It’s not a secret that the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant feud was something big during the 2000s and every now and then we learn more about their back and forth during the time they spent together in Los Angeles.
One of their former teammates, Isaiah Rider, has told a story about the time O’Neal offered him money to ‘get into it’ with Kobe. He joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson in a remote episode of All The Smoke podcast, revealing another bizarre story involving O’Neal and the Black Mamba.
Shaq reportedly had created a secret code to prevent the ball from going to Kobe’s hands, but this is something that goes beyond that. He knew he couldn’t get into a physical altercation with Kobe and decided to find a different way. According to Rider, he was willing to pay good money to get that job done.
J.R. Rider telling the story of joining the Lakers and Shaq letting him know he has $10,000 cash if Rider fought Kobe is absolutely hilarious. Better though is Jackson's response. (h/t All the Smoke) pic.twitter.com/FBME9Rf5Kp
— Bobby Reagan (@BarstoolReags) April 10, 2020
“When I first get to the Lakers, Shaq tells me, if you and Kobe get into it, it’s 10 G’s in the locker,” Ride said. “This is three days into practice. I’m like, ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.’ ‘There’s 10 G’s in one dollar bills, if you ever get into it and you handle your business, grab that’ I couldn’t believe it, I’m like ‘Man, these boys are crazy, bro.’ But this is my thing, I would’ve been off that team so fast if I laid a hand on that man.”
There are plenty of crazy stories about this feud, but this one is wild. Extremely wild. Imagine at what point that relationship was that Shaq tried to get another man to try to harm his teammate. Fortunately, Bryant and O’Neal cleared things up and had a good relationship.
Kobe passed away last January 26, with Shaq saying he felt he lost ‘a little brother’.
