One of the greatest feuds in NBA history revolves around Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal being, shall we say, at-odds teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers. During their historic run that included three NBA championships in a row, Shaq and Kobe both wanted control of the team because they were hard-headed superstars wanting to prove how good and important they were.
The star-studded feud was the stuff social media and the 24/7 news cycle pine for in today's culture. Back then, it had to live more through newspapers and highlight show clips. Eventually, O'Neal was traded away as the Lakers chose the younger Kobe to move forward with, but there were plenty of moments in which people wondered what heights the duo could reach had they just stayed together.
On an upcoming episode of "The BIG Podcast With Shaq", O'Neal and Bryant discuss their situation and reflect on the times in which they were at each other's throats and what they regret. One particular reflection came from Shaq saying he wanted to kill Kobe and Kobe's response of "well come on then" because neither player was going to back down.
Kobe's explanation of the situation is interesting. He says that this relationship and Shaq wanting to kill him and Kobe not caring what people think was driven by moments like this. It helped motivate them to keep getting better and keep trying to achieve more. Obviously, there was a breaking point between the two of them, which was heightened by the fact that Shaq was maybe starting to decline around 2004 (or that was the perception) and he wanted big money.
Dr. Jerry Buss decided that moving Shaq and giving the reins to Bryant was the correct move, and it was a move that really wouldn't show much validation until 2008-2010 when the Lakers made three straight NBA Finals and won back-to-back titles.
The eventual separation of the two stars is something they wish didn't happen because they missed an opportunity to be the NBA's all-time greatest combination. Shaq's stubbornness with his contract situation coupled with Kobe's pining for control of the team on the court were understandable stances for each player to take, but it was also ultimately their undoing. Kobe's example of what the personalities were like is very interesting:
Comparing it to what it would have been like had we seen a team with a prime Wilt Chamberlain and a young, hungry Michael Jordan looking for more credit, responsibility, and ownership of the team is an intriguing example. Shaq has often been compared to Wilt and Kobe is always judged and juxtaposed with Jordan. Whether fans like it or not, those are apt comparisons on many levels.
Wondering what kind of damage they could've done had they stayed together longer is, and will always be, a very tantalizing question.
This podcast will be released on Monday here.
