Shaquille O’Neal trains Dwight Howard’s son despite steering his own kids away from the NBA

For a long time, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has made it apparent that he does not want his kids to play professional basketball. He believes that their family doesn't need another basketball player.

Several of his six kids tried their hand at basketball.

Shareef performed at LSU and UCLA. Me'arah made a commitment to LSU. However, none have made it to the NBA as of yet. However, the Hall of Famer has spent some time training Dwight Howard III, the son of another NBA pro Dwight Howard.

Shaquille O’Neal steps in to mentor Dwight Howard’s son

Shaq has actively assisted in preparing another player's child for the NBA, while guiding his own family away from the league. Although he has long made it apparent that he does not want his kids to play professional basketball, the Hall of Famer has spent time instructing Dwight Howard III, Dwight Howard's son.Howard and Shaq have a complicated relationship. Even though they are rivals on court, they have immense respect for each other. In a recent interview, Dwight Howard was asked: “Do you think there will ever be another Superman in the NBA?”To this, he replied:“Yeah, Kurt Rambis was the first Superman. Y’all don’t remember. Then it was Shaq. Then it was Dwight. Now we gotta have a new one. For fans of the Showtime Lakers, Rambis was a cult figure. The horn-rimmed glasses, reckless abandon, clothesline from Kevin McHale…”

He continued:“Rambis didn’t fly, but he crashed through the paint like a man trying to break gravity. He was never nicknamed Superman, officially, but he played with a grit that made him feel invincible, a working-class Clark Kent who never needed a cape…”Howard didn't think twice when asked who he thought would be the next Superman.

“Dwight Howard the Third. He’s in middle school. Me and Shaq are training him right now. Shaq is training over free throws, and I was working on his weights. So by the time he gets to the league, he gon’ be ready.” Dwight Howard III is twelve years old, who is currently training under Shaq.

Shaq and Dwight’s past rivalry contrasts with present mentorship

Now, Dwight has been outspoken about training his children. He received backlash in 2023 for forcing his 9-year-old son, David, to endure a taxing bike ride as Howard refused to stop. Talking about his kids, he once said on Podcast P: “Just finished coaching my son and his basketball team down here in Georgia… They’re only 11 years old, so just giving them an opportunity to play the game, learn the game at a very high level. It’s been amazing.”

Basketball fans have witnessed a number of team and individual rivalries over the years. Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard, two former NBA players, had one of the most well-known feuds.On different instances, the two legends criticized one another. Most recently, O'Neal verbally attacked Howard during an interview. Regarding his relationship with O'Neal, Howard stated:“We did not always eye to eye, but in hindsight I believe it was just sibling rivalries. We are brothers in this fraternity of basketball and sometimes brothers fight over the stupidest stuff. I really blame Soulja Boy.”However, Shaq is now helping Howard’s son with his basketball career. Also read: "I just want to say thank you"- Dwight Howard expresses gratitude to Orlando fans ahead of 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame induction