Shaquille O'Neal stokes beef with Dwight Howard with 'bus driver' dig: "Can't pull that s**t with me"

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal hasn't been a fan of Dwight Howard. On Tuesday's episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq," O'Neal re-ignited his beef with the former Orlando Magic star. The topic of Howard came up when they talked about the 2020 roster of the LA Lakers, which won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The guest, Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr., said it was unfair for the roster to get blown up after winning the NBA championship. When he mentioned Howard, however, O'Neal's demeanor changed.

“He’s a bus rider,” Shaq said. “JaVale McGee, he gets my respect. But that other motherf*****s bus riders. … On some people, he can pull that, ‘Oh, I got a championship.’ Not with the motherf*****g Don Dada. He can’t pull that s**t with me.”

Howard wasn't the same star as he once used to be during his second stint with the Lakers. The big man was a role player, often doing the dirty work on defense and rebounding. He came off the bench, played 69 games and averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.

His averages declined to 5.8 ppg and 4.6 rpg during the postseason. During their title run, his role was primarily to defend, protect the rim and serve as the team's bruiser. However, his play was vital for the team's quest to win the 2020 title.

Despite O'Neal's approval, Howard's name is etched in the history books as a star and a champion in the league.

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Shaquille O'Neal's co-host picked Dwight Howard over him

The entire NBA is aware of the beef that Shaquille O'Neal has with Howard. During the 2022-23 season, the Orlando Magic's social media team posted photos of the two big men, asking their fans and followers to choose among them. The post was presented at the show "Inside the NBA," where other hosts gave their picks.

Instigating the beef of the big men, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley comedically chose Howard over his co-host. His answer came after O'Neal nonchalantly told the other analysts to pick whoever they wanted to pick.

Former Houston Rockets guard Kenny Smith played it safe and named O'Neal as his choice among the two former Magic centers.

While both big men share a history of playing for the Magic and the Lakers, they don't see eye-to-eye. Shaquille O'Neal has always been critical of Howard, causing a rift between them.