“Kobe is like MJ… Shaq was like Magic” - Byron Scott compares Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's leadership styles, says Shaq was always uplifting his teammates
The duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest pairings in the history of the NBA. They won three championships together with the LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002. Shaq and Kobe complimented each other's game, but are complete opposites off the court.
In the latest episode of The Ringer's "Icons Club," the dynamic between Shaq and Kobe was revisited. Former Lakers teammate Byron Scott talked about the duo's leadership skills and compared them to a couple of legends. Scott compared Kobe to Michael Jordan and Shaq to Magic Johnson.
"When I compare Kobe and Shaq's leadership skills, I look at Kobe as like MJ," Scott said. "Michael Jordan, he was that tough leader, jumping on his teammates, calling them out, cussing them out, beating them up in practice.
"Shaq was like Magic, leadership role, because Magic was the guy who was always encouraging. 'Come on. You got this.' He was always uplifting his teammates."
Shaq and Kobe were arguably the best one-two punch ever—two of the NBA’s most compelling players and the ultimate contrast in styles.
This is #IconsClub with Jackie MacMullan: open.spotify.com/episode/2lWmaE…
O'Neal and Bryant produced great magic and chemistry on the court. They played together for eight seasons. Shaq is the dominant center, while Kobe is the lethal scorer who can take over games.
However, the former teammates were very different off the court. Shaq is known for his goofy and happy personality, while Kobe is a very serious person with a legendary work ethic. The two feuded after Shaq was traded in 2004 and patched things up in 2013. They even had a special "Players Only" episode on NBA TV.
“We were the most dominant one-two punch in the game.”
Catch Players Only: Shaq & Kobe at 7pm ET on NBA TV. https://t.co/VRkR3UDJrE
Shaquille O'Neal remembers Kobe Bryant two years after his tragic death
Kobe Bryant; his daughter, Gianna: and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. On the second anniversary of their deaths, Shaquille O'Neal remembered his former teammate in an interview with Brooke Thomas of FOX11.
O'Neal revealed that he has a picture of him and Kobe as two old people in his house. The four-time NBA champion misses his friend and wishes he was still alive.
"This is a picture I always imagined," O'Neal said. "Someone did a mockup of 70-year-old Kobe and 75-year-old me. And I actually had it blown up and l have that picture in my house and I look at it every day. If I had one wish, I wish that he was still here and we could possibly have that moment."
In addition to Kobe's death, Shaq was still grieving three months earlier after his sister, Ayesha, lost her battle to cancer. The deaths of two people he loved plus the pandemic took a toll on the big man. He ballooned to more than 400 pounds before getting back into shape this year before turning 50 on March 6.