The late 1990s and early 21st century was an endearing time for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA in general, as two legends coincided on the same team: Shaquille O’Neal and the sadly departed Kobe Bryant.
All eight of Shaq’s seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers were spent with Kobe Bryant, who joined the team at the same time as O’Neal, but as a rookie. Together they gave the franchise 3 NBA championships.
So if anyone knows perfectly how Bryant laid the foundations of the mentality that led him to become a legend not only of the Los Angeles Lakers but of the NBA, it is Shaquille O’Neal, who can even be considered as a mentor of KB-24.
Kobe Bryant’s secret to NBA success
In an interview with Patrick Bet David for the Youtube channel Valuetainment, Shaquille O’Neal reminisced about the years he spent with Kobe Bryant at the Los Angeles Lakers. In the chat, he revealed what was the focus Bryant worked with every day that took him to the top of the NBA.
“He was alien-like. When he was 18, he used to be in the locker room dribbling and shooting without the ball for hours. And then you see him practice the same move on the court. Like, he was obsessed with being the best ever. I was obsessed with being the most dominant, he was obsessed with being the best ever, and sometimes you sacrificed a lot of things, and he did. All he did was work out.“, stated Shaq.
Likewise, Shaquille shared that, with his peculiar leadership style, he tried to motivate Kobe Bryant even more to increase his level on the court. He certainly succeeded, as KB-24 even surpassed him in NBA championship rings with 5 wins, all of them for the Lakers.
“And I knew all he did was work out, so I used to push his buttons all the time, because I knew what I was going to give you. So if I know I could have somebody else that can give similar and more, I was definitely going to win. So, I was always the guy that presses buttons. The audience thought that it was a personal thing, we hated each other, but no, it was me and my leadership style and what I chose to do to get him to perform at a higher level.“, O’Neal confessed.