Twenty-one years since they first met on the NBA’s court—at the Kaseya Center. Yet, the heat, the rivalry, and the public beef never seem to end. This dislike, or should I say hatred, towards each other looks nothing less than an unreal tale. However, it’s Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard’s rift I’m talking about, so you know, nothing is subtle here. Uh oh! But hey, will Orlando’s Fresh Hall of Famer consider being friends with Shaq?

Dwight gave his answer on the Dan Patrick Show. Well, it looks like the 39-year-old NBA champ would like to extend a hand of friendship towards the Lakers legend. “You think you and Shaq will ever be friends?” a curious Dan Patrick asked Howard. “Uh, yes,” he responded. Then he shared a recent incident that might look like a good start for friendship.

Dwight Howard narrated: “We actually—I saw him in Orland after I was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was out at a restaurant eating, uh, with my family and my friends. And the owner said that Shaq was actually at the restaurant, and I said, “I’m going to go talk to him.” And everybody was like, “What?” I said, “Yes, I’m going to go talk to him.” I got up, went over to where he was, shook his hand, asked if we had a minute alone, and we had a real good conversation.” Do we still have any details on what the two NBA legends talked about? Well, no. Not yet. But it surely looks like positive progress in their relationship.

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard added, “I was very happy about it. We expressed some things.” You can call this a change of heart for sure! “The next time you see both of us together, we’ll talk about the stuff that. We had a sit down about. But it was a really good talk. And I’m—I’m glad that the—the universe, everything worked out perfectly for us to be in Orlando, at the same place, at the same time, to have a conversation,” Howard concluded.

But well, this isn’t the first time that Superman (Shaq, please don’t take offense!) turned his tone soft for the Big Shamrock. Do you remember when Dwight Howard asked for Shaquille O’Neal’s help with a special HOF request?

Dwight Howard made a special request to Shaquille O’Neal for Hall of Fame amidst the bitterness

The 8x All-Star became the first-ballot inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025. However, there weren’t one but two reasons to celebrate for the 39-year-old big man. First, of course, was the HOF induction, and second, it was a step towards ending the feud with Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq had fans buzzing after he reshared an ESPN post on his Instagram story, a subtle yet powerful nod that many took as his stamp of approval for Dwight. Meanwhile, the former Orlando Magic star (now legend) had already made it clear who he wanted by his side for one of basketball’s greatest honors. “I want KG, Shaq, and Kareem to walk me out 🙏🏾 #hof,” he had said, dropping names like confetti at a championship parade. It looked like he had his dream lineup all set for the most iconic walkout of his career.

From ‘stealing’ nicknames to sharing handshakes, the journey between Shaq and Dwight has been anything but ordinary. What started with a cape at a dunk contest sparked years of tension. Yet now, with Hall of Fame honors and quiet conversations, the walls seem to be coming down. Maybe time does heal, even for two Supermen. And who knows? The next chapter might just surprise us all.