Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal has been a critic of current Lakers center Dwight Howard for a while now, and the four-time champ recently doubled down on his harsh rhetoric.
Shaq says he isn’t apologizing to Dwight Howard
"You can only hate if you haven’t achieved. I’ve been there and done that, I’m still the Lord supreme of all big men. I’m the last big man to get an MVP in this league, so I’m still in charge."
(h/t @TalkBasket ) pic.twitter.com/wGrK4S14X5
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2020
Shortly after the Purple and Gold clinched the 2020 NBA championship, O’Neal threw shade at the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The Atlanta, Ga. native became persona non grata in Southern California after his first stint with the team. He earned a reputation as a diva, especially after he failed to get along with Kobe Bryant.
He bounced around from team to team afterward and had similar issues getting along with teammates at each stop.
When Howard returned to the Lakers in the summer of 2019, many observers rolled their eyes at the possibility that he would be a positive asset.
But that’s exactly what he was this past season, as he played a key role on the defensive end and on the boards.
His contributions helped the Lakers nab a title inside the NBA bubble.
