Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were teammates during The Big Aristotle’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. Their duo would probably go down as one of the greatest in NBA history for they won three titles back to back. However, their time as teammates was nothing but tumultuous. Their on-court chemistry was undeniably one of the best. The two, however, struggled to understand their roles and personalities. Both wanted to be leaders, and both wanted to take the onus. This desire led to constant clashes between the two Hall of Famers. In his docuseries, Shaq recalled an instance that eats him up to date.

After winning three NBA titles, the feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal intensified. During a practice session, Shaq commented on Kobe Bryant’s game and gave him a suggestion. Shaq said, “(Bryant) should probably look to be more of a passer until he gets his legs strong.” This suggestion didn’t sit well with Bryant, as he stated that he didn’t need advice from Shaq. This led to a feud between the two. Shaq retaliated and stated that the Lakers were his team. He said, “If you don’t like it, then you can opt out next year.”  Following this, Kobe Bryant gave an interview with ESPN and continued the verbal attack.

The 2003-04 feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal

During the interview, the five-time champion was asked about Big Aristotle’s comments. Bryant stated that it didn’t matter to him or anyone else as to whose team it was. However, if Shaq was claiming the Lakers to be his team, then Bryant had a suggestion to make. Bryant stated that Shaq should change his ways of being a leader.

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He said, “That means no more coming into camp fat and out of shape when your team is relying on your leadership on and off the court.” He also called for Shaq to stop playing the blame game.

During this period, Kobe Bryant was also dealing with a court case. In light of the case, Bryant was asked if Shaq had reached out to him. Bryant blatantly declared that Shaq was not his big brother because he didn’t behave like one. The late Lakers legend claimed that he received no phone calls from the four-time NBA Champion.

He said, “Shaq’s own uncle called me. Uncle Jerome called and left me a message 3 times, but yet nothing at all from my so-called big brother.”

Despite this brewing feud, the Los Angeles Lakers reached the NBA Finals for the fourth time in a row that season. However, they lost to the Detroit Pistons in game 5. Following this, Shaquille O’Neal requested a trade to the Miami Heat.

In his docuseries, Shaquille O’Neal refused to talk about the feud. His face dropped into a somber expression during the discussion of this topic. However, previously he has mentioned that the two managed to fix their cold relationship and became good friends.

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What is your favorite Shaq-Kobe moment? Let us know in the comments below.