Dwight Howard Must Take Shaquille O’Neal’s Advice to Heart

It's no secret that Los Angeles Lakers star Dwight Howard needs to become a more assertive presence on the court, but now his lackluster play in season No. 1 with the Lake Show is drawing criticism from a player who was in his shoes a decade ago.

Shaquille O'Neal called out Howard on The Max and Marcellus Show on ESPNLA 710 on Tuesday, claiming that Howard is "too nice" and that teams "respect him but they don't fear him," according to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi.

Shaq's advice to Howard?

Simple. Stop being nice and dominate by any means necessary. 

Here's a look at O'Neal's comments regarding Howard (via Markazi):

He's too nice, I'm a connoisseur of giggling and playing and all that and making you laugh and playing with the fans, but when I cross that line, I'm ready to tear your face off. I don't care who it is. You could put one of my aunts or uncles out there, and I'm going to give him these elbows in their chest and I'm going to throw it down in their face. That's what you have to do. ... He's just too nice. If I was him, I would get into the same mood I was in.

While much easier said than done, O'Neal certainly makes some valid points about what it takes to be successful as a big man in the NBA. His aggressive play for L.A. from 1996 to 2004 brought three championship banners to the Staples Center. O'Neal helped the Lakers win back-to-back-to-back titles from 2000 to 2002, earning NBA Finals MVP honors each time.

So, if anyone is qualified to give Howard advice, it's the Big Aristotle.

But in all seriousness, Howard would be wise to take Shaq's comments as constructive criticism instead of hurtful shots. O'Neal clearly believes Howard can become an unstoppable force in the NBA, otherwise he wouldn't compare his journey to the one the 27-year-old center is currently on.



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