NBA News: Shaquille O’Neal reveals his true opinion about former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant

Shaquille O’Neal And Kobe Bryant formed one of the most iconic duos in the world N.B.A History since 1996 when both joined Los Angeles Lakersuntil Shaq went to the USA in 2004 Miami Heat. Together, they led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships and left an indelible mark on the franchise and the league. Recently, the 7-foot-11 center shared his honest thoughts about Bryant in a candid moment.

In an episode of The BIG podcastO’Neal was asked by Leonard Fournette: “Of all the guys you played with on your team, who was the best?” Shaq’s response was both surprising and revealing. “Kobe was the meanest” O’Neal said before adding: “The best playing partner for me was Penny Hardaway because Penny Hardaway was super selfless. He gave me the ball every time…”

O’Neal then went into more detail about his relationship with Bryant: “Kobe, we came in at the same time and he was a youngster… He just wanted to be great at 17, 18 years old.” Highlighting Bryant’s tireless drive, Shaq explained: “He was the type of guy who was easy to talk to and didn’t sulk. He would try to silence you.”

Shaq also shared how he used to motivate Bryant: “I would always go in and say ‘You’re not that good’ and I’d piss him off so much he’d try to one-up me. If he has an average of 30 and I have an average of 30, that’s exactly 60 points. We were guaranteed victory, it was the meanest one.”

Shaq and Kobe’s legacy together

During their eight years as teammates, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led the team Lakers through one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. The duo secured NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002, with Shaq taking the title N.B.A MVP award in 2000 and NBA Finals MVP in all three championship runs.

Her dominance was so profound that the Lakers retired both jerseys – O’Neal’s number 34 and Bryant’s iconic numbers 8 and 24 – honoring his entire career with the franchise. In addition, Shaq’s number 32 was also retired by the Miami Heat and Orlando magic.

The Shaq-Kobe relationship

While their success on the court was undeniable, the personal relationship between O’Neal and Bryant was notoriously turbulent. Over time, tensions between the two stars grew and became public knowledge. A notable example occurred before the 2003–2004 season, when Bryant criticized O’Neal’s physical condition and contract demands and questioned his leadership abilities in an ESPN interview.

These increasing conflicts ultimately led to O’Neal’s request to leave the Lakers. At the end of the 2003-2004 season he was traded to the Miami Heat, where he found another dynamic partner Dwyane Wade. Together they led the Heat to their first NBA championship in 2006.