Shaquille O'Neal has made numerous comments lately discrediting the play of Dwight Howard, who's becoming an NBA superstar in the same town that Shaq did nearly twenty years ago.

No matter what O'Neal says, however, Howard won't enter into a war of words with the future Hall of Famer.

"I really think he was just trying to get in my head with a lot of the things that he said," Howard commented. "I respect my elders, you know, so I'm not going to get into a war of words with anybody, there's just no need for it. I just go out there and play basketball."

Howard is also trying hard not to let controversy hurt the way he thinks about O'Neal as a basketball player.

"I've always admired him as a player. I looked up to him and some of the stuff he has done on and off the court," Howard said.

After the game, an Orlando win over Phoenix, O'Neal kept the pressure on Howard and the Magic with some pointed comments.

"I'm not the type to talk trash," O'Neal said before taking some subtle shots. "I played him [Howard] straight up the whole game, while he doubled ... I'm so far ahead of people that I don't even worry about my stats anymore."

"I'm too old to be trying to outscore 18-year-olds," O'Neal continued, referring to Howard.