“If you make it to the Hall of Fame…”—It seems Dwight Howard might get his boxing match against Shaquille O’Neal after all. Yes, Howard is one of the many names that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame listed as eligible for the Class of 2025 this Thursday. And D12 could not have been more grateful for this development in his response on Instagram!

“Thank you JESUS,” Howard wrote in his IG story, sharing the post by NBA on ESPN. The news could not have come at a better time for the former Lakers star. It was just recently that he finally seemed to have given up on his dream of returning to the league. He stated, in his conversation with Kevin Garnett, that he does not want to risk his body taking the burden of the game at this age now.

Yes, D12 has maintained a good shape despite being away from the NBA. But he wants to stay this way to hoop with his kids when the time comes. Now, Dwight Howard giving up on his dream after all these years would have left things feeling incomplete had it not been for the recently announced Hall of Fame nomination.

For those unaware, the 39-year-old is among the first-time nominees—something that the 7’2″ center rightfully deserves after earning 3 Defensive Player of the Year, a championship with the Lakers in 2020, 8 All-Star appearances, and the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest win.

And above everything else, he had a dominant presence on the court. Howard being the 5x rebounding leader and 2x blocks leader is a testament to it. Over 1,242 games, Howard averaged 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, finishing 10th all-time in total rebounds with 14,627.

So clearly, this nod from the HOF committee isn’t just a pat on the back. It’s a celebration of Dwight Howard’s remarkable journey. And also probably a chance for him to fulfill his desire for a boxing match with Shaq.

Shaquille O’Neal will accept Dwight Howard’s boxing challenge if 8x All-Star gets into HOF

Shaq and Dwight had fans buzzing during the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight. While O’Neal teased an NBA vs NFL showdown, Howard saw his chance to settle things down with Big Diesel. “Shaq wassup 🥊 let’s make bread 😂,” Howard wrote on X.

Shaq’s response? “Gotta have more than one ring to get in the ring with me,” he roasted, taking a playful jab at Howard’s single championship.

Classic ‘Diesel’!

Instead, he set his sights on NFL star Rob Gronkowski, leaving Howard with the “Superman belt” as a consolation prize. The 3x DPOY, however, took the burn sportingly as he stated he didn’t read the rulebook for this fantasy showdown. But Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t done yet.

Replying to Howard with yet another playful jab, he wrote, “If you woulda read it, noticed it says NBA vs NFL. With that being said, you can box an NFL guy, and then if you win, then you can get the Jones of the big man… U wait til I’m fifty to challenge me, that’s funny. Just join the show and let’s whoop some NFL guys. And if u make it to the Hall of Fame, then we’ll do it.“

Little did the 4x NBA champ think D12 will get a nomination this year itself. Now, it’s to be seen if Shaq keeps his word. But for that, Dwight Howard would first have to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.