As time passes, it's looking more and more like there will be no end to the Shaquille O'Neal -Dwight Howard end. Between O'Neal's pettiness and Dwight's refusal to take the high road, the unlikely rivals have continued to duke it out in full view of netizens.
The latest salvo in their battle featured a back-and-forth on social media over the nickname "Superman." Howard then tried to squash the beef by agreeing with Spencer Haywood's post three months ago that he was the first to make reference to the iconic superhero.
No end to the bickering?
The legendary big men's longstanding quarrel is quite easy to end if you think about it. However, for some reason, Shaq can't keep Howard out of his mouth. The Hall of Famer has even defended his regular criticism of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year by saying he does so to players needing motivation.
Ironically, Howard isn't even playing in the NBA anymore and is nearing retirement. Thus, he doesn't need more push to be a better player. What O'Neal is doing makes it seem like he is jealous of Dwight, even if he doesn't want to admit it.
On the other hand, Howard can also ignore the harsh words about him instead of supposedly trying to reach out to O'Neal and replying on social media.
Related: Shaq on the difference between Pat Riley and Phil Jackson: “In the long run, if you have a little more humor, you can get more done”
Haywood's claim
Perhaps it's foolish to think they can hash it out and resolve their differences. Or maybe if O'Neal sees Howard's post about Haywood , he will change his mind about constantly going on a verbal attack.
The former Seattle SuperSonics superstar was among the most unstoppable offensive forces during his playing days. He first started his professional career playing in the ABA, where he won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (1969-70).
Haywood then decided to jump ship to the NBA in what was a controversial move. Because the rules then disallowed prospects from entering the draft while their college had not graduated, signing with the Sonics resulted in a legal battle between the franchise and the league.
The Supreme Court eventually sided with the four-time NBA All-Star, citing his impoverished background as legitimate grounds for him to begin earning a living at a younger-than-usual age. Haywood's case also resulted in the Association letting underclassmen join the draft as long as they could provide evidence of "hardship."
In 1972, Haywood had the Superman photoshoot in Howard's post, which was fitting because, aside from his proficiency on the court, he served as a hero to future NBA prospects who wanted to enter the league despite not having graduated from college yet.
Related: "Probably wore the Superman better" - Nick Young on the real reason why Shaquille O'Neal dislikes Dwight Howard
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