Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were two of the most dominant forces the NBA has ever seen. While Shaq’s massive presence and unstoppable build absolutely crushed opponents, Kobe had one of the deadliest jumpers the game has ever seen. When the two ended up on the same team, a young-but-confident Bryant didn’t exactly mesh with the huge personality of Shaq.
The two have an illustrious history of drama. This includes Shaq telling the Lakers that he didn’t want to babysit Kobe as he got adjusted to the pros, while also referring to Bryant’s playing style as selfish. The two still managed to find success on the court, winning three straight championships at the turn of the century, but the two never seemed to be able to mend their strained teammate relationship.
Their relationship became more and more public as they didn’t shy away from flashing resentfulness to the media, even after Shaq had been traded away. What could have been one of the most powerful dynasty’s the league has ever seen wound up breaking apart due to the two’s inability to get along.
In more recent years Kobe and Shaq seem to have put their on-court differences aside. They have gotten together on multiple occasions to talk about their time as players, but on Saturday a one-on-one sit down was broadcast that went more in depth with the two outspoken superstars than ever before. 40 minutes later it is clear that the two have made amends, and that the respect they have for each other as players is right where it should be – right at the very top.
With one of the most public soured relationships seemingly put to bed, it’s not out of the question to think that someday the likes of Kyrie and LeBron, Durant and Westbrook, or Paul George and the entire Indiana Pacers franchise could sit down and hash out where it all went wrong.
