The " Shaq-Kobe feud " (or " Kobe-Shaq feud ") is a conflict between the National Basketball Association (NBA) players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who play together on the Los Angeles Lakers team from 1996 to 2004.
Both were able to win three consecutive NBA Championships (2000, 2001, 2002) and make NBA Finals appearances in 2004. O'Neal is the NBA Finals MVP in their every victory. Personal differences and arguments over their respective roles in the Lakers were followed by the trade that O'Neal sent to the Miami Heat while Bryant was again signed as a free agent by the Lakers. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson later wrote a book called Last Season: A Team Seeking for His Soul , reflecting on the problems Bryant and O'Neal experienced during their last joint season.
Video Shaq-Kobe feud
Origins: 1996-1999
1996-1997
In 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a draft rights to Kobe Bryant's high school player from the Charlotte Hornets with a trade center founded by Vlade Divac. No previous NBA team has set up guards directly from high school. After waiving the salary by parting with other veteran players, they signed Shaquille O'Neal's All-Star center free agent later that year. Both are arguing in the first three seasons they played together since 1996-1999. Bryant looked after his teammates in the distance, answering non-basketball questions with a one or two word response. O'Neal told the Lakers when Bryant arrived, "I will not look after me." Bryant has incredible confidence in his abilities, which is unusual for an 18-year-old teenager. Some teammates interpret Bryant's beliefs as arrogance. O'Neal was was against Bryant, as a rookie, boasting that he would lead the Lakers in scoring and becoming the best player in the league. The Lakers general manager, Jerry West, criticized O'Neal's leadership for fooling Bryant that season. While O'Neal's personality is humorous, Bryant's attitude is a versatile business and is interpreted by some teammates as selfishness. O'Neal started calling Bryant showboat for his striking attack. In the overtime playoff defeat to the Utah Jazz that wiped out the Lakers, O'Neal fouled with two minutes left in the rules. Lakers coach Del Harris has been designing a Laker offense around Bryant rookie, who then shot four air balls. Harris explains that Bryant's one-on-one skills make it the best choice. After the match, O'Neal hugs Bryant and informs him that there will be another chance. West said the team's deficiency made O'Neal angry that he would be judged by the team's success.
1997-1998
Bryant was commissioned by the Lakers to play in the 1997 NBA Summer League to improve as a team player and learn where to send the ball when he pulled a double team. The following season, Bryant was selected as a starter in the All-Star Game 1998 although he is a reserve in the Lakers. The Lakers struggled after the All-Star break, losing seven of their first 12 games, and Bryant had a stretch where he only made 30 of 100 shots. O'Neal wants the championship soon, and he does not want to wait for Bryant to mature as a player. Harris thought the NBA and its TV broadcaster, National Broadcasting Company (NBC), overexposing Bryant and that he became more than one-one player after the break. Bryant's playing time was reduced. The Lakers were eliminated in the 1998 playoffs in the conference final after they were swept by Jazz 4-0.
1998-1999
His 50-game season compacted his team in the 1998-99 season including short stints as a player by Dennis Rodman, the shooting of head coach Harris, and the temporary head coach of former Laker player Kurt Rambis. During the lockout, O'Neal, Bryant, Derek Fisher, and Corie Blount play a two-on-two basketball game. Bryant has always been a physical player during practice. Other players, though, liked Bryant's approach to practice. Fisher said, "That's really the way we all should be playing with Kobe's spirit." During the match, O'Neal slapped Bryant. Fisher said both O'Neal and Bryant really started it, because both are physical. During the season, the team will blame their problem on what they feel is Bryant's selfish game. At one point, O'Neal pointed Bryant and told reporters in the locker room, "There's a problem." Bryant's T-shirts outperformed O'Neal's at the Southern California sports gear store, and rumors started that O'Neal was jealous, as he was with Penny Hardaway when they played together in Orlando. "That's far from the truth," Fisher said. "All Shaq wants to do is win." Asked if he helped Bryant through his pain, O'Neal said, "I try not to help too much... Experience is the best teacher... Kobe is a great player... He's a new kid on the rise." O'Neal thought Rambis liked Bryant. Rambis asked O'Neal, the leader of the veteran team, to heal the rift and reach Bryant. Rambis said O'Neal gave her a blank, cold look. The rift between O'Neal and Bryant continued into the playoffs. While the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs that year, they were eventually swept 4-0 by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round.
