My name is SHAQUILLE, My mama named me after Shaq. I was born in 96... Nearly 11lbs.... I love shaq! I embraced my name because of him. But youre right, Shaq seem kinda salty towards Dwight.
Shaq wasn`t joking when it came to Dwight, and he wasn`t joking about Ben Simmons, he is just the most insecure professional sports star that I have ever come across.
100%. Shaq had a fragile ego and Dwight came along and competed with his legacy as a Magic big man. I am a fan of Shaq but the dude is a hater toward Dwight
And he never got close to being a threat but shaq was definitely threatened and when Dwight started doing the Superman thing. Shaq be hatin on Dwight...
Dwight was never a threat to shaq. Shaq gets in his feelings when you take things from him. Dwight took the Superman name, and shaq was extra petty about it. Nothing new. Dwight’s great but he ain’t on par with shaq . Not even close
Sure Shaq had other reasons, but I truly believe Shaq was disappointed and frustrated that Dwight Howard didn't post up more. Whenever they would watch clips on TNT Shaq would say get your big butt in the post. Learn some moves and work on your game.
People admire tall people, but there is the opposite of Napoleon syndrome and he has it. And I've seen it with other big guys I've known. Few people dare to challenge them due to their size and the fact that they can probably beat up 99 percent of people, But when someone does have the audacity to challenge them they are infuriated. There are big guys that go the other way and I can't say what's more common, but gentle giant or bully they are very conscious of their size.
Like javal McGee… feel bad for the guy it can’t be good for your morale when a legend of the game is constantly making fun of you and turns you into a media laughingstock
@@kaboomkp Realistically, Shaq cost McGee a whole lot of money because he built him a certain image. Was he clumsy? Sure. But was he so clumsy that he deserved a McGee-only Shaqtin-a-fool segments where all he did was pick on McGee even if the plays he brought up were not even bad.
@@tapio_m6861The things sometimes people who have insecurities will try to put down others... Its unfortunate but so common in this world! Don't know Shaq's exact motives for that segment was but just was unfortunate he had to be put thag guy down! It might of been for clout but very disrespectful! On another note, the videos on the playlist on my channel titled 'Purpose of Life?' might be interesting or maybe even life-changing for some people!
@@bsp5689 he is. He get mad if someone think that Wilt is more dominant. But Wilt is more domitant. Why we can't said that Wilt is better. I know that he is better then Shaq. More average points, rebounds, better defender and better offensive player. He is anomaly. But Shaq don't conversation about that.
@@markozbunjol625 I think Shaq is better because the league is more competitive. But Shaq is a salty guy and can be quite pathetic at times despite he is fun.
@@bsp5689 Shaq was on the decline in his career while Dwight was on the incline. Shaq felt threatened by Dwight. You're looking at the situation in hindsight, not how it happened in that moment.
Ikr lol. People should be sensitive to that stuff because it’s coming from a respected legend of the game that comes with fair criticism. Shaq wants them to take it personal and they take it personal. Shaq is a certified old head
@@danielwiley9828 then at the very least he should be able to take the same heat he's giving out otherwise you're just a hypocrite, which he is because he has shown us multiple he cannot take heat himself.
Right now he’s silent and not giving praise of Joker because you know, when all said and done Joker would be the greatest center of all time and Shaq is threatened to get down on the list of top players of all time
@chillax9184 joker still a long way from greatest center ever. Chips arent the end all be all but 1 ring and a couple mvps arent enough. He still got a real shot tho
Never called him out/it was a joke/it was out of respect/motivation/he's being sensitive/it was never personal...bro just checking off every gaslighting technique out there in the first 2 minutes.
Shaq destroyed Dwight’s image and was the reason why Dwight didn’t make the top 75 list. Shaq is an all time great but he will be forever a clown for that.
I think it started over a dumb reason as Dwight was being called Superman and Shaq wanted that moniker. I love Shaq but I think he’s petty sometimes and is very insecure about his legacy.
He was silly about it. But he was called Superman first. And when he was playing in Orlando. Dwight did try and steal that for him. But Dwight is the best big man in Orlando history.
@@serpserpserpre-read how petty and silly your words are and that is what Shaq was being. A big insecure child. They called Dwight Superman but that’s my self proclaimed name and I have a Superman tattoo…boohoo shaq
I keep telling people it was over a poll in like 2008 or 2009. The poll was asking who had the better Orlando career, and Dwight won with over 70% of the vote. We all know Shaq is insecure, and that's when he went 0-100 on the Dwight hate.
it's a testosteron charged environment, pro sports in a billion dollar company that is. if you cant stand the heat, dont go into the kitchen. you can hate it or love it, but in environments like the NBA only the ones that thrive on negative energy that is thrown at them, survive. To a degree that is true for a lot of realities people live in. You cant others let define you and step on you.
Straight yappin, Shaq defo mentioned and called Dwight out to put him self in a better light because Dwight was straight hoopin as a Magic, and after his Magic run Shaq continued so nobody could see dwight in a serious light, just in a banter way with Mr O'Neal
right. JJ is not a reporter. the goal of his podcast, which i appreciate, is to give these players a platform to be human, to let people relate to them, mostly in a positive light. he's not there to dig into your personal life and make you uncomfortable. he's there to let his viewers know that there's more to shaq (or another nba player) than what you normally see.
Love Shaq, not trying to call him a liar, but he's definitely, um, "distorting" the origins of his consistent taunting of Dwight over the years. I do think there was a level of pettiness/dislike from shaq due to the fact that dwight was an up and coming bigman who happened to both play for Orlando and also be a physically dominant center. I think what triggered it was the whole superman thing back in 07/08. There's a reason why Chuck will occasionally refer to him as "Petty White" lol.
@4:21 Shaq is being a hypocrite here because there was a lot of stuff. He did not do nor apply to his game. So that he to get better on and off the court. However, he wants to criticize others for not doing the same. Then at @5:31 for Shaq to say he aint sensitive, come on bro. Everyone who watches Inside the NBA, knows that is a lie. LOLz If both of these weren't true then Shaq would have never left the Lakers and would not had any problems with Kobe.
Watch the full interview and Shaq admits he's the most sensitive person and that's how he knows other guys are. Just like he's said, in this interview and countless times, he knows he could've been better but he didn't put in enough effort. I already know you're a zoomer lmao.
@@lance8163grown men shouldn’t acknowledge they should’ve done better then continuously not doing better is a character issue It’s not just sensitive it’s jealous bitterness and resentment Stop defending this clown shaq is a cry baby
@@lance8163 I don’t need to watch the whole interview. Because it is the same story every time. Shaq will say all these nice things like he is trying to help and mentor guys. However he ain’t because they were lots of other interviews, he did the opposite. I can easily go and find other videos because this isn’t the first time. So how does it make sense to say you aren’t sensitive in this clip. However in other bits in the interview say that you are sensitive? Lolz,
Makes no sense when athletes say the fans don't understand their sport as much as they do. Just because you all are taller than the average person doesn't make you wiser.
