ICYMI: "My fingertips hit and I threw it down" - Shaquille O'Neal makes a hilarious attempt at a dunk and fails, compares it to Dwight Howard's 'Superman' dunk from 2008

Shaquille O'Neal tried to pull off Dwight Howard's 2008 Superman Dunk on the makeshift basketball court of the NBA on TNT studio. [Photo: Reuters]

Shaquille O'Neal and the NBA on TNT Tuesday crew were on hand covering the league’s scheduled games. Co-hosts Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker, and Adam Lefkoe took the opportunity to greet “The Big Diesel,” who turned 50 last Sunday.

In celebration of O'Neal’s birthday, his co-hosts asked the Hall-of-Fame big man if he could top Dwight Howard’s 2008 “Superman Dunk.” Considering “The Big Diesel’s” age, none in the studio was convinced the Hall-of-Fame big man could pull it off. None, except Shaquille O'Neal himself.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, the former LA Lakers center took off his coat and imitated what he considered to be a mere tip dunk:

“My fingertips hit and I threw it down. It’s the same dunk!”

"My fingertips hit and I threw it down. It's the same dunk!"

@SHAQ tried to dunk for his 50th birthday and compared his attempt to Dwight Howard's at the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest. https://t.co/qsiY2uB7f4

Shaquille O'Neal’s dunk was nothing short of hilarious, done simply to troll Dwight Howard. O'Neal barely got off the ground and practically pushed the ball to the basket before hanging on to the rim. The tip was there, but in a significantly different and funny way.

While O'Neal hardly jumped, Dwight Howard’s slam to capture the 2008 Slam Dunk crown was a masterpiece in artistry, athleticism and daring. The now LA Lakers backup big man wore a Superman cape, took off just inside the free-throw line, and with his head leveled with the rim, threw the ball down.

Superman is in the building! Watch the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, won by @DwightHoward, now on @NBATV! #Dunkathon https://t.co/ca3bhTU6ss

The four-time NBA champion wasn’t really attempting the iconic dunk but was clearly trolling his co-hosts. He hilariously failed with his slam but had the crew laughing and smiling at one of the best troll jobs in the NBA on TNT this season.

Shaquille O'Neal is unsure how the Golden State Warriors lost five straight games

The Golden State Warriors are looking to finish their season strong. [Photo: SBNation.com]

Heading into the game against the LA Clippers, the Golden State Warriors were on a five-game losing skid and have lost seven of their last 10. While it’s obvious that Draymond Green’s absence has impacted their performance on both ends of the floor, the Warriors just seemed off for the last few weeks.

Shaquille O'Neal straight up asked Klay Thompson, who has been struggling, why they have been losing the way the Warriors have done lately. Golden State’s deadly shooting guard was as uncertain as O'Neal as to why they have been in a slump.

"I haven't played with Draymond in three years. It's like my brother, I miss him out there on the court."

@KlayThompson joined the TNT Tuesday crew to talk the rest of the season. https://t.co/BTWHnxEQuJ

Thompson, though, is hoping that they can string together a couple of wins as they try to finish the regular season strong. Draymond Green is expected to be back on March 14, which will be a big boost for the team. At this point, they don’t care much about playoff seeding. The Golden State Warriors simply want to get healthy and get back into the groove before the playoffs start.