Howard has mostly taken O'Neal's barbs in stride and rather than firing back, Howard has questioned why Shaq chooses to criticize his game instead of helping him grow as a player.
Well, according to Yahoo! Sports the days of Howard responding to Shaq's unwarranted attacks with meekness are a thing of the past, pretty much like Shaq's career.
"Shaq played the game and he is done," Howard told reporters on Thursday. "It's time to move on. He hated the fact when he played that older guys were talking about him and how he played. Now he's doing the exact same thing. Just let it go. There's no sense for him to be talking trash to me. He did his thing in the league. Sit back and relax. Your time is up."
Howard's words pretty much sum up the irony of O'Neal's negative attitude, and Howard's final statement probably will not succeed in silencing O'Neal in the future, but the relevance of his words should.
But what I can't really understand is why O'Neal is so obsessed with Howard in the first place?
I know that Shaq feels like Howard stole his Superman persona, and while their career paths have taken the same course, Howard didn't ask to be drafted by Orlando, and he spent most of the offseason proclaiming Brooklyn as his preferred destination.
Shaq may have a point with the Superman thing, but imitation is the best form of flattery and Howard has had nothing but positive things to say about Shaq throughout his career, so maybe it's time to explore the true roots of his insecurity.
The only reason O'Neal would say Brooklyn's Brook Lopez and Philadelphia's Andrew Bynum are better centers than Howard is because in Shaq's mind it pushes Ho...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