Maps Shaq-Kobe feud
Three peat: 1999-2002
1999-2000
During the 1999 offseason, West and Lakers owner Jerry Buss agreed to sign six-time NBA champion Phil Jackson with a $ 30 million 5-year deal to become the new head coach of the team that entered the 1999-2000 season. Buss was previously a believer in spending conservatively on the coach, but O'Neal and Bryant pushed West to hire Jackson. Jackson decides that the offense will revolve around O'Neal, who will be given the responsibility to distribute the ball. Jackson also wanted a better leadership, physical conditioning, and defense from O'Neal. The coach opted to develop a close relationship with O'Neal and not Bryant. Jackson calculates that O'Neal's personality craves that kind of relationship. Bryant missed his first 15 games of the season with a broken right wrist, allowing the team to focus on O'Neal as Jackson planned. The result of Jackson's recruitment promises, as the Lakers collect 67-15 records (one of the best records in league history). O'Neal led the league in scoring, averaging 29.7 points per game, and he won his first NBA Player Award. During the playoffs, the Lakers battled the eighth-seeded Sacramento Kings in five games, and then beat the Phoenix Suns in the second round, four games into one.
It was in the 2000 Western Conference Final that the decisive moments of O'Neal and Bryant's success in the joint pitch happened. The Lakers led the Portland Trail Blazers three games into one, before dropping Game 5 at home and Game 6 in Portland. The Blazers lead the decisive Game 7, putting the Lakers on the verge of elimination. Portland led by 15 points early in the fourth quarter, before the Lakers boosted the 25-4 rally to take the lead. The comeback trip culminated when Bryant drove the lane and threw Oop to O'Neal for a one-handed slam dunk after O'Neal raced on the field with his mouth gaping and both index fingers waving. Bryant held out his hand to O'Neal with the highest score, but O'Neal in his celebration paid no attention. The Lakers won the game 89-84, and 13 points of comeback after three quarters were the most prevalent in Game 7 in the NBA playoffs. O'Neal had 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Bryant had 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocked shots. The two players praised each other in the alley-oop game after the game, and assistant coach Tex Winter thought they were mutually respectful of each other. The Lakers went on to beat the Indiana Pacers in six games and win their first NBA championship since 1988. The Lakers led the series 2-0 behind the dominant presence of O'Neal. The Lakers lost Game 3, which Bryant missed due to an ankle injury. After O'Neal fouled Game 4, Jackson spread to the floor and told Bryant to take over the offense and lead the team to victory. Leading 110-109 with 1:32 remaining in Game 6, Jackson once again spread the offense - even with O'Neal on the floor - and again allowing Bryant to take over; The Lakers won the game, 116-111, and won the championship. In the next celebration, Bryant was the first to embrace O'Neal.
This season is not without a confrontation, as O'Neal said in a team meeting, "There's something I want to say, I think Kobe played too selfishly for us to win." O'Neal felt the pressure to become team leader and disappointed with Bryant's shot. Team mate Ron Harper helped mediate the difference between O'Neal and Bryant. According to Jackson, "Kobe has no selfish agenda, he just feels that his way of playing is the best way he can donate, gradually he sees no other way to contribute that combines more teams." After arriving at Lakers that season, Winter said he was stunned to find the level of hatred that O'Neal declared against Bryant. "There's a lot of hatred in [O'Neal's] heart... Kobe just picked it up and kept walking." O'Neal regularly told management that he did not believe the team could win the championship with Bryant. Winter observes that O'Neal is affecting the entire team against Bryant. Winter thought that Bryant managed to get the ball to O'Neal that year, but O'Neal did not appreciate what Bryant did to help him. During the All-Star Game this season, Bryant did not participate in the Slam Dunk Contest and the fight against Vince Carter, following Jackson's request to continue the individual achievement to keep the team focused. During the All-Star heating, O'Neal mimicked Bryant's cross, but threw the ball into the stands to accentuate Bryant's turnover. O'Neal says it's a joke between Kobe and him. Jackson and Winter rely on a triangular offense to heal the relationship between O'Neal and Bryant. The coach believes that the offense is so structured that the relationship between the two players will be smoother on the pitch. The coaches will also tell the team that they do not see the selfishness at Bryant that the players see. Winter even put together a video for O'Neal to show that Bryant played his part correctly.
