“When you’ve got 2 alpha males inside a corporation it’s gonna be some arguments” - Shaquille O'Neal says him and Kobe Bryant always respected each other, says their first title is his favorite NBA memory
Shaquille O'Neal and bryant' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kobe Bryant formed one of the most dangerous duos in NBA history, leading the lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LA Lakers to a three-peat as champions.
Some have called Kobe and Shaq the most dominant duo the game has ever seen. O'Neal was one of the league's most athletic marvels, as his size and pure power could dominate opponents with relative ease. At the same time, Bryant became a star with his ability to take over a game
Although Kobe and Shaq were two of the league's best, their time as teammates ran out after tension developed. On the "The Project" podcast, O'Neal was asked about his favorite basketball memory. Without hesitation, O'Neal talked about Bryant, saying that despite their "harsh words," the respect between the two was always mutual.
"When everybody thought Kobe and I hated each other, my first championship, 30,000 people in the arena, 700 people on the floor and nobody is touching me but him. Like, he just finds me somehow, and he jumps in my arm. You've got to understand that when you've got two alpha males inside a corporation, it's gonna be some arguments.
"So me and Kobe had some harsh words, but the respect was there. People always, they try to, 'Well, well, well.' There's no well. If I had to do it all over again, I do the same thing. As a leader, I know what type of guy he was, so I was the one that push his buttons."
Shaquille O'Neal talks about memories of playing with Kobe Bryant
It didn't take long to realize just how truly dominant the combination of O'Neal and Kobe Bryant was. Teams simply had to pick their poison when going up against the LA Lakers.
If they did everything in their power to slow down O'Neal, that's when Kobe would take over. If they tried to zero in on stopping the superstar shooting guard, then that's when O'Neal would dominate inside.
Although the dynamic duo eventually split up, they left an impact on the history of the game.
Kobe & Shaq were as dominant as it gets 🏆 🏆 🏆 https://t.co/6wSKLH77cV
O'Neal was eventually traded to the Miami Heat, where he would go on to win another championship (2006) alongside rising star Dwyane Wade.
Bryant, meanwhile, continued to have success with the Lakers, winning an additional two championships (2009 and 2010) with the organization. He stayed with the Lakers for his entire 20-year career.