The notorious Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal feud seems like a lifetime ago, but over the years has developed a mythos that rivals the Hatfields and McCoys. We’ll never know exactly what transpired between them during their time in Lakerland, but it’s generally understood that it primarily had to do with squabbles over alpha dog status and eventually resulted in the dissolution of a new Lakers dynasty that probably could have won a couple of more championships had they stayed together.
And when Shaq finally skipped town and joined the Miami Heat, it didn’t stop there. In many ways, it got even uglier. Shaq has since blamed Kobe for ruining his marriage after Kobe apparently told investigators during his alleged rape investigation that Shaq was in the habit of compensating women (supposedly in excess of $1 million all told) to maintain their silence about his extramarital dalliances.
And who can forget Shaq’s infamous “Tell me how my a$$ tastes” rap following Kobe and the Lakers’ loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 Finals? But their relationship has grown increasingly cordial over the years as they’ve gotten older. So amicable, in fact, that the two sat down to discuss it together publicly for the first time on an episode of Shaq’s new podcast, naturally titled “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” that will air this coming Monday.
Kobe, in particular, seemed eager to express his regret over the follies of his youth. Via Serena Winters of Lakers Nation:
“Here’s the thing though, when you say it at the time you actually mean it and then when you get older you have more perspective and you’re like holy s—t, I was an idiot when I was a kid. To me, the most important thing was really just keep your mouth shut. You don’t need to go to the press with stuff. You keep it internal and we have our arguments and our disagreements, but I think having our debates within the press was something I wish would’ve been avoided, but it did kind of create this whirlwind around us as a team with myself and Shaq and the press and the media that just put so much pressure on us as an organization.”
Shaq, likewise, wasn’t without a certain level of remorse.
“A lot of things, you just played the clip where I said I wanted to be traded. I definitely did not want to leave L.A., but you know that’s how you’ve got to talk when you’re in business, especially when you think you’re in control. Definitely didn’t want to leave L.A. A lot of stuff was said out of the heat of the moment. I guarantee I don’t remember a lot of stuff that they said because I changed my thought process of, you know what we won three out of four, what the hell are you all talking about, this is not really even a story.”
Ego and obstinance are a volatile combination, especially when you throw immaturity into the mix. It’s lovely that the two have seemingly moved past their differences, but at the same time it must be maddening to both them and Lakers fans everywhere to wonder how much more they could’ve accomplished.
(via Lakers Nation; h/t B/R)