2000-2001
In 2001, the Lakers won the title again; However, O'Neal and Bryant began to fight for the season. O'Neal came to the training camp, which disappointed Jackson and also Bryant, who worked hard during the offseason to improve his game. Bryant led the league in scoring when 2001 started, and Jackson said Bryant played the best ball of his career. O'Neal shot below 50 percent during the stretch, and his free-throw shot was in the 20 percent range. O'Neal said of the Lakers in January, "When it's clear that everything is going through me, the result is (note) 67-15, playing with enthusiasm, city hopping and parade, and now we're 23-11. I do not know why other people want to change - other than selfish reasons. "Bryant replied that it was a different year and the list has undergone some changes and" things change, things evolve, and you just have to grow with change that." Assistant coach of the Lakers, Bill Bertka said the key factor is the team's defense after Fisher lost for most of the season. O'Neal asked for a trade after a splashy win against the Phoenix Suns where Bryant scored 38 and O'Neal scored 18. Jackson commented that their actions were "teenagers" and they should respect each other and play as a team. Bryant will be criticized for forcing his offense and not enough involving his colleagues. Even O'Neal's stepfather had heard screams at Bryant to pass the ball during the game. Bryant told Jackson that "(triangle) offense is very simple, it does not show my talent... it does not give me what I have to have for my game." According to Bryant, team defense is a problem and not an increasing role in the offense. Bryant said that "judgment should not affect defense (O'Neal)", while O'Neal states that "if the big dog is not me, then the house will not be guarded - a point." Because of O'Neal's sensitivity to criticism, Jackson ignored O'Neal's deficiencies while defending his criticism of Bryant. West told O'Neal that he also had personal rivalries when he played with great players of all time, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor, but O'Neal needed to "stop being a baby... putting the team's success first."
Magic Johnson then realizes the change in O'Neal: "Shaq says 'It's me I'm the one who has to get the shape of the body, I'm the one who should be ready for the second round.I'm the one who has to close down the middle as I did last year.'.. He does not blame others. "Fisher returned on 13 March, improving the team's defense. The Lakers won their last eight games to finish the regular season with 56 wins. O'Neal averaged 33.7 points from the last 11 games. Bryant, having returned from injury, is willing to build from O'Neal now that the center was in form and playing defense. Bryant will play selflessly in the playoffs. O'Neal referred to Bryant as his "idol" and "the best player in the league, so far" following the victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals that year. The Lakers won the championship after a postseason record of 15-1 then historic. After a single loss, which in the opening game of the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jackson criticized O'Neal for lack of defense. Before the next game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson growled at O'Neal, "Do not be afraid to block the shots!" After O'Neal failed to block a shot in Game 1. O'Neal completed Game 2 with 28 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists and 8 blocks.
2001-2002
Not much was made open about the feud in the 2001-02 season as the team returned due to injury, personal tragedy, and national news. O'Neal missed the training camp because of surgery on arthritic toes. He chose to fight against the more involved operations to return faster. However, his toes interrupt him throughout the season. Jackson also lost most camps because of the death of his 94-year-old mother, and Bryant returned to Philadelphia to bury his grandfather. Combined with the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, O'Neal said it would be difficult for basketball players to be shared by narrow-mindedness.
Despite the rocky season, The Lakers won their third consecutive championship, beating the New Jersey Nets, 4-0. This is the Lakers 'first championship victory in their history, and O'Neal won the NBA Finals' third MVP in a row. Bryant and O'Neal complement each other afterward.