The reason they have a more valuable opinion is because they're able to watch the games like fans but they also participate in the games. If it wasn't for players we wouldn't know about mamba mentality, LeBron's leadership, or Jordan's gambling issues. The personal aspects of the players and the aspects of the play by play not understood by the average fan are what make an NBA players opinion more valuable.
@surfaceintensity6835 NO!! That just means they have a more biased opinion. They can say they know more about what goes on off the court that fans. But the fans know a travel when we see it. I'll argue that true fans actually know more about the sport than the players.
@@kingcane5819 The argument of some having more knowledge being more biased isn't wrong but it also isn't an issue. NBA players who travel and see both the extreme and average people in the basketball world have all the same tools that a "true fan" has and more. You don't have a particularly valuable argument.
Shaq was upset that he was past his prime and Dwight was outplaying him. He always likes to use the excuse of “oh I was just trying to motivate him” but he was just jealous that he couldn’t keep up at that point in his career and he took it out on the new guy.
Super clear answer. If he’s serious, you’ll know it. But he’s joking most of the time, and most people don’t know it. He’s not serious, and it’s all jokes. But he’s seriously motivating these players. In summary, he has been consistently joking tactically with a serious purpose, and you will know when he’s serious but you won’t know when he’s serious 😂😂😂
I lost respect for Shaq after watching these videos with JJ. Guy needs therapy. He tries to pull the wool over our eyes, but it’s clear the guy has deep unaddressed insecurity and anger.
Shaq always like to backtrack. He has done it for years and years. However good thing about the internet is that it never goes away. So you can easily see other videos where he say how he really feels.
I remember he wrote in a book that he hated David Robinson because when he met him as a highschooler, David was nonchalant and so he held a grudge for yrs. Yrs later he admitted he'd fabricated the whole story, and he tried to laugh it off like it wasn't anything serious.
Shaq was 100% more dominant than Dwight but the thought of Dwight being seen as Superman, kinda throwing Shaq away like he never happened (to Shaq) made Shaq almost despise Dwight. To Shaq, there could only be one Superman.
Shaq was sensitive. Still is. Shaq's call out on Dwight was unwarranted. Dwight was a beast in Orlando. Absolute beast. People forget. Dwight played 8 years for the Magic. By the time he made it to the Lakers, he was already worn out, back injuries, and arguably no longer in his prime. At least not peak prime.
Shaq was right about Dwight but Dwight was so good at one point. Ben Simmons is a complete joke and him not getting better after all these years just shows that he don’t care and or his coaches aren’t getting him any better.
@@stanleed.harold5457 Dwight was damn good at basketball and took getting better at it very seriously. He just never took himself too seriously, so somehow this guy who was shredded athletically and clearly very skilled was labeled as a clown who didn't work hard. SVG (whos an idiot) made him look bad, the Lakers media made him look bad while he was hurt, and then in Houston Harden wanted to set individual records over playing winning basketball and somehow the media blamed Dwight for that too (Harden didn't try playing complimentary ball until like 2 years ago, when he was obviously on the decline) Meanwhile media always has no problem idolizing egomaniacs like Shaq and MJ like they the gold standards of being the ideal human being lol. So backwards
@@PantsaBear meanwhile in the series vs the blazers DWIGHT was the one trying to keep them alive while harden was shooting like 30% FG and chucking dumb af shots. dwight is the most underappreciated and underrated big man that ever played in the league. the way people talk about him... if i never saw him play and lead the magic to the finals, i'd think he was a deadbeat scrub end of the bench guy.
What about Javale Magee, cuz nobody thought he was going to be a “great” big man. And yea it may have been fun for YOU but it wasn’t for him and he let you know that time and time again. But you couldn’t take it when he called you a minstrel show.
The problem is that Shaq gives more credibility to role players on championship teams like Kenny than main dudes like Chuck who played in the Finals. Kenny was along for the ride, he can't understand what Shaq went through as 1A/1B.
Shaq calls out people who he sees are like him, naturally gifted but underachieving. I think there is a type of animosity there but i also think he is trying to motivate them in the way he was motivated wich was by people calling him out.
I knew old heads like Shaq and there really is this manipulative mentality they have where they test your resolve by hitting you with “negativity” just to see how you respond. If it pushes you to prove them wrong then they’ll respect you, and if you get emotional or run from the challenge then they just figure you’re not cut from their cloth. It’s not about hate or jealousy to them it’s like them trying to initiate you into a fraternity but they have to make sure you’re worthy. These days that doesn’t really fly and gets called toxic and all of that but it’s a real thing that happens.
I like the old head mentality also. But let's not forget how shaq literally tried to bully people over the years like what you would see in jr. high school, when the guy was 40 years old.
Honestly I think Shaq should not shoot down Chuck whenever championships are brought up. Chuck LOST in the finals, so of all people Chuck knows exactly what he did wrong (or things that he should have done differently) because of those losses. Chuck has added to the championship discussions because he knows what it's like on the losing side
Plus by Shaq's logic, any team, coach, or player who manages to win a championship for the first time would have won only by getting lucky since, again, by Shaq's logic, they wouldn't know how to win a championship since they wouldn't have won one yet.
@@BloopyBloop-gs1toMost normal people reflect on this thought process and corrects it at some point, especially when its literally the goal of your career. Meanwhile 50+ year old Shaq still telling make-belive stories to himself and others that allows for emotions to get in the way of growing up. Same thing why he never tried fixing his Free Throw form with any form he thought was feminine/embarrassing. He instead would rather score significantly less points, and then post-career get incredibly upset about not passing Wilt in scoring by a thin margin. As if this guy didn't have dozens of people over the course of his career advising him too, just a wild ego
Barkley also happened to be going up against apex Jordan who averaged 40 in those finals. Barkley definitely could have won a chip with different circumstances.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would criticize Shaq harshly, and alot of people didn’t like it. But Kareem also saw Shaq’s potential, and wanted him to use the criticism as motivation to reach it. Shaq I believe at times was annoyed by Dwight, for example it’s been well documented how he didn’t like Dwight using the Superman gimmick like he did, and then criticized him out of frustration. But Shaq is also on record for saying during an epsiode of Inside the NBA that he saw alot of himself in Dwight, and then criticized him out of dissapointment because he didn’t think Dwight’s attitude was in the right place, and felt he was making some of the same mistakes he made in his career. All in all it would be nice to see those two shake hands someday.
