Howard not happy with Shaq

[you gon always be my latin queen bitch]

The NBA’s new Superman is tired of the trash-talking from the previous Man of Steel.

Shaquille O’Neal(notes) taunted Dwight Howard(notes) after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday, telling reporters, “You tell me who the real Superman is? Don’t compare me to nobody. I’d rather not be mentioned. I’m offended.”

Having heard enough from O’Neal since last season, the often playful Howard turned serious when asked Friday about Shaq’s words.



“Do I find it humorous? No I don’t,” Howard said. “Coming from somebody like him, I just wouldn’t expect something like that or for somebody to do that. There is nothing I can do about it. He said what he had to say. It didn’t sit too well with me.”

After losing to Orlando in last season’s Eastern Conference finals, Cleveland traded for O’Neal to help them better match up with Howard. The rivalry between the two centers gained steam last season when O’Neal accused Howard of stealing his Superman nickname and added that he “invented” everything Howard had done. O’Neal also took shots at Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, labeling his former Miami coach as the “Master of Panic.” During the NBA Finals, O’Neal posted a rather unflattering picture of what he said the “love child” of Howard and Van Gundy would look like.

While Howard says he respects O’Neal’s career, he wishes Shaq would be more of a mentor to him than a trash-talker.

“I just felt like Shaq being who he is with what he’s done for the NBA, me being a young player trying to get where he is at, I just felt like it would be better for him to try to get me there instead of trying to bring me down, especially in front of you [media] guys,” Howard said. “That part stuck with me. I would never talk bad or say anything to put him down. I think that he’s a great person. He’s done a lot of great things for the NBA and his community.”

So who owns the Superman nickname?

“Shaq. C’mon now,” Kobe Bryant(notes) said. “Dwight will get there, but he doesn’t have Shaq’s history. Dwight’s coming. Dwight’s time is coming.”

Kobe injury update

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is still uncertain when he will return to action from a sprained left ankle injury that is causing him to miss Sunday’s All-Star Game.

Bryant said he is receiving treatment “around the clock” for his ankle. He said his back is fine and there is nothing he can do about his broken right index finger. Bryant, who missed the Lakers’ last three games leading into the break, will receive a minimum 10 days rest because of the layoff. It will be the first time he hasn’t participated in an All-Star Game since his rookie season in 1997.

Bryant believes the layoff will be a blessing in disguise, adding that the Western Conference-leading Lakers are “right where they want to be.”

“I’ll definitely be healthier than I was the last game, so that’s a plus,” Bryant said. “I won’t have to limp around. I won’t have to play with a lot of shortcuts. I can play with a lot of energy like I was used to playing at the start of the season.

“People make too much of this whole ‘warrior’ thing. It’s kind of silly. If it’s an injury that can get better while I continue to play, I’ll continue to play. If it won’t, I can’t.”

[LooN3y]

tough love? (honestly shaq cant be that petty and that immature sometimes i feel like shaq's talking shit because howards not reaching his full potential, he needs to be an alpha male, ask for the touches and dominate the paint so he can get a nice natural touch to his offense and more than ONE post move)



or hes just a bitter bitter bitter old man.

[OG Hack Wilson]

Shaq = the man

[LooN3y]

Shaq = the man

hell yea

[Sparegeez]

I think howard should quit crying and win some championships

[Don Jacob]

i think it was stupid for dwight howard to start calling himself superman to begin with. i mean c'mon now, you're a center...you're playing for the magic.....you're probably the new best center in the league, of course you're going to be compared to shaq in the first place, but you're going to really get it when you start calling yourself superman. Plus it's not like shaq is gone, he'd have to expect that. it'd probably be one thing if shaq was already retired and not competing for another ring, but he's not and of course he's going to be called out on it. especially when shaq at the twilight of his career is still putting moves on you on the court that make your game looks suspect.

also i think it's kinda gay to ask shaq to mentor you when you're suppose to be competing for eastern conference supremacy at the same time. if he wants to "learn how to win a championship" he's got to have that competitive mentality. yeah shaq and dwight both have that goofy side to them, but when it's time to play in the big game shaq becomes a great white and dwight becomes snow white, all sensitive and shit.   

[you gon always be my latin queen bitch]

dwight is professional...i doubt he did it to go at or make fun of wack shaq
shaq said kobe wouldnt make it without him.....

[Turf Hitta]

tough love? (honestly shaq cant be that petty and that immature sometimes i feel like shaq's talking shit because howards not reaching his full potential, he needs to be an alpha male, ask for the touches and dominate the paint so he can get a nice natural touch to his offense and more than ONE post move)



or hes just a bitter bitter bitter old man.

gooktacular post

[you gon always be my latin queen bitch]

howard is tryin to win rings, whats shaq doin?
nuthin sides gettin shipped cuz hes useless
what happened to kobe never winnin without him? lol
how does that taste wack shaq?

[Chamillitary Click]

howard is tryin to win rings, whats shaq doin?
nuthin sides gettin shipped cuz hes useless
what happened to kobe never winnin without him? lol
how does that taste wack shaq?

the one year Kobe was alone, they finished .500; then formed a team that added to up to at least a Shaq, probably more & he won.

anyway, the Superman thing is stupid; but i blame the media.

[Muhfukka]

howard is tryin to win rings, whats shaq doin?
nuthin sides gettin shipped cuz hes useless
what happened to kobe never winnin without him? lol
how does that taste wack shaq?

wow

[you gon always be my latin queen bitch]

yeah it is
i mean does....outta all people does howard look like the person that take shaq's sword? lol
thats wack come on cham
howard is profesional unlike shaq and james....lol

howard is tryin to win rings, whats shaq doin?
nuthin sides gettin shipped cuz hes useless
what happened to kobe never winnin without him? lol
how does that taste wack shaq?

the one year Kobe was alone, they finished .500; then formed a team that added to up to at least a Shaq, probably more & he won.

anyway, the Superman thing is stupid; but i blame the media.