Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s fractured relationship may have cost the Lakers a few titles in the early 2000s, but the two weren’t always at odds with one another. The big man once revealed that even as a teenager, Bryant had his entire NBA career planned out. And as time went on, he achieved every single thing he wanted to.
Advertisement
In his 2011 memoir ‘Shaq: Uncut’, the 4x NBA champion revealed that soon after joining the Lakers, the two became fast friends. Bryant, only 18 at the time, was termed “immature” by the big fella, but even as a teenager, Kobe had complete faith and confidence in his abilities.
While writing his book, Shaq realized that everything Kobe had laid out to him as his plan was turning out to be true in real time. The Mamba had revealed to the center how he wanted to lead the Lakers in scoring, win 5-6 championships with the team, and most importantly, be termed as the best player in the world during his tenure in the league.
“He was so young and so immature in some ways, but I can tell you this: everything Kobe is doing now, he told me all the way back then he was going to do it. We were sitting on the bus once and he told me, ‘I’m going to be the number one scorer for the Lakers, I’m going to win five or six championships, and I’m going to be the best player in the game.’”
Shaq remembered laughing it off as he felt it was just another big-mouth teenager who had lofty aspirations.
“I was like, ‘Okay, whatever.’ Then he looked me right in the eye and said, ‘I’m going to be the Will Smith of the NBA.’”
The Will Smith comparison probably didn’t age well. Smith is a celebrated and critically-acclaimed actor, but he often gets disregarded in conversations about the best actor of all time. The Oscar-winner’s large filmography consists of all kinds of films, but most of them have garnered him more commercial appeal than critical success.
However, Will Smith was probably the most popular Black actor in America in the late 90s because of his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired from 1990 to 1996. So Kobe’s Will Smith comparison makes sense because he made it around that time.
But unlike Smith, Kobe would conclude his career on a high note.
Shaq’s Final Challenge for Kobe
During Bryant’s final season, when he appeared on Inside the NBA for a post-game interview, he and Shaq talked about his upcoming final game. Shaq said, “A lot of us are gonna be there. Can you promise me one thing? I need 50 that night. Your last home game at the Staples. Can you give me 50?”
Kobe laughed at him and replied, “No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not man.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Kobe’s last game is a core memory for every basketball fan, no matter their age. In front of a sold-out crowd at the then Staples Center, Kobe led the Lakers past the Utah Jazz with a stunning 60-point game. He displayed flashes of the vintage Mamba, and after the game, famously said, “What can I say? Mamba Out.”
Shaq later revealed that he and Bryant spoke courtside just before tipoff, and the big fella reminded him of their agreement. That time, however, Kobe turned to him and told him that he’d try.
“So when I walk into the arena and I was like, ‘Hey remember our bet, you need 50.’ And he turned around with the look like he usually does, and says, ‘Alright I’ll go for it.’ At first, I was like ‘Ah he might not do it.’ But then it got to 37, then 45 and then 57.”
Kobe’s untimely passing in 2020 still haunts the basketball world to this day, and for Shaq, the loss of a man he often called his ‘little brother’ affected him deeply.