Shaq likes to use that word "marketing" a lot now. Him and Kobe didn't have beef. That was just marketing. Shaq made up that story about David Robinson snubbing him for an autograph when he was 15 and feuded throughout their careers based on that lie. The media (and myself included) fell for it. He wrote books based on that lie. That ain't cool man. He finally admitted to coming clean. Why is marketing so important? What about integrity?
Remember when Dwight was in the dunk contest the month after Kobe died and did a dunk with Kobe’s jersey and the dunk was bad but since it was for Kobe the judges scored it high 😂😂😂
Dwight could have been a legend. Shaq saw him potentially better than himself. Shaq was right in the end. Dwight is in the Hall of really good and not the Hall of Fame.
This is why it is difficult to listen to Shaq interviews despite him being one of my favorite players. He is very flakey with stuff. He clearly had a beef with Dwight. He also clearly had a beef with Kobe but he goes back and forth on stuff. You have to stand on your word. It’s completely okay to change your mind or position on something. Just be real about it though. You can say you didn’t like someone at first but had a change of heart later but don’t try to convince us that you were just playing around all these years.
I love Shaq but come on man, just be humble and admit you saw Dwight as a threat and it upset you he wore the superman cape in the dunk contest. Dwight was a legit player and he did dominate. Look at him at his peak, it was awesome to watch. You don't become 3x Defensive Player of the Year. Most NBA basketball careers are 3-4 years if you are lucky, he played close to 18! I'm glad he got his ring with the Lakers finally in 2020.
I’d say chalk the earlier part of your statement to competitiveness. All the greats have a little bit of that pettiness/sensitivity toward their standing in the game (hence his story about Wilt and Kareem).
I love Shaqs says "take it as a man" he's speaking to Dwight like a father making his son tough in any situations so that he can make shaq shut up and be more than settle for less and goof around. Shaq is all wisdom here as the greats do to him also. It's tough love.
He was a hater. Point blank. He retired and was targeting dwight. There were plenty of centers who were under preforming but he went personal with dwight.
I love Shaq, he deserves all respect and I think he does deserve to be in that top 10 all time conversation which I think if you're top 10 top 20 all time, you're part of the GOAT convo. It's too competitive with too many guys with nuanced resumes with strength of opponents, era, teammates etc... It's a difficult discussion to really understand and pick just one guy. It really isn't fair at all, it's almost always biased by era and when you grew up and what your experiences are/were. That being said, Shaq calling someone else sensitive, oops, sensitively, is a bit of a stretch. Also Shaq has to realize who he is to people. When he calls you out and makes fun of you, that means something to a lot of people who look up to him. Charles gets his goat all the time and his only response is "rings" and he embarrasses himself sometimes. Shaq is a sensitive dude, he admits at some points, then pretends it doesn't exist at others. He's such a legend and by far the most unstoppable player, Wilt woulda got his WORK if Shaq faced him. No hate on Wilt who is also an all time great, but he can't touch Shaq. Barring injuries and circumstances, Shaq far exceeds Wilt's records except maybe the 100 point game we have only radio evidence of. EDIT: My best evidence that I can think of for this is Kobe and Timmy D. Not many people would say Timmy is the GOAT, but loads of people put Kobe up there. They had similar careers, in the same era, and it almost exclusively can be summed up to guards and forwards over PFs and Centers. It's that eyeball test, Kobe looked flashy and hit some insane shots. Timmy just went about his business and won, he didn't look great, he just won consistently. If you have Kobe as your GOAT or the 2.0 of MJ, why is Timmy not there too? Further evidence, in 2011 when the Mavs won the championship. Kobe and MJ fans will criticize Lebron and say that's why he's not the GOAT. Fair enough, the Heat should have won that and Lebron should have played better. Who did the Mavs sweep earlier? The defending champions Kobe, Pau. Then the beat the OKC big 3, they also beat a pretty good Portland team. But what do you make it all about and what do you ignore? There are biases, Kobe got swept by that team yet some of you use it to diminish Lebron's legacy and promote Kobe over him. Ok...?
Shaq thinks is reasoning is bullet proof, though I just don't agree with his opinion on people talking about championships. Chuck got as close as anyone who never got a ring could get (as the main guy on the team and competing against black Jesus), some people have multiple rings from sitting on a bench and high fiving their team mates.
Objectively Dwight IS the best Orlando big man. He was a FIVE TIME FIRST TEAM ALL NBA player when he was in Orlando and a 3 time DPOY. Shaq made all nba 3 times in ORL and it was two 3rd teams and 1 second team. And they both made the finals so that’s a wash. Obviously shaq wins overall career argument
“If you the right type of person it should be used as motivation.” - Shaq And he lived it! 3 rings later and the haters can turn their volume down. Not much if anything they can say after that
I watched this all go down and these are my takeaways (Celtics fan since 1986, Magic season ticket holder from 1989-2003)… 1. Shaq was upset by Howard using the Superman character as a part of his on-court identity. Shaq originally started doing this in the early 1990s, got a Superman tattoo on his arm, and Orlando’s PA announcer would frequently play the Superman theme in the O-Rena when Shaq made a great play (usually a timely dunk). Howard came out for his final dunk in the 2008 dunk contest dressed like Superman, won the thing, and Orlando’s PA announcer started using the Superman theme again in similar fashion. Shaq perceived this to be Howard repurposing what was originally his when he got his start. I don’t think Shaq was validated in getting as upset about it as he did, but I will say that it was pretty lame of Howard to adopt said identity rather than one of his own. To be fair, however, Michael Jordan was being called Superman by commentators before either of them. 2. Shaq saw that Howard was by far the best center in the game and didn’t really have any competition for that title. Sound familiar? That’s how it was for Shaq in the early 2000s once Olajuwon, Robinson, Ewing, etc. either retired or just got old. The difference is that Shaq challenged himself to “slay” those guys as a young player when they were all still at least close to their primes. Did he succeed? I’m sure in Shaq’s mind he did. Regardless, Howard never had a challenge like that and Shaq was probably jealous of him attaining his place in the NBA more easily than he did. 3. Shaq legitimately tried to inspire Howard, albeit in the wrong way, to diversify his offensive attack. Dwight didn’t have post moves. On offense, he was like a more athletic Dikembe Mutombo. Shaq probably grew tired of seeing Howard dominate the interior solely using his physical attributes. Shaq had a drop step hook, a spin move he called the Black Tornado, and a one-handed baseline fadeaway that was kind of a push shot by his second season. SVG couldn’t pay Howard to add those elements to his game. This frustrated Shaq, in my opinion, because he saw how much better Howard could be and this is why Dwight’s career fell off when he started dealing with injuries. He relied almost solely on his physicality to be effective. It’s also why Howard couldn’t do much against Gasol and Bynum in 2009. Conclusion: Shaq was being insecure and jealous, but also Howard was a bit of a goof who never actually wanted to be the best player in the league. Edit: I will say, however, that you will indeed know when Shaq is serious and that was never more evident than it was during his “feud” with Bill Walton, which became legitimately bitter, unlike his little tiffs with Dwight Howard.