Last year as teammates: 2002-2004
2002-2003
The 2002-03 season started with defending champions three times down to one of their worst starters. The team is a few games under 0,500 at 11-19 with their return to the playoff round being questioned. O'Neal is ruled out with hallux rigidus, degenerative arthritis in his toes. O'Neal could have surgery on his feet early in the summer (which would allow him to return to play faster), but he decided to wait and undergo an operation shortly before the Lakers pre-season training camp begins. He said, "I was injured at work, so I will rehabilitate at company time." O'Neal debated whether to undergo a more invasive operation that would keep him for an additional three months, but he voted against more involved procedures. During the season, Bryant has nine games in a row where he scored at least 40 points and 13 matches in which he scored 35 or better. However, the relationship between O'Neal and Bryant remained peaceful. Jackson has ordered Bryant to be more aggressive. The Lakers ended the season with the fifth seed in the Western Conference, failing to benefit the hosts in the first round of the playoffs. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, but were knocked out by defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals.
2003-2004
The following seasons include allegations and then rape allegations by Bryant in Colorado. On July 16, a little over two weeks after the initial assault charge, the Lakers announced the signing of a veteran free agent and former All-Stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who were recruited by O'Neal. After the players, the Lakers are widely regarded as favorites to win the NBA title. However, even with this addition, the Lakers will not be able to avoid controversy.
O'Neal said that his barbs and Bryant in the media were "almost like a game". They can handle it - until the 2003-04 season. Just before the season, Bryant personally warned Jackson, "If [O'Neal] starts saying [things that do not make sense] in the media, I'll reply... I already have it." There is no general indication of the hostility between the two since the 2000-2001 season. With Bryant absent from the camp due to his legal situation and his recovery from knee surgery, O'Neal said "the full team is here." Then, after sitting in an exhibition game to rest his sore left heel, O'Neal said, "I want to be right [in the regular season] for Derek [Fisher], Karl, and Gary." Bryant was again ignored by O'Neal.
When Bryant joined the Lakers at the camp, O'Neal told reporters Bryant had to look more of a passer rather than a goal scorer until Bryant's knee was fully healed. Bryant replies that he knows how to play a guard position, and O'Neal has to worry about heading low. O'Neal replied, "Just ask Karl and Gary why they came here, one person, not two, one. O'Neal agrees that Bryant can handle the game keeper, but Bryant needs advice on how to play team football. O'Neal added that he will voice his opinion when he sees fit because the Lakers are his team. He said that if Bryant, who would be a free agent at the end of the season, did not like what O'Neal said, Bryant just had to opt out because O'Neal said, "I'm not going anywhere." Jackson told the team not to discuss further issues with journalists.
In a subsequent interview with Jim Gray of ESPN, Bryant questioned O'Neal's claim about team leadership. Bryant claimed that O'Neal had come to a "fat and unformed" training camp, that O'Neal blamed others for the team's defeat, and that O'Neal had previously exaggerated the extent to which the injury had affected his game as a cover to just be outside condition. Bryant criticized O'Neal's public lobby for a contract extension when "we have two Hall of Famers (Malone and Payton) in the future, playing here is quite free". He also criticized O'Neal for being solely responsible when the team won. He accused O'Neal of threatening not to work his best if he did not pass the ball more often. Bryant was also upset that O'Neal had not personally contacted him in the midst of his legal troubles in the summer. O'Neal has his bodyguard, Jerome Crawford, contact Bryant. "Everyone knows Jerome is me," O'Neal said.
The next day, Lakers scouts and former teammate Brian Shaw mediated between angry O'Neal and Bryant. Shaw scolded O'Neal for shouting "Pay me" at Buss after dipping during a pre-season game. Shaw turns to Bryant and tells him that Jackson let O'Neal's time recover from the physical blow that he experienced each season. Bryant, still disappointed with the support he received during the summer, told O'Neal, "You should be my friend." Shaw questioned why he would believe that when Bryant did join the team for dinner on the street, failed to attend O'Neal's wedding despite being invited, and not invite a team member to his own wedding.
