Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal kick off the feud

Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal are kicking off 2025 by rekindling their long-standing beef!

The former NBA stars’ feud dates back many years, and based on the duo’s recent heated back-and-forth, they won’t be mending fences anytime soon. During a performance at GAUDS Show hosted by Ray DanielsHoward was asked about his strained relationship with O’Neal.

“Never disrespected him. But he always had something to say. There’s times when I get upset and I’m like, ‘Yo, Shaq, this has got to stop, man.’ I tried to (talk to him)’ said Howard.

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The recently engaged athlete, 39, revealed as he competed on Dancing with the stars last year he tried to end the feud with O’Neal – but it didn’t happen, leaving Howard to wonder if they should just fight it out.

“At this point I’m thinking, should we throw hands?” Howard remembered. “What are we doing?”

As expected, as soon as O’Neal got wind of Howard’s comments, he fired back — and slapped him in a post on X.

“@DwightHoward the fact that you think I care about you is funny but I will never bring your name up again sensitive big man a jokester who can’t take a joke. Will never say your name again ever have a good day and now you’ve been deleted Have a good day,” O’Neal wrote along with a series of hashtags, including “#inevercared #thefactyouthinkaifunny and. #now you’re dead.”

All of this prompted Howard to write his own fiery digs on X.

“I know you don’t care. Because you’re insecure — have been hating and talking — for 20 years. You’re too big to be that insecure,” Howard’s post began. “I hope you don’t bring my name up again. 52 years old tweeting me. And still hating. Now you were kidding all along.”

Howard continued, “You’ve always been jealous. Jealous of Kobe, Penny (Hardaway), (D-Wade). You’re also jealous of Charles (Barkley). Walk around big lazy insecure an–. I still have the long 5-episode you sent me a few years ago telling me I’m not that good at hating. It’s 2025, grow up and move on.”

According to CBS Sportthe source of the big men’s rift dates back to the days when O’Neal, who retired from the NBA in 2011, was still playing and Howard used the Superman nickname O’Neal had coined.

Both former Los Angeles Lakers stars, O’Neal won three consecutive NBA championships with the team in 2000, 2001 and 2002 — while Howard won a championship in the 2020 COVID bubble.