On February 8th, the Los Angeles Lakers will immortalize Kobe Bryant with a statue outside the team’s home arena before their game against the Denver Nuggets. The five-time NBA champion will become the sixth former Laker after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West to earn the honor. While discussing the importance of this event and Bryant’s career on the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal and his TNT crew honored the late Black Mamba.
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Bryant’s former teammate Shaq, who is the last player that the franchise honored with a statue, paid homage to his former teammate and weighed in on the ‘Greatest Laker’ debate. He said,
“[The statue] is well-deserved. Much debate whether it’s him or Magic who’s the greatest Lakers player. I’m honored to have played with him. I’m glad to have helped him win and I’m glad he helped me win those championships. But this is a no-brainer. You got to have a Magic Johnson statue, a Shaq statue, a Kobe statue. I’m happy for him.”
While O’Neal touched upon who the greatest Laker is, he refused to answer it. He believes that comparison is the thief of joy. Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson were responsible for 10 of the 17 championships the franchise has won. They both spent their entire careers with the team and gave it their all to win silverware. Pitting them against each other and suggesting one was better than the other is unfair.
Bryant, Johnson, and O’Neal deserved to have their jerseys retired and have a statue outside the Lakers’ home. The franchise should be credited for bestowing those honors on them.
Shaquille O’Neal’s biggest regret
Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t let any opportunity to say great things about Kobe Bryant slide. Crediting Mamba’s ability to score on demand, the former big man once lauded Bryant citing an incident when he demanded from him a 40-point piece. It stems from his guilt from never getting the chance to say goodbye to his former teammate before his untimely passing in 2020.
During an appearance on the ‘Impaulsive podcast’, co-host George Janko sought O’Neal’s advice about dealing with his father after an argument. The four-time NBA champion promptly cut him off and said,
“When you leave [the studio today], just call [your dad] and tell him you love him. Doesn’t matter who’s right who’s wrong. ‘Dad, I love you. I respect you. I’ll see you when I get home.”
O’Neal explained that he procrastinated calling Bryant and regretted it after his sudden demise in a helicopter accident. He revealed he had a similar experience with his sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex. She was battling cancer and had previously beaten it twice, giving O’Neal faith that she would do it again.
However, she suddenly passed away in 2019, and O’Neal regrets not calling her and checking up on her frequently before her demise. Those two tragic experiences have changed the former Center. He proactively checks up on people closest to him to avoid experiencing the same pain for the third time in his life.