Jackson fined Bryant an unknown amount for defying his orders not to talk to the press. O'Neal will reveal after the season that he promised Malone and Payton he will stop clashing with Bryant recalling his legal situation on charges of rape. On the opening night of the season, injured Bryant sat beside O'Neal during the Lakers victory over the Dallas Mavericks. "We put it behind us," said Bryant. "Shaq and I will move on, be team-mates and help this team win the fourth title."
The Lakers started the season with a 21-3 record, and they received the award for the greatest NBA team ever. However, the Lakers lost Malone for three months with a knee injury during the winter. During the All-Star break, Buss suspended contract negotiations with Jackson, who tried to double his salary from $ 6 million to $ 12 million in the expiring contract. Jackson has an excellent contract offer from the Lakers, but he does not follow up on it. The Lakers also postponed talks with O'Neal, who wanted an extension with a raise on the remaining three years for $ 30 million. The Lakers hope O'Neal will get less money due to age, physical condition, and games lost due to injury. The Los Angeles Times wrote that both the Lakers movement was a concession to Bryant. The Lakers slid towards mediocrity during the spring. Injuries hampered Los Angeles, making them fourth seed in the Western Conference in mid-season. The team never together defensively. Winter says, "Even though Shaq is a big figure, he is not a great shot-blocker, and he does not like to play screens and roll over, so he puts his team mates in jeopardy, he does not like helping [in defense]." In March, after Bryant received an internal criticism of his kick selection, he scored just one point while taking three shots in the first half against Orlando that Lakers trailed by 11. He scored 37 in the second half and tied the team record with 24 in the fourth quarter when the Lakers win in extra time. Against Sacramento in April, Bryant only took one shot in the first half against a tight defense. He finished the game with eight points. An anonymous teammate told the Los Angeles Times, "I do not know how we can forgive him." Afterwards, Jackson urges Bryant to be more offensive aggressively.
The Lakers finally entered the playoffs as the second seed, thanks to the overtime victory versus the Portland Trail Blazers on the final night of the season, thanks to a pair of bell dummies from Bryant. They beat the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Minnesota Timberwolves before progressing to the 2004 NBA Finals, where they were considered favorites to beat the Detroit Pistons. However, after five games, the Lakers found themselves not only defeated but dominated by the Pistons, who won the NBA title. Winter said, "Shaq beat himself against Detroit, he played too passively, he has one big game... He's always interested in being a goal scorer, but he does not have enough concentration on defense and rebounds."
After the defeat, the division between O'Neal and Bryant peaked. At a press conference after the last game, O'Neal talked about the uncertainty surrounding the now-expired contract, and agent free Bryant, meaning either or both may not return to the Lakers the following season. With regard to the problem of people who might leave the team, O'Neal commented that he understood that everyone should do what is best for themselves, then add "me included".
Eventually Jackson, O'Neal's favorite, was not offered a new contract by the Lakers. Many analysts and sports audiences assume that this is because of Bryant, who occasionally voiced displeasure with Jackson's offensive scheme. However, Winter said Jackson announced on an All-Star break that he did not want to return to the Lakers if Bryant returned. Buss also missed the Lakers to return to the quick offense of Showtime. After learning of Jackson's departure and hearing of Lakers general manager, Mitch Kupchak said he would consider trading it, O'Neal demanded to be traded. He explains that he feels Laker's organization is making moves designed primarily to calm Bryant, saying "The direction they are headed... I do not want to be a part of this." Meanwhile, Bryant was involved in discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers. O'Neal's request was soon spoiled, as he was sent to Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round pick design. The NBA coach and former Doc Rivers player described the relationship between O'Neal and Bryant as "the biggest parody in the sport" because they should remain team members and win at least five championships together.