I agree with Shaq bc I am the same. When I like someone or meet someone, I intentionally push buttons to see where your character is. Ive lost a lot of friends bc of this but the friends who’ve stayed, we have a bond nothing can recreate. Its an ego thing yea but it’s meant to uplift the strong and strengthen the weak
Kobe and Shaq are more alike than many people think. They use other people's slight to motivate themselves, a key ingredient that has made their partnership last but also fuelled the ultimate falling apart of their partnership in the long term.
This is the most dominant player ever but he’s been jealous of other superstars. And he changes his story about everyone every time. He didn’t like Dwight because people were starting to compare the two. Didn’t like Penny because he was jealous Penny was starting to get attention. Didn’t like Kobe because he knew Kobe was coming for his spot. Now he’s this big motivator/mind reader lol. You can kind of see how much he doesn’t like when Chuck gets all the attention on Inside the NBA. He has to do something stupid to make people laugh so he can get attention.
![Ice On My Teeth - ATEEZ エイティーズ 에이티즈 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 241115](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c-n92OgbbwA/mqdefault.jpg)
Its hilarious hearing shaq talking about guys being sensitive when hes like the most sensitive player ever
Facts
Someone pull up tha compilation of shaq complaining about steve nash wining mvp stead a him
& he actually says “I’m not sensitive” 😂
He's projecting
Facts
Glad to see everybody commenting saying Shaq straight up lying.. he never was joking when it came to Dwight
My name is SHAQUILLE, My mama named me after Shaq. I was born in 96... Nearly 11lbs.... I love shaq! I embraced my name because of him.
But youre right, Shaq seem kinda salty towards Dwight.
Shaq wasn`t joking when it came to Dwight, and he wasn`t joking about Ben Simmons, he is just the most insecure professional sports star that I have ever come across.
Cap , Shaq was 100 % serious when calling out Dwight over the years. He saw Dwight as a threat for many years , that’s my opinion atleast
a threat to what? Man stop lol
for real. And second, he straight up bullied JaVale Mcgee, which he owned up to and apologised for, but it happened.
100%. Shaq had a fragile ego and Dwight came along and competed with his legacy as a Magic big man. I am a fan of Shaq but the dude is a hater toward Dwight
And he never got close to being a threat but shaq was definitely threatened and when Dwight started doing the Superman thing. Shaq be hatin on Dwight...
Dwight was never a threat to shaq. Shaq gets in his feelings when you take things from him. Dwight took the Superman name, and shaq was extra petty about it. Nothing new. Dwight’s great but he ain’t on par with shaq . Not even close
Nah Shaq saw Dwight as a threat to his Orlando big man legacy and hated that he put on that Superman cape, and he seems to be threatened by Joker.
How does he seem to be threatened by Joker? He consistently praises him lol He also constantly praises Embiid.
@@jonjetmore4018he voted for SGA mvp lol that’s hate
@@dwaynekeenum1916tf it’s not
@@3kWyz when you hear the reasons he chose SGA, its just delusion. "Hes the baddest man". No hes not.
Definitely true and aligns with Shaq’s character
This guy got a different story everytime someone asks him this question 😂
He got a different story for everything to be honest. Lol
This comment. And then he covers it up by bolstering his reputation by helping/empowering those in need or those who are impoverished. It's a front.
i just realized shaq is like hulk hogan lol
@@Buttington_Headersonunderrated comparison
You want him to repeat the same old story every time he's answers the same old question, time after time...
Shaq won't admit to the fact that he likes to be a bully as much/if not more than he likes to be a motivator.
He's a fun guy 😸
@@shawnchia3611 Lou amundson will like to disagree
Sure Shaq had other reasons, but I truly believe Shaq was disappointed and frustrated that Dwight Howard didn't post up more. Whenever they would watch clips on TNT Shaq would say get your big butt in the post. Learn some moves and work on your game.
@@One.Zero.One101 then what's the reasoning for how Shaq treated others like Javele McGee?? I don't buy it
People admire tall people, but there is the opposite of Napoleon syndrome and he has it. And I've seen it with other big guys I've known. Few people dare to challenge them due to their size and the fact that they can probably beat up 99 percent of people, But when someone does have the audacity to challenge them they are infuriated. There are big guys that go the other way and I can't say what's more common, but gentle giant or bully they are very conscious of their size.
When the person you're having "fun" with doesn't think its funny means it ain't "fun".
Like javal McGee… feel bad for the guy it can’t be good for your morale when a legend of the game is constantly making fun of you and turns you into a media laughingstock
So many babies.
@@Jmw357 Shaq is one. Biggest baby of them all.
@@kaboomkp Realistically, Shaq cost McGee a whole lot of money because he built him a certain image. Was he clumsy? Sure. But was he so clumsy that he deserved a McGee-only Shaqtin-a-fool segments where all he did was pick on McGee even if the plays he brought up were not even bad.
@@tapio_m6861The things sometimes people who have insecurities will try to put down others... Its unfortunate but so common in this world! Don't know Shaq's exact motives for that segment was but just was unfortunate he had to be put thag guy down! It might of been for clout but very disrespectful! On another note, the videos on the playlist on my channel titled 'Purpose of Life?' might be interesting or maybe even life-changing for some people!
jealousy.
What would he be jealous over?Shaqs had the more successful career on AND DEFINITELY OFF 👀👀👀
Lol shaq was a better player if he retired in 2001
@@bsp5689 he is. He get mad if someone think that Wilt is more dominant. But Wilt is more domitant. Why we can't said that Wilt is better. I know that he is better then Shaq. More average points, rebounds, better defender and better offensive player. He is anomaly. But Shaq don't conversation about that.
@@markozbunjol625 I think Shaq is better because the league is more competitive. But Shaq is a salty guy and can be quite pathetic at times despite he is fun.
@@bsp5689 Shaq was on the decline in his career while Dwight was on the incline. Shaq felt threatened by Dwight. You're looking at the situation in hindsight, not how it happened in that moment.
I just can't take Shaq serious when he calls other people sensitive, when he is so sensitive himself.
Projection
He’s literally said he knows when people are sensitive because he’s sensitive
Ikr lol. People should be sensitive to that stuff because it’s coming from a respected legend of the game that comes with fair criticism. Shaq wants them to take it personal and they take it personal. Shaq is a certified old head
“To the VICTOR goes the spoils” he’s earned the right to sit on the throne and bark out his critiques 🤷🏿♂️
@@danielwiley9828 then at the very least he should be able to take the same heat he's giving out otherwise you're just a hypocrite, which he is because he has shown us multiple he cannot take heat himself.
