Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal had an interesting take on Dwight Howard's speech to fans after winning the 2020 NBA championship.
After dispatching the Miami Heat in six games and helping the Lakers claim a 17th title, Howard made his way to the locker room for post-game celebrations. With champagne bottles popping and even some tears flowing, the former No. 1 overall pick encouraged aspiring athletes to never give up on their dreams.
“To everybody out there, don't give up on your dreams. You can do it,” an emotional Howard said to his viewers as part of an Instagram feed. “I swear, just keep fighting.”
As part of a recent interview, Shaq noted that Dwight should “sit his a** down” because he “ain't done nothing.” It's worth noting that Shaq has felt a certain way about Howard for years, though their relationship was believed to be on the mend. As hoops fans will remember, Dwight posed as Superman during the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest. This may have rubbed The Diesel the wrong way, as that was one of his given titles during his playing career.
“You know what I don't like about a lot of players?” Shaq asked during his guest appearance. “There are a lot of players on their little Instagram accounts bragging that they were the reason they got the championship.
“Post one pic and sit yo ass down…Shut yo ass up,” Shaq added of Dwight's post-game celebration. “You ain’t do nothing.”
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Though Shaq feels otherwise, there were times throughout the playoffs when the Lakers needed Howard's presence in the paint (against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, for instance).
Howard made 18 appearances in the Lakers' postseason run (seven starts), racking up averages of 5.8 points on 68.4 percent shooting from the field and 4.6 rebounds.
This isn't to say that Howard was the reason the Lakers won it all, but he certainly played a role.
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