Lakers' JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard Apparently Bonded Over Hatred of Shaq

Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee have many things in common: They're both big men in the NBA, they both play center for the Los Angeles Lakers, and... they both have beef with Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal.

Shaq has infamously tormented both players over the course of their careers, and ironically, that has brought the Lakers big men closer throughout the season, as the pair have used their distaste for O'Neal as a conversation point and a way to bond.

O'Neal began poking fun at Howard after the former Orlando Magic star began going by the nickname "Superman," which came to be during his famous performance at the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest. During the event over the NBA's All-Star weekend, Howard notably donned a Superman cape before throwing down a crazy dunk.

O'Neal didn't appreciate the youngster trying to take ownership of a nickname that he had made famous a decade before Howard, and he took every opportunity to bash him for it, even unfairly comparing Howard's game to his own and pointing out his flaws.

Meanwhile, McGee used to be a mainstay on the segment "Shaqtin' A Fool" where O'Neal made fun of McGee's aloofness and idiocy on the court, which took a huge toll on McGee's mental health and love for the game.

Apparently, when Howard and McGee joined forces this year, one of the first things they talked about was how much they wanted to fight Shaq. That's crazy talk, but understandable to a certain extent. To be fair, they both admitted they would stand no chance in an actual fight with the Laker great.

Now, they're just using Shaq's past comments as motivation to perform this year and bring a championship back to Lakerland, and if that's what it takes to help this team mesh, then O'Neal should just keep on running his mouth.