Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal might be a globally known athlete, but even he had a celebrity crush during his stint in the NBA, on a woman he has dreamt of marrying and spending his life with. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has always had a dominant presence and personality in a professional setting, be it on the basketball court or the boardroom of a company. However, he is a big softie when it comes to children and arguably a hopeless romantic when someone has his heart. Turns out, a certain actress did capture his attention in his younger years. But while Shaq was crushing hard on her, she was admiring his former teammate Kobe Bryant.

NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s well-publicized rivalry is known to every NBA fan. The two had played alongside each other for the Lakers for several years. However, they were never able to build a relationship outside the basketball court during their successful stint with the LA side.

 Shaquille O’Neal wanted to marry Halle Berry

Yup, you read that right. Shaquille O’Neal is a fan of Halle Berry. But his admiration for Berry is not merely limited to her craft. The Los Angeles Lakers legend had once admittedly dreamed about settling down with the ‘X-Men’ actress and having kids with her. Shaq had been crushing on Berry way before he had even gotten into LSU. Even then he continued to fantasize about a married life together.

“Oh, she’s smiling at me! I’m going to marry her!” I’m picturing my wife and my beautiful house and my fabulous kids and my glamorous cars, and it made me feel better. I never stopped dreaming,” Shaq once wrote in his autobiography.

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According to ‘Shaq Uncut’, the 4x NBA champion decided to write a letter to Berry after he watched her debut movie ‘Jungle Fever’. The 15x NBA All-Star was probably on cloud nine when Berry wrote him back. Berry also sent a signed picture that Shaq still has to this date. The popular actress was a basketball fan and she had written that she was a big fan of Shaq and was eagerly waiting for his NBA Draft selection.

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“I finally got to meet her in person in 1999. I told her, ‘You know, I wrote to you when I was in college.’ She said, ‘I remember, I told you that you’d be in the NBA!’ Halle Berry is a beautiful person—both inside and out. Sometimes I still can’t believe she knows who I am,” Shaq recounted.

However, despite Shaq’s wishes, the stunning actress once decided to shower her admiration on another Lakers legend.

Halle Berry once checked out Kobe Bryant

It was in 2005 and Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers were playing against the Dallas Mavericks. Being a Lakers fan herself, Halle Berry attended the game. Little did she know that a not-so-subtle look from her would immediately go viral. The video that captured the moment showed the Black Mamba discussing something with one of the basketball officials.

Berry was sitting on the courtside right in front of Bryant. While Kobe was indulged in a brief discussion, Berry chose that moment to give the 5x NBA champion a once-over look.

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Shortly after, Berry was briefly interviewed and she said that Kobe and Caron Butler were her favorite players.