With Jeanie Buss on Above the Rim, the players who built the Lakers brand were of course going to be discussed. What is surprising, though, is Dwight Howard bringing up his natural nemesis in a good light. Truces and goodwill were thrown out in the past month as Howard and Shaquille O’Neal feuded. They exchanged barbs on social media and podcasts, but have since simmered down. They didn’t bury the hatchet, but it doesn’t come in the way of D12 acknowledging what Big Diesel has done off-court.

Jeanie Buss mentioned, “That’s what makes the Lakers brand. It isn’t just about the team, it’s about people who wear the uniform, their stories, and what they go on to do even after they play,” on Howard’s podcast. She was referencing Magic Johnson’s magnanimous work as a health and education advocate, philanthropist, businessman, and sports executive.

Howard agreed and added, “It’s not just him. You watch someone else…” It took him a second for a name to instantly come to mind, “Shaq,” who meets Buss’ description of Lakers players who established an off-court legacy. But his rival adds an extra element to it.

“Bigger than life personality, just like Magic, and it’s just like, for both of them after their careers in the NBA, it’s like they’ve done even greater things on the business side.” He goes on to say, “I think it’s because of their charisma, you know their attitude of ‘let’s bring people together, let’s have fun.’ But on the flip side, they’re doing philanthropy… they’re giving back.” 

Dwight is spot on. Magic built something, took a young Shaq under his wing, and made him a philanthropist and businessman like himself. Johnson became one of the few athlete-billionaires in 2023 and Shaq is at the halfway point with $500 million! Some say O’Neal should be that to Dwight. But Big Diesel’s constant criticism and their claims on the ‘Superman’ moniker didn’t let that happen.

It seemed that they had buried the hatchet and were talking about mutual admiration for each other. Until September 2024.

No truce between Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard…why?

Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal were seemingly on the same page about Rudy Gobert’s first DPOY. Till D12 flipped the script. He said on Above the Rim that it wasn’t Shaq’s job to put players down. On the same podcast he’s praising him now, Howard pressed a nerve that it’s Shaq’s employer, (Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s parent company) that owns the Superman rights and not them.

Big Diesel became retaliatory from there. The 4x champion targeted Dwight’s single championship (2020, with the Lakers no less), called him a crybaby, and told him to stay in Taiwan. Howard corrected him that his real nickname is “Deebo” and he’s currently in Dancing with the Stars, not Taiwan.

Gone are the days when Shaq campaigned for Dwight on the 2024 Olympic team. “I like what I see but don’t leave ya boy out …if ya leave me out I’m playing with Taiwan and I’m dropping 85,” Howard had written on Instagram. Now he shares petty social media posts of Howard’s Shaqtin a Fool moments.

And apparently, the non-public exchanges cut deeper. Howard said Shaq got personal and disrespectful with him behind the public spat. He wouldn’t reveal what exactly was said but confirmed that even though Big Diesel apologized, it wouldn’t fix things. Keeping the nasty feud aside, the ‘Above the Rim’ host does take the high road because of Shaq’s generous philanthropy.