Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant formed one of the most iconic duos in NBA history from 1996, when they both joined the Los Angeles Lakers, until 2004, when Shaq left for the Miami Heat. Together, they led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships, leaving an indelible mark on the franchise and the league. Recently, the 7-foot-1 center shared his honest thoughts on Bryant during a candid moment.
In an episode of The BIG Podcast, O’Neal was asked by Leonard Fournette: “Out of all the guys you played with on your team, who was the best?” Shaq’s answer was both surprising and telling. “Kobe was the meanest,” O’Neal said, before adding, “The best for me to play with was Penny Hardaway, cause Penny Hardaway was super unselfish. He gave me the ball every time…”
O’Neal then elaborated on his relationship with Bryant: “Kobe, we came in at the same time and he was a youngster… He just wanted to be great from 17, 18 years old.” Shaq highlighted Bryant’s relentless drive, stating, “He was the guy you could talk smack to and he wouldn’t pout. He would try to shut you up.”
Shaq also shared how he used to motivate Bryant: “I used to go in and be like ‘You ain’t that good’ and I used to piss him off so bad he used to try and outdo me. If he’s averaging 30 and I’m averaging 30, that’s 60 points right there. We were guaranteed to win, he was the meanest.”
Shaq and Kobe’s legacy together
During their eight years as teammates, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led the 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 earning the NBA MVP award in 2000 and the NBA Finals MVP in all three championship runs.
Their dominance was so profound that the Lakers retired both of their 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 on-court success was undeniable, the personal relationship between O’Neal and Bryant was famously turbulent. Over time, tensions grew between the two stars, becoming public knowledge. One notable instance occurred before the 2003-2004 season, when Bryant criticized O’Neal’s physical conditioning and contract demands in an ESPN interview, questioning his leadership.
These mounting conflicts ultimately led to O’Neal’s request to leave the Lakers. He was traded at the end of the 2003-2004 season to the Miami Heat, where he found another dynamic partner in Dwyane Wade. Together, they guided the Heat to their first NBA championship in 2006.