The Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal duo was one of the best things that fans ever saw in the NBA. They won three consecutive NBA championships and ruled the league for several seasons. But the duo soon broke up due to their clashing egos.
Both Kobe and Shaq were alpha players. It was difficult for them to coexist as an NBA team can’t flourish with two of its best players clashing with each other from time to time. One example was the 1998-99 lockout year.
Although the season came to a halt, players still continued to play pickup games to keep themselves in shape. During such a game, Kobe and Shaq locked horns and things escalated.
Former ESPN and SI writer Jeff Pearlman shared this story on a podcast. According to Pearlman, the conversation went like this:
*Shaq calls foul*
Kobe: “Will you stop being a b****.”
Shaq: “I know you are not talking to me, you know I can get you traded to Vancouver in a second.”
Shaq and Kobe getting into it at a pickup run in ‘99.
Shaq calls foul*
Kobe: “Will you stop being a b****.”
Shaq: “I know you are not talking to me, you know I can get you traded to Vancouver in a second.”https://t.co/ekTNNVQsCw pic.twitter.com/Q8a2LHEcJW
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) September 17, 2020
Apparently, after this conversation a fight broke out between the two stars and many players had to step in to stop it from turning into a brawl.
This was before the dynamic duo won any championships together. Following this altercation between them, they must have found common ground as they dominated the league for the next three years.
Ironically, it was Shaq who was traded in 2004, after spending eight years with the franchise. He went on to join the Miami Heat, while the Lakers decided to put their trust in Kobe.
After going their separate ways, O’Neal won an NBA championship alongside Dwyane Wade in 2006. On the other hand, it took Kobe until 2009 to win his next title. He won back-to-back titles and established himself as one of the best players to ever play in the NBA.
While the two had their differences, they reconciled later on and were at least on talking terms. When Kobe passed away in 2020, it took a lot of toll on Shaq as he shared many stories about his former teammate.
If the two players solved their differences earlier, they might have won a few more rings together while donning the purple and gold jersey.