Mr. Sensitive.
That’s why.
Petty White
The Superman title irked Shaq. At the end of the day, Shaq is a big kid.
AGREED.
A big kid who also happens to be a bully.
Zion is a big kid, shaq 50
Shaq went after every big man that was getting attention
And ones that weren’t too (JaVale McGee)
@@c7leetbf Javale was getting attention but for the wrong reasons
@crisomii before the fracture javale was 🔥. But after that he started to struggle. But shaq went in to hard
Right now he’s silent and not giving praise of Joker because you know, when all said and done Joker would be the greatest center of all time and Shaq is threatened to get down on the list of top players of all time
@chillax9184 joker still a long way from greatest center ever. Chips arent the end all be all but 1 ring and a couple mvps arent enough. He still got a real shot tho
JJ looking at Shaq like “this guy makes no sense”
That’s what you came up with? lol slow asf
Never called him out/it was a joke/it was out of respect/motivation/he's being sensitive/it was never personal...bro just checking off every gaslighting technique out there in the first 2 minutes.
We need to stop saying “gaslighting” and just call it what it is: lying.
@@maxdurk4624 gaslighting is lying, but with the intent of making the other person seem incompetent or confused. It's Manipulation.
Shaq destroyed Dwight’s image and was the reason why Dwight didn’t make the top 75 list. Shaq is an all time great but he will be forever a clown for that.
Thank you
No thanks. Dwight isn't top 750 all time.
@@noname-ue7lb aight name 750 better players than him
@@noname-ue7lb so you're a clown too huh?
@@noname-ue7lblol I don’t even like Dwight and he’s for sure top 100 on everyone’s list that’s knowledgeable and unbiased.
He was jealous lol. “Big man alliance “ 😭😭😭😭
JJ smirked when he heard that lmfao, he knows that is just some BS
I like how he calls himself the “President” of said Big Man Alliance, but Kareem is still alive.
Shaq has the G14 classification on sensitivity for sure.
Also has it for rewriting history
i love how the comments are no longer buying the bullshit. i hate how jj doesnt even make an attempt to contest shaq's lies
I think it started over a dumb reason as Dwight was being called Superman and Shaq wanted that moniker. I love Shaq but I think he’s petty sometimes and is very insecure about his legacy.
He was silly about it. But he was called Superman first. And when he was playing in Orlando. Dwight did try and steal that for him. But Dwight is the best big man in Orlando history.
@@serpserpserpre-read how petty and silly your words are and that is what Shaq was being. A big insecure child. They called Dwight Superman but that’s my self proclaimed name and I have a Superman tattoo…boohoo shaq
@@serpserpserpClark Kent was Superman first so your point is irrelevant Shaq is and was a child and he knows it
I keep telling people it was over a poll in like 2008 or 2009. The poll was asking who had the better Orlando career, and Dwight won with over 70% of the vote. We all know Shaq is insecure, and that's when he went 0-100 on the Dwight hate.
@@NothingElseMattersJM LOL, not even worth a real reply.
1:15 JJ trying his best to keep his composure 🤣
bro, I didn't even catch that. THANK YOU for the belly laugh. He was a half step away from bursting out in laughter 😂
💀💀💀💀
for most of the interview 💀
I was thinking the same thing 😂
LOL! JJ went "Thierry Henry meme" for a moment.
“Sensitivily”. Tf.
Shaq believes in historical revisionism. He also has a bully mindset in many situations, so I dont consider him a "fun" guy
it's a testosteron charged environment, pro sports in a billion dollar company that is. if you cant stand the heat, dont go into the kitchen. you can hate it or love it, but in environments like the NBA only the ones that thrive on negative energy that is thrown at them, survive. To a degree that is true for a lot of realities people live in. You cant others let define you and step on you.
My thoughts exactly 😂You hit the Nail on the head Fam..
He’s not even funny. He thinks he’s funny
@@maxmeier532 So you're saying Testosterone makes you insecure?
Shaq the most sensitive guy out there. Chuck makes 1 comment and Shaq asks him how many rings he got.
I always enjoyed Kenny Smith pushing Shaq's buttons every time he introduced Dwight with a "Superman is in the building!". 😂
So funny hearing the hypocrisy with Shaq.
“Ain’t no ‘hack a Shaq’! I ain’t playin!”
Also Shaq. “There is only 1 ‘Superman’! That’s me”.
Straight yappin, Shaq defo mentioned and called Dwight out to put him self in a better light because Dwight was straight hoopin as a Magic, and after his Magic run Shaq continued so nobody could see dwight in a serious light, just in a banter way with Mr O'Neal
I understand JJ’s interview style is to always be complimentary, but there was a missed opportunity to call out Shaq’s BS here.
Not saying Shaq would actually do something but I’m sure he has a certain level of intimidation.
Jj is too pro player so he won’t say nothing negative really. At most anything negative he says against a player is a reasonable critique
@@iamsedrickbright. No further proof than the Ben Simmons interview
right. JJ is not a reporter. the goal of his podcast, which i appreciate, is to give these players a platform to be human, to let people relate to them, mostly in a positive light. he's not there to dig into your personal life and make you uncomfortable. he's there to let his viewers know that there's more to shaq (or another nba player) than what you normally see.
Especially how stinky it was.
Because he's a jealous, insecure, petty dude
Jealous of a sissy?? 🤣 I don't think so..
How many rings you got?
Joking
Love Shaq, not trying to call him a liar, but he's definitely, um, "distorting" the origins of his consistent taunting of Dwight over the years. I do think there was a level of pettiness/dislike from shaq due to the fact that dwight was an up and coming bigman who happened to both play for Orlando and also be a physically dominant center. I think what triggered it was the whole superman thing back in 07/08. There's a reason why Chuck will occasionally refer to him as "Petty White" lol.
Yep, he lost a poll for 'best Orlando career' to Dwight back in '08 or '09, and that's when he really started hating on Dwight.
@4:21 Shaq is being a hypocrite here because there was a lot of stuff. He did not do nor apply to his game. So that he to get better on and off the court. However, he wants to criticize others for not doing the same.
Then at @5:31 for Shaq to say he aint sensitive, come on bro. Everyone who watches Inside the NBA, knows that is a lie. LOLz
If both of these weren't true then Shaq would have never left the Lakers and would not had any problems with Kobe.
Free throws 😂
@@Wizard-xt5ld, this video just shows that Shaq isn’t sensitive rite? Lolz
ruclips.net/user/shorts78B7ABJjLtI?si=1oQ0j8-cMzjP9Q7Q
Watch the full interview and Shaq admits he's the most sensitive person and that's how he knows other guys are. Just like he's said, in this interview and countless times, he knows he could've been better but he didn't put in enough effort. I already know you're a zoomer lmao.
