Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were superstar teammates at Los Angeles Lakers and won a three-peat together. And then, despite the potency of their pairing, parted ways in an unceremonious manner. The Lakers moved Shaq to Miami after the stars had their falling out. The primary issue was regarding who was the star of the team.
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The battle of two egos to be the #1 option was too much for the organization to handle. Both of them had established in each other’s individual capacities that they could lead the team. And it came to a point where their egos boiled over and the duo couldn’t settle their differences.
And in a manner of jest, one can speculate whether Halle Berry was also one of the reasons that created tension between the duo even after their separation. Video footage of Halle Berry eyeing Kobe Bryant during a Laker game went viral. Shaq would not have been best pleased, considering his publicly confessed crush on Halle Berry.
Halle Berry was courtside at a Laker game when she was caught checking Kobe out.
The Los Angeles Lakers were hosting the Dallas Mavericks in 2005 when the incident took place. While Shaq was in Miami by then, the apple of his eye was eyeing his old running mate in Los Angeles.
Berry was one of the biggest female stars in Hollywood and having the biggest of stars courtside is a typical Laker tradition. It was on one such instance that the former Bond Girl was caught with her eyes straying the Mamba way.
Kobe Bryant is widely considered “your favorite player’s favorite player”. And it seems he was also the favorite baller of some Hollywood superstars. This wasn’t the only instance of Berry’s presence at Lakerland either. A previously recorded attendance got Shaquille O’Neal stuttering for words and eyeing Berry instead.
Shaq even said Halle Berry’s presence even led to him making free throws.
The big man was renowned for his poor shooting record from the line. But with the right inspiration, it seems he could mend his ways.
If this was revealed to the Laker brass earlier, season-long courtside seats for Berry may have been considered as a strategic division. O’Neal’s crush on Berry was certainly something.
In Superman’s own words, “My heart started fluttering, I get nervous, I call a time out. Coach said, ‘What are you doing?! I said, ‘Shut up, Halle Berry is here to watch me. Nobody shoots, make sure I get the ball. And guess what, I actually made the free throw. I made the free throw, I was looking at Halle like [winks].”
Berry may have grabbed Shaq’s eye, but the Hollywood star certainly had her eyes elsewhere. Bryant may have overtaken the Big Diesel in rings, but this may just have hurt O’Neal more.
