Despite ‘Begrudgingly’ Respecting Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal Once Cringed at Iconic Moniker: “Mamba With Odd Earnestness”

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, during their time together at the Los Angeles Lakers, had a marvelous tenure. The two went on to win a three-peat and form a dominant tandem. However, their on-court chemistry never translated into much of it due to their feud. Their feud began when they became teammates. However, over time, this feud subsided and Shaq grew to have respect for the ‘Black Mamba’.

However, the moniker ‘Black Mamba’ was rather cringe-worthy for Shaq when he came to know of its origin. In the book The Three Ring Circus by Jeff Pearlman, the author claimed how Kobe coining his own nickname was a show of odd earnestness. To this, Shaq couldn’t help but agree.

Shaquille O’Neal cringed at Kobe Bryant coining his own moniker ‘The Black Mamba’

The nickname ‘Black Mamba’ grew in prominence in 2003 after Kobe was charged with allegations of sexual assault. Kobe wanted to bring in a new persona, or rather an alter ego inspired by Kill Bill. Speaking to the New Yorker in a 2014 interview, Kobe revealed the real reason behind choosing his own nickname. He said,

“The name [Kobe Bryant] just evokes such a negative emotion,” Bryant told the magazine. “I said, ‘If I create this alter ego, so now when I play this is what’s coming out of your mouth, it separates the personal stuff, right?’ You’re not watching David Banner – you’re watching the Hulk.”

In another interview with Ahmad Rashad in 2015, Kobe further added about the animal that inspired him for this nickname.

“When I step on that court, I become that. I am that killer snake. I’m stone cold, man.”

In conversation with Shaq, Jeff Pearlman told Shaq how he found this very amusing. This is well summed up in his book The Three Rings. Shaq very well agreed with Pearlman on his opinion on Kobe’s nickname.

“When I mentioned how Bryant had coined his own nickname (“Black Mamba”) and referred to himself as ‘Mamba’ with odd earnestness, O’Neal grimaced. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘you understand what I had to deal with.'”

Despite having a feud throughout their playing years, it seemed to have subsided by the time Kobe retired. As Pearlman noted, Shaq seemed to ‘begrudgingly’ respect Kobe during the final years of his career. However, Kobe’s untimely death on 26 January 2020, did have a profound impact on the former Lakers center.

Shaq felt profound remorse after Kobe Bryant’s death

Kobe Bryant’s death shocked everyone in the NBA community. Just like everyone, Shaq felt extreme remorse after knowing his former teammate was no more alive. He cried and lamented as he would not be able to joke or banter around with Bryant about the number of titles they had won. He still wished he could go back in time, sit with him, and laugh about the good times that they had. As per a CNN report, Shaq said,

“I wish I could say something to him again.”

O’Neal realized how Bryant’s death made him reflect more on reaching out to his loved ones. For Shaq, Kobe will always be the greatest Laker and the greatest player in basketball.