Shaquille O’Neal has long been clear that he doesn’t want his children to pursue professional basketball, but in a surprising twist, the Hall of Famer has devoted time to training Dwight Howard’s son, Dwight Howard III.
The move highlights a stark contrast: while O’Neal steers his own family away from the NBA, he is actively helping prepare another player’s child for the league.
The connection between the pair carries extra weight because of their history as both centers wore the “Superman” nickname during their careers, a label that once fueled a public feud between the two.
However, years later, the rivalry has turned into a collaboration, with Shaq lending his experience to the younger Howard, known as Trey, as he builds toward his basketball future.
In a recent interview, Dwight Howard Sr. was asked whether the NBA would ever see another “Superman” and he smiled and responded with an encouraging answer for basketball fans.
“Yeah, Kurt Rambis was the first Superman,” Howard Sr. said. “Y’all don’t remember. Then it was Shaq. Then it was Dwight. Now we gotta have a new one.
“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.”
At just 12 years old, Trey Howard is already carrying the symbolic “D12” torch, inheriting his father’s nickname and number and ultimately the legacy that transformed the Orlando Magic into contenders and reached the 2009 NBA Finals.
Now, the younger Howard is working with two former All-NBA centers to shape his path, with both boasting expert knowledge of the game as Shaq is also a four-time NBA champion and considered one of the best centers to ever do it.
Shaq hides his own children from the NBA spotlight
Shaquille’s involvement with Dwight’s son is notable because it contrasts sharply with the approach he takes with his own family, despite the fact that the NBA legend has six children, several of whom have shown interest in basketball.
Shareef O’Neal played college ball at UCLA and LSU, and Me’arah O’Neal committed to LSU before transferring. Yet none have broken into the NBA and the absence of a second-generation O’Neal in the league is not by chance.
Shaq has often explained his philosophy, rooted in discipline instilled by his stepfather, Sgt. Phillip Harrison, that he wants his children to focus on professional fields outside of basketball.
“We don’t need another basketball player. At all,” O’Neal once remarked and he has emphasized education and independence, telling his kids, “In order to touch daddy’s cheese, you got to show me two or three degrees.”
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