In the ever-evolving landscape of celebrity sports challenges, Dwight Howard's call for a boxing match with Shaquille O’Neal on November 16 sparked a heated debate. O’Neal, a renowned Getty Hall of Famer, responded on the November 19 episode of “Inside the NBA” on TNT. He stated, “I only fight people in the top 75,” referring to Howard not making the NBA’s 75th anniversary team in 2021. His broadcast colleagues, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, argued that Howard should have been on that list. Barkley said, “I think he should have been in there. And first of all, he’ll whoop your [expletive].” In response, O’Neal proposed fighting Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski instead, emphasizing Gronk's more accomplished NFL career. Howard initially issued the challenge via X. O’Neal then downplayed Howard's career achievements, citing his one championship win with the Lakers in 2020. He wrote, “Gotta have more than one ring to get in the ring with me. I’ll stick with a real champion like @RobGronkowski, and you can have the Superman belt, all yours buddy.”

Shaq’s Disdain For Howard Dates Back Years

O’Neal's rejection of Howard's request isn't surprising. As the 2000 NBA MVP, he became a harsh critic of Howard after the latter claimed the title of “Superman” during the 2008 Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend. In his 2011 autobiography, “Shaq Uncut: My Story,” O’Neal revealed his deep offense at Howard stealing his “Superman” moniker. He wrote, “The whole Superman thing doesn’t work for me” in reference to Howard. Additionally, during his retirement press conference in Orlando, he passed around t-shirts reading, “The Real Superman” as a dig at his rival. The feud escalated in March 2024 when Howard appeared on “Inside the NBA” on TNT, leading Kenny Smith to say, “Superman is in the building.” This comment infuriated O’Neal so much that he walked off the TNT studio.

Will More NBA Legends Enter a Boxing Ring?

In September 2024, Howard criticized O’Neal for holding a grudge over the Superman nickname. He said on his “Above The Rim with DH 12” podcast, “Why do I have to ask him, not Warner Brothers? Warner Brothers they own the [expletive] rights to damn Superman, not Shaq. Why I got to ask somebody to wear a goddamn cape and a suit to do the dunk contest man?” Howard took to X to claim that the beef between him and Shaq is “one-sided” and that O’Neal had not made an effort to resolve it. The fact that this one-sided beef persists is rather petty. If the Shaq versus Gronk boxing match does happen, it will be another example of a former basketball player entering the ring. In November 2020, former NBA point guard Nate Robinson fought Jake Paul but was knocked out in the second round of his debut. Then, in December 2021, Deron Williams stepped into the ring against NFL legend Frank Gore and won by split decision after four rounds. After his win, Williams explained why pro basketball players find it easier to crossover to boxing compared to other athletes. He said, “Yeah, I mean, you get hit every now [and again] in basketball. You see, basketball players, even when I was playing, you get hit every now and then in the face. … It just happens every now and then, and it happens once every 10 games or 20 games.”