Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s fractured relationship may have cost the LA Lakers a few titles in the early 2000s. But they were friends to start with. And Shaq developed an admiration for Kobe too, especially later on, when Mamba matched his ‘teenage boast’ with game-redefining feats on court. Bryant had even said he would become the Will Smith of the NBA as an 18-year-old rookie. Well, Kobe arguably surpassed the Hollywood icon’s stellar stature by the time he finished his career.
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One can understand from where the Smith aspiration came for the young Kobe. Will was one of the popular African American actors in the ’90s after his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired from 1990 to 1996. He was also breaking onto the big screen at the time.
Kobe, who made his NBA debut in 1996, was aspiring to be a star himself, something O’Neal recounted in his 2011 memoir, Shaq: Uncut.
The big man remembered laughing when Kobe spoke to him about his ambitions during their initial days as Lakers teammates. Bryant wanted to become a multiple NBA champion and be named the best player in the world. Shaq felt it was just another big-mouth teenager speaking.
“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.’”
Well, Smith and Kobe both established their legacies in their respective fields.
However, the actor often gets a lesser mention in conversations about the best of all time. In the GOAT of acting conversations so to speak.
The Oscar-winner’s filmography consists of many films across genres. And, most of them have garnered commercial success as well as critical acclaim. That makes us wonder how he misses out on a top mention on Hollywood’s greatest charts.
In Mamba’s case though, there can never be a subjective omission. He did it all and more in the game, becoming a permanent fixture in the NBA GOAT debates.
And, at the time of writing his book, possibly around 2009-10, Shaq realized that the personal plan Kobe shared with him back in 1996, was turning out to be true in real time.
“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’s final challenge for Kobe
In 2016 — Bryant’s final season — when Kobe appeared on Inside the NBA for an interview, he and Shaq talked about the upcoming final game.
Shaq had 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 while replying, “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, generation notwithstanding. In front of a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center, he led the Lakers past the Utah Jazz with a stunning 60-point game.
The vintage Bryant was on full display, and, after the game, he famously said, “What can I say? Mamba Out.”
Shaq had later revealed that he and Bryant spoke courtside just before tipoff. The big fella had reminded him of their agreement. Kobe had promised 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 haunts the basketball world to this day. And for Shaq, the loss of a man he often referred to as a ‘little brother’, affected him deeply.