@@lance8163grown men shouldn’t acknowledge they should’ve done better then continuously not doing better is a character issue
It’s not just sensitive it’s jealous bitterness and resentment
Stop defending this clown shaq is a cry baby
@@lance8163 I don’t need to watch the whole interview. Because it is the same story every time. Shaq will say all these nice things like he is trying to help and mentor guys. However he ain’t because they were lots of other interviews, he did the opposite. I can easily go and find other videos because this isn’t the first time.
So how does it make sense to say you aren’t sensitive in this clip. However in other bits in the interview say that you are sensitive? Lolz,
Makes no sense when athletes say the fans don't understand their sport as much as they do. Just because you all are taller than the average person doesn't make you wiser.
They are pros they know things that the average fans dont
The reason they have a more valuable opinion is because they're able to watch the games like fans but they also participate in the games. If it wasn't for players we wouldn't know about mamba mentality, LeBron's leadership, or Jordan's gambling issues. The personal aspects of the players and the aspects of the play by play not understood by the average fan are what make an NBA players opinion more valuable.
@surfaceintensity6835 NO!! That just means they have a more biased opinion. They can say they know more about what goes on off the court that fans. But the fans know a travel when we see it. I'll argue that true fans actually know more about the sport than the players.
@@kingcane5819 The argument of some having more knowledge being more biased isn't wrong but it also isn't an issue. NBA players who travel and see both the extreme and average people in the basketball world have all the same tools that a "true fan" has and more. You don't have a particularly valuable argument.
"What's your definition of calling out" I can already tell Shaq about to cap 😂
Shaq was 100% going at Dwight for years, he hated being compared to him.
Shaq was upset that he was past his prime and Dwight was outplaying him. He always likes to use the excuse of “oh I was just trying to motivate him” but he was just jealous that he couldn’t keep up at that point in his career and he took it out on the new guy.
if narcissism was a person would be shaq
You’re just sensitive..
And if imbecile was a person….. it would be you.
@@Kaniala-l7s nah you’re a monster and sensitive
He’s the biggest beta male in nba history. He cries about literally everything.
@@FuhrerNCheifTrump cry about it
Tim Ledger is more knowledgeable in basketball than Shaq, wild to say
Shaq saw him as a threat so that is a big lie
When Shaq is looking at you and asking you if he is a nice guy you have to answer yes quickly 😂
😂‼️😂
Super clear answer. If he’s serious, you’ll know it. But he’s joking most of the time, and most people don’t know it. He’s not serious, and it’s all jokes. But he’s seriously motivating these players. In summary, he has been consistently joking tactically with a serious purpose, and you will know when he’s serious but you won’t know when he’s serious 😂😂😂
Totally
People who joke all the time are doing themselves a disservice. They can hardly be taken seriously when need be.
Dwight followed Shaq's footstep from Magic to Lakers while calling himself Superman.
Shaq hated that. Word. 😂😂😂
I lost respect for Shaq after watching these videos with JJ. Guy needs therapy. He tries to pull the wool over our eyes, but it’s clear the guy has deep unaddressed insecurity and anger.
Shaq always like to backtrack. He has done it for years and years. However good thing about the internet is that it never goes away. So you can easily see other videos where he say how he really feels.
Thanks to his stepdad
I remember he wrote in a book that he hated David Robinson because when he met him as a highschooler, David was nonchalant and so he held a grudge for yrs. Yrs later he admitted he'd fabricated the whole story, and he tried to laugh it off like it wasn't anything serious.
A so-called ⚪ man diagnosed that a so-called ⚫ man has anger issues. Wao! And he thinks his opinion is tremendously valuable? Awesome 👍.
Who is our?
Growing up i liked shaq but as the years go on and i hear more and more stories from/about him I've lost a lot of respect for him.
How you feel about MJ??
So like he cares smh
I like shaq but his deficiencies as a human being are like.....proudly on display here.
Hes so full of it
Shaq took a page outta Kawaii’s joke book with the “I’m a fun guy” 😂 1:36
The irony of his hate on Dwight after he resented Kareem for doing the same to him for so long is completely lost on him.
Shaq was 100% more dominant than Dwight but the thought of Dwight being seen as Superman, kinda throwing Shaq away like he never happened (to Shaq) made Shaq almost despise Dwight.
To Shaq, there could only be one Superman.
Shaq was sensitive. Still is. Shaq's call out on Dwight was unwarranted. Dwight was a beast in Orlando. Absolute beast. People forget. Dwight played 8 years for the Magic. By the time he made it to the Lakers, he was already worn out, back injuries, and arguably no longer in his prime. At least not peak prime.
Shaq is lying about joking about Dwight. He sees Dwight as a big threat in his legacy back then.
The continuous bullying on Javale McGee too.
Having his mama telling him to stop shows how far and out of control he made
Shaq was right about Dwight but Dwight was so good at one point. Ben Simmons is a complete joke and him not getting better after all these years just shows that he don’t care and or his coaches aren’t getting him any better.
Ben Simmons was all-NBA good once.
Ben was fine until Doc he was one of the best defensive players in the league and all nba
@@HoodedAlchemy😊😊
@@penkima4923 Ben aint hardly the same level as Dwight.
@@shawnchia3611 All-NBA and all-defensive Ben was hardly a complete joke.
That comeback by JJ was perfect 😂 “you know about that?”
Remember when he tried to bully Yao Ming?
Shaq felt threatened by dwight because he was a IN shape version of what shaq could have been
Facts
Dwight was goofy
@@stanleed.harold5457 Dwight was damn good at basketball and took getting better at it very seriously. He just never took himself too seriously, so somehow this guy who was shredded athletically and clearly very skilled was labeled as a clown who didn't work hard. SVG (whos an idiot) made him look bad, the Lakers media made him look bad while he was hurt, and then in Houston Harden wanted to set individual records over playing winning basketball and somehow the media blamed Dwight for that too (Harden didn't try playing complimentary ball until like 2 years ago, when he was obviously on the decline)
Meanwhile media always has no problem idolizing egomaniacs like Shaq and MJ like they the gold standards of being the ideal human being lol. So backwards
Agree
@@PantsaBear meanwhile in the series vs the blazers DWIGHT was the one trying to keep them alive while harden was shooting like 30% FG and chucking dumb af shots.
dwight is the most underappreciated and underrated big man that ever played in the league.
the way people talk about him... if i never saw him play and lead the magic to the finals, i'd think he was a deadbeat scrub end of the bench guy.
Shaq was jealous of Dwight when he was in Orlando
I understand a little more about Dr. O'neil now. Thanks Mr. Redick.
What about Javale Magee, cuz nobody thought he was going to be a “great” big man. And yea it may have been fun for YOU but it wasn’t for him and he let you know that time and time again. But you couldn’t take it when he called you a minstrel show.
