“When I watch him, what I see are opportunities that he is missing,” Hakeem Olajuwon said when Dwight Howard trained under him. But the real stir came months ago when comedian Ali Siddiq claimed Howard was the “only one person that did not complete that program.” Fast forward to now, and Howard had just one question: “How he know?” Siddiq, of course, had an answer.

Carmelo Anthony brought up the topic on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, saying, “That you didn’t complete the Olajuwon program.” Howard fired back, “How would a comedian know that Hakeem Olajuwon had a program for basketball?”

When Melo revealed, Ali Siddiq had been the one to say it in a previous podcast appearance. Howard doubled down on his skepticism, saying, “How’d he know? If you went back to the reason why I went to Houston, it’s because of the Dream.” As the conversation gained traction, 7PM in Brooklyn’s official page shared the clip, and Siddiq decided to step in.

“Well, he didn’t say I was lying, he said how I know… because I love basketball and want my team to win with @dwighthoward,” Siddiq commented. He wasn’t backing down but made it clear there was no bad blood. “And once again, never said you weren’t nice!” He also clapped back at the idea that non-players can’t know the game, saying, “People who follow basketball don’t have to be at the practice to know what’s going on in basketball.” 

Still, Siddiq couldn’t resist throwing in a little humor. “How he know? The same way The Simpsons know everything,” he joked. A hilarious nod to the animated series’ uncanny ability to predict real-life events—like Donald Trump’s presidency, which Screen Rant called “the most well-known example” of Simpson’s future predictions. But what did Siddiq say when he joined Melo in January?

Ali Siddiq exposed Howard’s failed Olajuwon programme

Houston-based comedian Ali Siddiq didn’t hold back when talking about Dwight Howard’s training with Hakeem Olajuwon during his appearance at Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast.

“It’s only one person that did not complete that program. They came to him and didn’t complete the program. Dwight Howard,” Siddiq revealed.

Interestingly, Siddiq made it clear that Olajuwon wasn’t in it for the money. “Olajuwon is giving you a gift. He don’t need your bread,” the 51-year-old comedian said. “He took his time out to give you something, and you’re better for it — when you come get it.” The message was simple: Olajuwon’s knowledge was invaluable, but only if the player was willing to embrace it.

And many greats certainly did. Yao Ming, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James all sought out Olajuwon’s expertise, dedicating time to refining their skills. While some fans debated how much the training helped these stars, there was one key difference—they all finished the program. Howard, on the other hand, did not.

From 2010 to 2013, Howard worked with Olajuwon to improve his post-game and become a bigger threat in the half-court. While he did increase his mid-range attempts, his overall offensive game remained the same. Despite excelling in Orlando, expectations were sky high when he joined Kobe Bryant at the Lakers. But it didn’t take long for fans to realize that Howard wasn’t a reliable half-court option.

However, it seems, now, the drama is settled between Siddiq and Howard.