Unable To Stop Shaquille O’Neal’s $101,000,000 Lakers Departure, Kobe Bryant Admitted In 2015 Regretting Not Talking To Him Before ‘Things Went South’

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are often regarded as the best one-two punch in NBA history. Having dominated the league for almost eight seasons, the Kobe-Shaq duo led the Los Angeles Lakers to three title wins. Despite their greatness on the hardwood, however, the two legends of the game weren’t always on the same page. By the time their stint as teammates came to an end, both superstars indulged in a full-fledged beef with each other. However, as Kobe once admitted, he regretted not talking to O’Neal before they parted ways in 2004, signing a $101,000,000 contract with the Miami Heat.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were two of the most intense personalities in the league during their playing days. Taking extreme pride in their work, both players thought highly of themselves. Having big egos, both players wanted to be the main guy for the Purple & Gold. With both players acting like ‘alpha males’, they would often get into heated arguments and fistfights, and exchanging profanities also became a common occurrence. Eventually, things got so out of hand that the Big Aristotle believed it was best to part ways with the California side.

Kobe Bryant wished to handle the Shaquille O’Neal issue better

During the final season of Kobe’s illustrious career, the Lakers Guard sat down for an interview with Ernie Johnson, covered by Harrison Faigen of SB Nation. Talking about some iconic moments from his career, Bryant spoke about a wide range of topics.

At one point in the interview, Kobe was asked to reveal the one instance that he’d wish to do over. Surprisingly, the 2008 MVP disclosed that maintaining a better relationship with Shaq was something he’d want to do. Confession that the beef with O’Neal reached its end, Kobe mentioned how he’d love to fix his bond with the big man before “things went south”.

“If I had a do-over, I think, I would take more of a leadership role in talking to Shaq. Earlier, before things went south.”

It does make sense. Shaq was still very much in the prime of his career when he departed from Los Angeles in 2004. If the duo didn’t stain their relationship, the Lakers could very well continue to dominate the league for a longer time. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

The equation between the two did get better eventually. Following Bryant’s retirement, the two hashed out their differences by sitting down for a one-on-one interview and confronting each other about their feud.

The price for Bryant to join Inside the NBA? 60% of the revenue from the show

Most NBA players find a way to stick around the league following their retirement. While a majority of them turn to TV to become analysts, a few of them become announcers. Kobe Bryant was a true student of the game. Having analyzed the nuances of the game for almost 20 years, Kobe would’ve made an excellent analyst.

However, when asked by Ernie Johnson, the Black Mamba jokingly revealed the price for him to join Inside the NBA – 60% of the revenue from the show.

“No. [laughs] I just, I don’t have the patience to do TV. You know what’s crazy to me is you know, looking at Charles, you are looking at a transition of a player from athlete to post. He is certainly a blueprint. He found what he loves to do and what he’s great at… 60% revenue split from the show.”

Kobe dedicated his entire life to basketball. After hanging up his boots, Bryant decided to focus on his other hobbies.