The problem is that Shaq gives more credibility to role players on championship teams like Kenny than main dudes like Chuck who played in the Finals. Kenny was along for the ride, he can't understand what Shaq went through as 1A/1B.
Shaq is full of ish!
I wish the same question would have been asked about JaVale McGee. This is so cap
Actions speak louder than words
This was a blessing to watch.
He doesn’t like Dwight. It’s weird guys just blatantly lying. Love shaq but he’s clearly lying about this topic
“I like all big men who have the ability to overthrow me” is wild!!!
Dwight was moving up that rebounds list before the game forced him out of the game.
Shaq calls out people who he sees are like him, naturally gifted but underachieving. I think there is a type of animosity there but i also think he is trying to motivate them in the way he was motivated wich was by people calling him out.
I knew old heads like Shaq and there really is this manipulative mentality they have where they test your resolve by hitting you with “negativity” just to see how you respond. If it pushes you to prove them wrong then they’ll respect you, and if you get emotional or run from the challenge then they just figure you’re not cut from their cloth. It’s not about hate or jealousy to them it’s like them trying to initiate you into a fraternity but they have to make sure you’re worthy. These days that doesn’t really fly and gets called toxic and all of that but it’s a real thing that happens.
I like the old head mentality also. But let's not forget how shaq literally tried to bully people over the years like what you would see in jr. high school, when the guy was 40 years old.
"Initiate into a fraternity", interesting choice of words.
“I’m a fun guy. -Shaquille O’Neal”
- Kawhii Leonard
Honestly I think Shaq should not shoot down Chuck whenever championships are brought up. Chuck LOST in the finals, so of all people Chuck knows exactly what he did wrong (or things that he should have done differently) because of those losses. Chuck has added to the championship discussions because he knows what it's like on the losing side
Plus by Shaq's logic, any team, coach, or player who manages to win a championship for the first time would have won only by getting lucky since, again, by Shaq's logic, they wouldn't know how to win a championship since they wouldn't have won one yet.
@@BloopyBloop-gs1toMost normal people reflect on this thought process and corrects it at some point, especially when its literally the goal of your career. Meanwhile 50+ year old Shaq still telling make-belive stories to himself and others that allows for emotions to get in the way of growing up.
Same thing why he never tried fixing his Free Throw form with any form he thought was feminine/embarrassing. He instead would rather score significantly less points, and then post-career get incredibly upset about not passing Wilt in scoring by a thin margin. As if this guy didn't have dozens of people over the course of his career advising him too, just a wild ego
Barkley also happened to be going up against apex Jordan who averaged 40 in those finals. Barkley definitely could have won a chip with different circumstances.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would criticize Shaq harshly, and alot of people didn’t like it. But Kareem also saw Shaq’s potential, and wanted him to use the criticism as motivation to reach it. Shaq I believe at times was annoyed by Dwight, for example it’s been well documented how he didn’t like Dwight using the Superman gimmick like he did, and then criticized him out of frustration. But Shaq is also on record for saying during an epsiode of Inside the NBA that he saw alot of himself in Dwight, and then criticized him out of dissapointment because he didn’t think Dwight’s attitude was in the right place, and felt he was making some of the same mistakes he made in his career. All in all it would be nice to see those two shake hands someday.
Shaq likes to use that word "marketing" a lot now. Him and Kobe didn't have beef. That was just marketing.
Shaq made up that story about David Robinson snubbing him for an autograph when he was 15 and feuded throughout their careers based on that lie. The media (and myself included) fell for it. He wrote books based on that lie. That ain't cool man. He finally admitted to coming clean.
Why is marketing so important? What about integrity?
Marketing and integrity don't usually go well together.
Great to see Big Shaq being the only person not hating on JJ :D
Remember when Dwight was in the dunk contest the month after Kobe died and did a dunk with Kobe’s jersey and the dunk was bad but since it was for Kobe the judges scored it high 😂😂😂
@@borrachobama7168tried to be edgy and failed lmaoo 🌽 🏀
@@borrachobama7168 😂
I love to type of questions. He genuinely ask these questions and not tryna stir it up
Shaq was criticizing his younger self. It’s the lessons he never took from Kobe.
Maybe Dwight never took them but Shaq still went onto win …. Shaq didn’t take conditioning as serious and Dwight didn’t take games as serious as
@@ramseyebryant Shaq had Kobe, Dwight had Turkoglu and he legit took Orlando to the finals
@@yassersalem7992"You can't even pronounce the man's name.
Thats a bully mentality when a bully try’s to explain why he beat up a smaller kid
Dwight could have been a legend. Shaq saw him potentially better than himself. Shaq was right in the end. Dwight is in the Hall of really good and not the Hall of Fame.
He is 1000% a hall of famer and is getting in lol
If Ben Wallace make the HOF, Dwight definitely should.
Shaq always got some bullshit to say every time someone asks this.
The answer was that he was scared Dwight would eclipse his legacy in Orlando.
Lol you don't know shaq. Meet him and you'll see he plays a role for the cameras.
@@colorada3000 Shaq you gotta hide your burner better bro 😭
This is why it is difficult to listen to Shaq interviews despite him being one of my favorite players. He is very flakey with stuff.
He clearly had a beef with Dwight. He also clearly had a beef with Kobe but he goes back and forth on stuff. You have to stand on your word.
It’s completely okay to change your mind or position on something. Just be real about it though. You can say you didn’t like someone at first but had a change of heart later but don’t try to convince us that you were just playing around all these years.
He revised history. Always.
@@colinnixon7739 Absolutely… Often.
I love Shaq but come on man, just be humble and admit you saw Dwight as a threat and it upset you he wore the superman cape in the dunk contest. Dwight was a legit player and he did dominate. Look at him at his peak, it was awesome to watch. You don't become 3x Defensive Player of the Year. Most NBA basketball careers are 3-4 years if you are lucky, he played close to 18! I'm glad he got his ring with the Lakers finally in 2020.
Yeah there wasn't much to criticize about dwight. He got hurt that wasn't his fault.
“I don’t get sensitive, but I’m gonna drop a mixtape about you” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
1:15 props to JJ for not laughing when he heard the "current president of the big man alliance" especially since he knew Shaq was being serious lmao
Props to JJ for asking the difficult questions! Props to Shaq for avoiding them :D
Shaq or Jokic? Who you got?
He never saw him as a threat he just thought he should be putting up better numbers than he was. Shaq knew he was greater than what he was producing
How is this guy the most petty sensitive selfish person but also the most generous and thoughtful.
I’d say chalk the earlier part of your statement to competitiveness. All the greats have a little bit of that pettiness/sensitivity toward their standing in the game (hence his story about Wilt and Kareem).
Shaq is the most emotional guy. LMFAO 😂😂😂. Mr Sensitive.
