Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are among the greatest tandems in NBA history. However, despite winning three straight titles together, the duo didn’t see eye-to-eye. The animosity eventually led to the Lakers splitting them up in 2004. While the distance didn’t subside their disdain, Bryant acknowledged that without O’Neal’s heroics, he wouldn’t have won three titles.
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In a 2015 interview with GQ, the guard said that labeling the center ‘lazy’ would be unfair as he wasn’t always lethargic. He admitted that there were times when the Hall of Famer did not want to put the work in. However, he noted that during their three-peat, he was a cut above the rest of the league. Bryant said,
“He had years where he was lazy. But during those three championships we won? To say he was a beast would be an understatement. To say I didn’t learn things from him that I still use to this day would be a disservice.”
Between 1999 and 2002, O’Neal averaged 28.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 57.5% from the field in the regular season. He took his game up a notch in the playing, recording 29.9 points, and 14.5 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field. He saved his best for the NBA Finals, where he put up 35.9 points, and 15.2 rebounds on average while shooting 59.5% from the field.
The center’s otherworldly stats justify Bryant’s claim. The guard also acknowledged that he wasn’t aware of the damage playing basketball for decades does to the body, especially to a player who was 7-foot-1 and weighed nearly 350 pounds. After experiencing the wear and tear himself, he empathized with O’Neal’s unwillingness to work harder during the Lakers’ three-peat. He said,
“For him, with his big toe and his knee, it became very hard for him to get up in the morning and push through those things.”
However, back in the day, Bryant attributed O’Neal’s lethargy to his mindset, which he chastised him for.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s beef ended the dynasty they created
After the Lakers clinched their first title of the three-peat, Bryant worked hard in the offseason to improve and prepare to chase another title. On the contrary, O’Neal spent the offseason having the time of his life. The center came to the team’s first practice out of shape, which left the guard and head coach Phil Jackson incensed.
The results on the court weren’t affected, but the animosity between Bryant and O’Neal continued to grow. They avoided letting their issues come in the way on the court, but when their success finally dried up in 2003, their beef boiled over.
The 2003-04 campaign was arduous for the Lakers, with their two stars no longer seeing eye-to-eye and Bryant facing serious legal troubles, which affected his performance. Despite the issues, they made it to the NBA Finals but surprisingly lost to the Pistons.
In the offseason, Bryant gave LA the choice of retaining him or O’Neal. The franchise opted to keep hold of the young guard and traded O’Neal to the Heat. Two years later, the center helped his new team win a championship, prompting many to question whether the Lakers made the right call.
But the guard led the team to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 and repaid the faith the franchise showed in him in 2004. Two years after Bryant’s retirement, he and O’Neal did a one-on-one interview and the two quashed their beef.
They talked about their long-running feud and admitted that both of them acted childishly at a time when they should have focused on dominating the league together. While they could’ve won more championships together, they’ll be glad they won three before their ego caused their divorce.
