Recently, Shaquille O’Neal‘s son Shareef O’Neal sat down with Playmaker. The former G-League Ignite star spoke about a variety of topics including his pre-existing heart condition. Another topic of discussion was Kobe Bryant. Almost like an uncle to Shareef, the 23-year-old wore the No.24 in his honor when he played at LSU. And, while speaking about the Black Mamba, he recalled his last conversation with him and his regrets surrounding the same.
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Shaq also regretted how things ended with Kobe. The beef the two of them had was well-known, but once they had both retired, they let bygone be bygones. However, the closeness they shared as former teammates was yet to return. Unfortunately, fate was cruel, and Bryant passed away before it could happen.
Now, in hindsight, Big Diesel wishes he had spent more time with his “little brother”, and maybe even checked in on him more before his untimely passing.
Shareef O’Neal discusses his last chat with Kobe Bryant and the regrets he has about it
Growing up, the son of Shaquille O’Neal, Shareef was surrounded by great players. One of his role models, was undeniably, his father’s greatest teammate, Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba was an exceptional player and one that Shareef paid homage to and continues to pay homage to with his jersey numbers.
Wearing the No.24 in college, and recently, No.8 with the Ignite, Kobe greatly influenced Shareef. In fact, the forward recently spoke about Kobe’s impact, in an interview with Playmaker. In particular, he spoke about how Bryant’s passing affected him and even shared his thoughts on the last conversation they had.
He recalled how the five-time NBA Champion responded to a picture of him on Instagram at around 8:00 in the morning. Unfortunately, and much to his regret, he was asleep at the time. He woke up about two hours later and responded. But, the Mamba never saw the text, and at the time, little did Shareef know it would be the last chat he ever had with his “unc”.
“I always look at that Instagram message, but he never got to read it. It’s just crazy that I got that message before…but I’m also kind of mad at myself that I slept in that day. I feel like that kind of sticks with me too, because if I woke up a few hours earlier, I could have answered and he could have probably said something back. Like I sent the last message and he didn’t get to see it…so that kind of sticks with me.”
To this day, Shareef still thinks about that conversation. It clearly is something that weighs on his mind. Nevertheless, he continues to move forward and hopes to live up to the expectations he has set for himself. All while Kobe watches from up above.
Shaquille O’Neal lost his composure upon learning of Kobe’s passing
Shaquille O’Neal was devastated to learn about Kobe Bryant’s passing. On the day, Shaq was working out with his son Shaqir and his nephew Columbus, when he heard the news. His other nephew came in crying and showed him. As expected, The Big Aristotle was having none of it, lost his composure, and lashed out.
However, once he realized it was true, he broke down, and all that he could think about was how he wished he’d spoken to his “little brother” a bit more.
It truly was a huge blow. Not just to Shaq, but to the world of basketball. Kobe Bean Bryant was an idol and a hero to millions, and his death affected them all. Nevertheless, he will always be remembered and cherished, both as a legend of the game and as an incredible human being.
