Shaquille O’Neal, widely regarded by many as the greatest center in NBA history, dominated basketball for years with his unparalleled presence on the court. Now retired at 52, O’Neal found himself the subject of an unexpected challenge from a former Los Angeles Lakers player, who proposed a boxing match in the style of the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul spectacle. However, Shaq dismissed the offer with a sharp response, opting instead for a hypothetical showdown against NFL legend Rob Gronkowski.
“Shaq, wassup? Let’s make bread,” Dwight Howard wrote on X (formerly Twitter), accompanying his message with a boxing glove emoji and a laughing face, playfully challenging Shaquille to a duel. While the tone of Howard’s message suggested it was a joke, Shaq’s response took many by surprise.
O’Neal dismissed the challenge with a cutting remark. “Gotta have more than one ring to get in the ring with me. I’ll stick with a real champion like Rob Gronkowski,” he replied, taking a jab at Howard’s NBA career and suggesting he wasn’t a worthy opponent.
The mention of Rob Gronkowski was no coincidence. Shaq and the former New England Patriots tight end had crossed paths during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, where Gronkowski floated the idea of a boxing showdown between the two legends, pitting the NBA against the NFL.
Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots looks on in the first half against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.
Shaquille O’Neal leans on his NBA legacy
While the exchange between Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard carried a playful tone, O’Neal’s response wasn’t entirely baseless. Shaq highlighted his four NBA championship rings—three consecutive titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat—as the benchmark for selecting a potential boxing rival.
In contrast, Dwight Howard, despite an impressive nearly 20-year NBA career, doesn’t quite measure up to O’Neal’s legacy. The biggest difference lies in their championship resumes: Howard has just one title, won with the Lakers in 2020, where his role was far less significant compared to Shaq’s dominance during his prime.
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Gronkowski meets the standard
Unlike Howard, Rob Gronkowski fits the criteria Shaq values in a potential opponent. The former NFL tight end is a four-time Super Bowl champion, winning in 2014, 2017, and 2018 with the New England Patriots, and again in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His decorated NFL career mirrors O’Neal’s dominance in the NBA, making him an opponent Shaq deems worthy.
Despite the entertaining back-and-forth, the idea of Shaq stepping into the boxing ring remains firmly hypothetical. Still, the thought of a 7’1″ O’Neal facing off against the 6’6″ Gronkowski is an intriguing spectacle fans would love to see.