O'Neal trading from Lakers: 2004-2006
2004-2005
The day after O'Neal was traded, Bryant again signed a contract with the Lakers for seven years and $ 136 million. Bryant said he enjoyed playing with Jackson and O'Neal, and he said he did not influence the Lakers decision on both. Regardless, the newspaper the next day condemned Bryant for his alleged manipulation of his team. O'Neal added, "When I get to my departure, [Kobe] can talk, he could say something, he does not say anything." Winter says, "[O'Neal] goes because he can not get what he wants - a big raise." There's no way ownership can give what he wants. "Shaq's request holds the franchise hostage, and the way he goes about it does please the owners too much. "
Later, news came out that Bryant had referred to O'Neal when questioned by police in 2003. According to reports, Bryant stated that he should pay the women so they would not say anything, like O'Neal. Bryant also stated that O'Neal would pay women up to US $ 1 million to keep silent about their meetings. It was also reported that investigators had informed O'Neal of Bryant's remarks as soon as the investigation began. O'Neal denied this claim, stating that Bryant did not know about O'Neal's personal business because the two rarely spent time together. O'Neal went so far as to say that he "[not] bought love, [Bryant is] the man who bought love", a reference to Bryant's purchase for a multi-million dollar diamond ring for his wife in after a revelation that Bryant was unfaithful to him.
In August 2004, the NBA scheduled the Lakers and Heats to play on Christmas Day. This game registers the NBA's highest regular television rankings since 1998 and will retain its place until the 2008 Christmas Day meeting between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Ahead of the match, O'Neal referred to Bryant as "Corvette" and himself as a "brick wall" in an interview with ABC's Al Michaels during the Monday Night Football break.
Before the opening tip, Bryant and O'Neal did not speak, but greeted each other by crashing into the forearm. During the game, Bryant was fouled by O'Neal several times but his contact was not excessive. O'Neal fouled the end of the fourth quarter but the Heat still won the game in overtime, led by the upcoming star, Dwyane Wade. Bryant missed a shot that could potentially win the game when the time expired. When asked about the brick wall comments, Bryant said, "I know there's a lot of talk about brick walls and all that, but I think it's just to repeat the game, hopefully, it's all behind us now." O'Neal shared the same tone, saying "I've forgotten it. It's old news to me." Bryant and O'Neal met in court twice more during the season, once during the NBA All-Star Game and once again when the Lakers played the Heat on March 17, 2005.
2005-2006
The following season, Bryant and O'Neal were not involved in any further public attack. However, hard feelings still seem to exist when they refuse to name each other when talking to the media. The Lakers and Heat face again on Christmas Day 2005, with the Heat winning for the second time. Unlike last year, Bryant and O'Neal did not shake hands or make eye contact with each other before and after the game. O'Neal said, "It's just another game for me." Bryant said, "I do not even think about it.
Prior to their January 16th 2006 meeting, O'Neal greeted Bryant in court with a warm, departure from his previous attitude towards Bryant. Both shook hands and hugged before giving a tip. After Bryant scored 81 points in one game against the Toronto Raptors, O'Neal declined to comment to the media about it. O'Neal broke his silence a few weeks later during a media session in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, when he admitted he had watched Bryant's 81 points game and offered praise for the show. During the All-Star Game itself, the two are seen laughing and joking together. O'Neal and the Heat won the NBA title that season. In his autobiography of 2011, Shaq Uncut: My Story , O'Neal writes about the championship, "I have proven that I can win anywhere - not just with some happy guards in Los Angeles."
O'Neal indirectly referred to the feud in his cameo appearance in the 2006 film Scary Movie . O'Neal was kidnapped in the movie in a parody of Saw , and he heard a frightening voice. A frightened O'Neal then asked, "Kobe?"