I’m from Baton Rouge.Shaq is my all-time favorite player.
I love Shaqs says "take it as a man" he's speaking to Dwight like a father making his son tough in any situations so that he can make shaq shut up and be more than settle for less and goof around. Shaq is all wisdom here as the greats do to him also. It's tough love.
Nah, it's sensitive, petty and hypocrite love.
He was a hater. Point blank. He retired and was targeting dwight. There were plenty of centers who were under preforming but he went personal with dwight.
If Dwight played for any other team than Orlando, this wouldn’t even be a conversation
I love Shaq, he deserves all respect and I think he does deserve to be in that top 10 all time conversation which I think if you're top 10 top 20 all time, you're part of the GOAT convo. It's too competitive with too many guys with nuanced resumes with strength of opponents, era, teammates etc... It's a difficult discussion to really understand and pick just one guy. It really isn't fair at all, it's almost always biased by era and when you grew up and what your experiences are/were. That being said, Shaq calling someone else sensitive, oops, sensitively, is a bit of a stretch. Also Shaq has to realize who he is to people. When he calls you out and makes fun of you, that means something to a lot of people who look up to him. Charles gets his goat all the time and his only response is "rings" and he embarrasses himself sometimes. Shaq is a sensitive dude, he admits at some points, then pretends it doesn't exist at others. He's such a legend and by far the most unstoppable player, Wilt woulda got his WORK if Shaq faced him. No hate on Wilt who is also an all time great, but he can't touch Shaq. Barring injuries and circumstances, Shaq far exceeds Wilt's records except maybe the 100 point game we have only radio evidence of.
EDIT: My best evidence that I can think of for this is Kobe and Timmy D. Not many people would say Timmy is the GOAT, but loads of people put Kobe up there. They had similar careers, in the same era, and it almost exclusively can be summed up to guards and forwards over PFs and Centers. It's that eyeball test, Kobe looked flashy and hit some insane shots. Timmy just went about his business and won, he didn't look great, he just won consistently. If you have Kobe as your GOAT or the 2.0 of MJ, why is Timmy not there too?
Further evidence, in 2011 when the Mavs won the championship. Kobe and MJ fans will criticize Lebron and say that's why he's not the GOAT. Fair enough, the Heat should have won that and Lebron should have played better. Who did the Mavs sweep earlier? The defending champions Kobe, Pau. Then the beat the OKC big 3, they also beat a pretty good Portland team. But what do you make it all about and what do you ignore? There are biases, Kobe got swept by that team yet some of you use it to diminish Lebron's legacy and promote Kobe over him. Ok...?
Shaq is definitely one of the GOATs! ❤
Shaq thinks is reasoning is bullet proof, though I just don't agree with his opinion on people talking about championships. Chuck got as close as anyone who never got a ring could get (as the main guy on the team and competing against black Jesus), some people have multiple rings from sitting on a bench and high fiving their team mates.
Objectively Dwight IS the best Orlando big man. He was a FIVE TIME FIRST TEAM ALL NBA player when he was in Orlando and a 3 time DPOY. Shaq made all nba 3 times in ORL and it was two 3rd teams and 1 second team. And they both made the finals so that’s a wash. Obviously shaq wins overall career argument
Hes doing the same thing w Wemby right now. He is hard on him but only bc he wants him to succeed
This aged well within the last few days
“If you the right type of person it should be used as motivation.” - Shaq
And he lived it! 3 rings later and the haters can turn their volume down. Not much if anything they can say after that
I watched this all go down and these are my takeaways (Celtics fan since 1986, Magic season ticket holder from 1989-2003)…
1. Shaq was upset by Howard using the Superman character as a part of his on-court identity. Shaq originally started doing this in the early 1990s, got a Superman tattoo on his arm, and Orlando’s PA announcer would frequently play the Superman theme in the O-Rena when Shaq made a great play (usually a timely dunk). Howard came out for his final dunk in the 2008 dunk contest dressed like Superman, won the thing, and Orlando’s PA announcer started using the Superman theme again in similar fashion. Shaq perceived this to be Howard repurposing what was originally his when he got his start. I don’t think Shaq was validated in getting as upset about it as he did, but I will say that it was pretty lame of Howard to adopt said identity rather than one of his own. To be fair, however, Michael Jordan was being called Superman by commentators before either of them.
2. Shaq saw that Howard was by far the best center in the game and didn’t really have any competition for that title. Sound familiar? That’s how it was for Shaq in the early 2000s once Olajuwon, Robinson, Ewing, etc. either retired or just got old. The difference is that Shaq challenged himself to “slay” those guys as a young player when they were all still at least close to their primes. Did he succeed? I’m sure in Shaq’s mind he did. Regardless, Howard never had a challenge like that and Shaq was probably jealous of him attaining his place in the NBA more easily than he did.
3. Shaq legitimately tried to inspire Howard, albeit in the wrong way, to diversify his offensive attack. Dwight didn’t have post moves. On offense, he was like a more athletic Dikembe Mutombo. Shaq probably grew tired of seeing Howard dominate the interior solely using his physical attributes. Shaq had a drop step hook, a spin move he called the Black Tornado, and a one-handed baseline fadeaway that was kind of a push shot by his second season. SVG couldn’t pay Howard to add those elements to his game. This frustrated Shaq, in my opinion, because he saw how much better Howard could be and this is why Dwight’s career fell off when he started dealing with injuries. He relied almost solely on his physicality to be effective. It’s also why Howard couldn’t do much against Gasol and Bynum in 2009.
Conclusion: Shaq was being insecure and jealous, but also Howard was a bit of a goof who never actually wanted to be the best player in the league.
Edit: I will say, however, that you will indeed know when Shaq is serious and that was never more evident than it was during his “feud” with Bill Walton, which became legitimately bitter, unlike his little tiffs with Dwight Howard.
I agree with Shaq bc I am the same. When I like someone or meet someone, I intentionally push buttons to see where your character is. Ive lost a lot of friends bc of this but the friends who’ve stayed, we have a bond nothing can recreate. Its an ego thing yea but it’s meant to uplift the strong and strengthen the weak
Kobe and Shaq are more alike than many people think. They use other people's slight to motivate themselves, a key ingredient that has made their partnership last but also fuelled the ultimate falling apart of their partnership in the long term.
This is the most dominant player ever but he’s been jealous of other superstars. And he changes his story about everyone every time. He didn’t like Dwight because people were starting to compare the two. Didn’t like Penny because he was jealous Penny was starting to get attention. Didn’t like Kobe because he knew Kobe was coming for his spot. Now he’s this big motivator/mind reader lol. You can kind of see how much he doesn’t like when Chuck gets all the attention on Inside the NBA. He has to do something stupid to make people laugh so he can get attention.