Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal came together after Shareef O’Neal got the 2009 All-Star MVP trophy 

The feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal seemed irreconcilable until the former pulled off a gesture that melted Shaq’s heart.

When two people fight, it is usually due to misdirected anger or disagreements. For Shaq and Kobe, it was a lot deeper than that. Standing in the pantheon of NBA greats, the two were all set to usher in a new era of dominance.

Despite the stars aligning and everything seemingly working out in their favor, including a three-peat, the relationship crumbled. The dominance was short-lived.

What could have been perhaps the greatest duo to exist, split up fairly quickly. They are still considered one of the greatest duos of all time but their ceiling was far higher than a single three-peat run.

Clashing egos, disagreements with one another, issues with coaches, etc; the problems were piling up. And eventually, it toppled.

The two did not speak to each other for years until they met on the court as teammates during the 2009 All-Star game. Reporter Carl Sager ushered in the two and they seemed fairly happy with each other.

Also read: 315lb Shaquille O’Neal calls fans ‘crazy’ in ‘Kobe Bryant vs Wilt Chamberlian’ GOAT Lakers debate

Kobe gave his 2009 NBA All Star MVP trophy to Shareef, changed everything between him & Shaq after that.pic.twitter.com/zcUmMX70zJ https://t.co/mUtYhwOD7W

— L.A.B (@laughsNball) July 18, 2022

Kobe Bryant gives Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef O’Neal the 2009 All-Star MVP award

Throughout the game, both players were in good spirits with each other. They won the co-MVP award for the game. And at the end of the night, Kobe made a gesture that changed Shaq’s perspective.

During their interview on ESPN, the Big Diesel revealed that once Kobe gave the award and asked him to take it home so that he can give it to Shareef, Shaq was hit with a big realization.

At that moment, he realized that he was an A**hole to Kobe. It changed his perspective on their relationship and the fact that forgiveness can salvage relationships came to the fore.

Since then the two had been quite close, Bryant used to check up on Shareef during his heart surgery and O’Neal was visibly distraught when the Lakers legend passed away unexpectedly.

One thing they have taught us is that one can forgive and forget, it is important to cherish your loved ones.

Also read: Kobe Bryant checked up on 6′ 10″ Shareef O’Neal, Shaquille O’Neal’s son every day after his heart surgery