De-escalation feud: 2006-2011
2006-2007
In 2007, O'Neal said that Bryant should win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, which was awarded to Dirk Nowitzki. During the offseason, Bryant was "outraged" on reports from Laker insiders that Bryant had forced O'Neal to trade from the Lakers. Bryant reported that Buss said, "I will not sign Shaq again.I will not pay him $ 30 million a year or $ 80 million for three years... His body is broken, and I do not want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him now rather than waiting... It does not matter to me what you do at free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period. "O'Neal agrees with Bryant:" There is no doubt in my mind Kobe tells the truth.I believe him a thousand percent... I would honor Dr. Buss more as a man if he would tell me that he is, because I know he said it. "
2007-2008
In 2008, O'Neal reiterated his belief that Bryant deserved the MVP award. Bryant went on to win the award for the first time in his career that season. During the offseason, O'Neal was at a party, and got up to rap in front of the crowd. O'Neal mentioned Bryant several times in rap, saying that "Kobe can not do without me", referring to Bryant and the Lakers loss in the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. He also knocks, "Kobe, tell me how my ass feels". During the rap, O'Neal also blamed his divorce on Bryant's comments to investigators in 2004 about O'Neal paying women. Bryant commented that he "did not take (rap O'Neal) in any way." O'Neal then says that he is freestyling and that "it's all done happily... Nothing serious... I'm really cool with Kobe There's no problem at all." Rap artist Snoop Dogg, a Laker fan, agrees that "Shaq has all access and the right to do and say what he wants to say in joy, in the spirit of rap."
2008-2009
In November of 2008-2009 season, O'Neal told reporters that he believed the whole hostility was the Lakers head coach's fault, Phil Jackson. O'Neal later revoked the statement and apologized, interrupting one of Jackson's pre-match interviews to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. On January 29, 2009, in an interview with Stephen A. Smith, O'Neal claimed that the feud between him and Bryant was just a marketing tactic, saying "We help you get started.I know what I do, brother. the smartest in the world. "At Bryant, O'Neal claims that he" always likes Kobe. " In Jackson, O'Neal claimed he was "the greatest coach he ever had, and he did a lot for me, Phil is my man.This is all marketing, dear." O'Neal also added that if he stays with the Lakers, he and Bryant will win three or four more titles. "We are still the biggest and biggest pebukak ever made in the history of the game", said O'Neal. In the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, O'Neal, Bryant, and Jackson are all reunited in the Western squad. O'Neal and Bryant both named co-MVPs for the game and were shown laughing and cuddling during the game. O'Neal told Bryant to defend the MVP trophy, but Bryant instead gave it to O'Neal's son. For O'Neal, Bryant's attitude marked a turning point in their relationship. Bryant and the Lakers will face Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. Shaq shows support for Kobe, on his Twitter page saying: "That's right I said it today and today only, I want kobe bryant to get the number 4, sic ] ".
2009-2010
After the Lakers once again won the title in Game 7 of the 2010 Final, Bryant was asked what that meant to him personally. He replied, "Only one more than Shaq... I can take it to the bank." Bryant has won five NBA titles, and O'Neal has won four. Bryant added, "You know how I am, I do not forget anything." O'Neal once again congratulates Bryant on his Twitter page: "Congratulations, Kobe, you deserve it.You play nice.Enjoy it, enjoy it.I know what you say 'Shaq how it feels my ass" [ sic ]. "
2010-2011
After hearing Bryant's comments about having more titles than O'Neal, Wyc Grousbeck, the main owner of the Boston Celtics, told Danny Ainge, president of the Celtics, "Let's get Shaq." O'Neal signed a two-year deal with the Celtics for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons for a minimum league of $ 1.3 million and added to the Celtics-Lakers competition. Bill Simmons of ESPN speculates that O'Neal wants to tie Bryant with five titles and that's still "Shaq hates Kobe and Kobe hates Shaq." O'Neal said he was not "competing against the little guys who were running around dominating the ball, throwing 30 shots overnight - like D-Wade, Kobe." O'Neal added that he only competes against Tim Duncan: "If Tim Duncan gets five rings, then it gives the author the chance to say 'Duncan is the best,' and I can not have it." Kobe and Shaq will play each other for the last time on January 30, 2011, with Shaq's Celtics winning over Kobe Lakers in a 109-96 win. However, O'Neal was held scoreless, as he is now relegated to a role player. The team will face another one and a half weeks later, but O'Neal will not play because he is dealing with injuries.
