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Lakers Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant celebrate after defeating the 76ers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Philadelphia Wednesday June 13, 2001. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Lakers Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant celebrate after defeating the 76ers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Philadelphia Wednesday June 13, 2001. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
NBA legends Shaquille O?Neal and the late Kobe Bryant were one of the best duos ever. However, things were not completely smooth between the superstars during their time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite this, the duo went on to win three straight titles, a feat even all-time greats Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Showtime Lakers?could not achieve. We could only imagine how things could have been, had Kobe and Shaq had a good relationship.
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The feud continued even after O’Neal left the Lakers for the Miami Heat. However, later on after some years, the duo mended things with each other. When Kobe tragically passed away in a helicopter crash, Shaq shared a very emotional message. He also admitted multiple times that he wishes he talked with Kobe every now and then.
Recently, the former MVP made an appearance for the AB Talks show during his visit to Abu Dhabi as an ambassador of the NBA for the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022. During the show, The Big Diesel?answered a variety of questions. In one instance, the host asked, ?If you could send an email to Kobe, what would you write??
Shaquille O?Neal on what e-mail he’d send Kobe
Shaquille O’Neal gave a very simple answer to the question. Shaq replied, “What’s up?”?He added, “Lot of times we have a lot going on, and we forget the simplest things.”?O’Neal admitted he should have tried to communicate more with Kobe Bryant. He also noted the same thing happened with his sister Ayesha. The four-time champion added he is trying to be better at communicating with his loved ones.
“Because once they are gone, they are gone forever,” Shaq concluded.
When O’Neal joined the Lakers from the Orlando Magic, he was already a superstar in the league. Despite being very young, he led the Magic to the finals. The Lakers signed him for one of the biggest deals at the time. In the same year, they traded for Kobe Bryant on draft night from the Charlotte Hornets. He came into the league straight from high school.
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The Lakers were already a good team, so the rookie had to bide his time to become a starter. But he didn’t back down from the challenge and dedicated his time to be better. Soon he became one of the best young stars in the league. Despite their beef, Shaq and Kobe helped the Lakers win three straight titles from 2000 to 2003.
