wind of these comments and didn’t hesitate to respond in his usual blunt, no-holds-barred style.

He took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted, “@DwightHoward 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. Won’t ever say your name again ever again. Have a great day and now u have been deleted. Have a great day.”

Of course, Howard wasn’t about to stay silent. He also headed over to X and fired back with his own take on Shaq’s response. It’s clear this back-and-forth isn’t getting over anytime soon.

Is this the end where they never cross paths again, or could it be the beginning of something new? What’s your take?