Post-play career
2011-present
O'Neal announced his retirement through social media on June 1, 2011. Two days later, O'Neal held a press conference at his home in Orlando to officially announce his resignation. When asked who the greatest player he had played during his career, O'Neal did not answer but Bryant was the only player whose name was mentioned. He also mentioned that his departure from Los Angeles had nothing to do with Kobe Bryant, saying "the reason I went was not about what Kobe did, it was about something else, I made the maximum dollar and felt I deserved more, a business end." When asked if leaving Los Angeles was a bad decision, he replied, "I do not like living in the ifs world, but if we stay, maybe we can get six [championships]."
After his retirement, O'Neal was hired by Turner Sports as an NBA analyst. When asked if it would be difficult for him to criticize Bryant, he replied, "I have the ability and support to give a fair criticism The only time I have a problem with the people who give criticism is when they do not walk. much in my 19-year career, so I think any criticism I should have is fair. "During the 2011 NBA locking, Bryant discussed his problem with O'Neal with a radio station in Italy, saying" I love players who exercise. 7 hours per day I can not stand with players who train for 30 minutes. ". "O'Neal replied that he did not need to work, and that" Three Final MVPs I'm talking to myself. "
On February 6, 2012, Bryant passed O'Neal for fifth in the list of top scorers all the time. Bryant said it was an honor because of their championship together. O'Neal congratulates Bryant, saying "I'm proud of him, I'm happy for him, and, most importantly, I want to thank him for being part of the biggest 1-2 stroke ever made, never being duplicated." Bryant on the radio the next day that he and O'Neal will not survive as teammates. Bryant recalled: "There was an interview I heard Shaq doing, which he did by throwing a challenge I could not win without him." After I read that, I said, 'Aw, that's it.' Some comparisons he made with me and Penny Hardaway, and after I read that, I said, 'You know what? I can not finish my career with those who say it. "In 2013, Bryant said that the two" have a really good relationship now ", calling it" a good lesson for all of us. " He said the two had "mutual respect" with each other, while O'Neal commented that they had "athletic dislike" for each other but "never had any real dislike". That year, Lakers retired No. 34 O'Neal at the break. Bryant did not attend the ceremony, but it was called O'Neal "the most talented physical specimen I've ever seen playing this game" in a videotape during the event. Asked about his absence, Bryant told the media, "I appreciate you guys trying to start things for the past." Later, it came out that Bryant had missed the ceremony because he had received care from the Lakers training staff.
In 2015, O'Neal will launch The Big Podcast with Bryant as his first guest. O'Neal will introduce Bryant as "the greatest Laker ever" as the two reflected on their enmity.
Bryant retired after the 2015-16 NBA season, playing his final game on 13 April 2016. Leading the Lakers to a 101-96 victory against Utah Jazz with 60 points, Bryant beat the Jazz 23- 21 team in the fourth quarter. He was then taken off the floor with the remaining 4.1 seconds, into the thrilling Staples Center crowd. O'Neal, who was present, was the first person that Bryant hoisted after returning to the bench. When asked about Kobe's legacy during a segment on TNT, Shaq repeated his praise about Bryant as "the greatest Laker ever."
One year later, O'Neal was honored by the Lakers with his likeness statue just outside the Staples Center. Bryant is present in front of the statue and speaks on the show, which O'Neal says "means a lot" to him. Overcoming Kobe during the ceremony, O'Neal said, "Next time we're here for a statue, it'll probably be your statue."
In February 2018, the two players recorded a special 'Special Player' for NBATV where they talked about their shared history, mutual respect and respect, and an explanation and remorse for the tension and hostility.
Head-to-head meeting between O'Neal and Bryant
O'Neal is 7-4 all-time against Bryant, although Bryant beat O'Neal in every encounter.
References
- General
- Lazenby, Roland (2006). The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in Words of Those Who Live This . New York City: McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBNÃ, 978-0-07-143034-0 . Retrieved April 18 2011 .
- Specific
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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