Dwight Howard escalates Shaq feud: ‘Do we have to throw hands?’

Dwight Howard said he’s fed up with Shaquille O’Neal hating on him for the past two decades.

Howard, who was a guest on Ray Daniels’ “The GAUDs Show” on Monday, explained that he was unsuccessful when he tried to talk with Shaq about their long-standing beef — and then questioned if they should “go ahead and squabble” if it comes to that.

“Never disrespected him,” Howard, who left the NBA to play overseas in 2022, said of Shaq. “But he’s always had something to say. There’s times where I’ve gotten upset and I’m like, ‘Yo, Shaq, this gotta stop, man.’ I tried to [talk to him].”

Howard, 39, then recalled competing on season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars” last year and connecting with someone who he said was close with Shaq, and that they suggested for him to arrange a sit-down to settle their feud.

“At this point, I’m like, ‘Do we need to throw hands? What are we doing?’ Because I have not ever — for me, the only thing I’ve done with Shaq is mimic his voice. But what else can I mimic him about? He’s Shaquille O’Neal, he’s the most dominant center ever. But again, he keeps saying stuff about me. So it’s like, ‘Hey bro, do we really need to go ahead and squabble?'”

Their beef includes discourse over the nickname “Superman,” which was associated with Shaq when he dominated during his playing days. Howard eventually adopted it when he was in the league, and Shaq has criticized him for not being powerful enough to take on the namesake.