“Just him taking the time to talk to my kids…even though I was a great player, I’m not my kids’ favorite player. For Kobe to take the time to text my babies, check upon them. It was special.” Shaquille O’Neal once revealed how his former teammate would reach out to his kids and forge a bond beyond the court. Even today, the bond is strong, as Shaq’s youngest shared a photo celebrating the legacy of Black Mamba.

Shaqir O’Neal added the iconic photo of Kobe Bryant with the championship trophy in 2001, where the Lakers’ legend sat in a shower stall with the trophy. The series against the 76ers took place in his hometown, spanning five games.. Bryant did his best on the court and averaged 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Remembering that moment, Shaqir added Purple and Yellow emojis “💜💛” to honor his ‘uncle’. And he is not the only kid from Shaquille O’Neal’s household to share that bond.

The 4x NBA Champion’s other son once shared a screenshot of Kobe Bryant’s message which was sent on the day when he tragically passed away. “Literally this morning you reached out to me. I love you forever unc.” Shareef O’Neal added this message with the screenshot of Kobe’s message, which read, “You good fam?” The 25-year-old replied, “Yeah! Just been getting this work in trying to figure out my next move,” adding, “How you been“? Which turned out to be the last message between the two.

Shaquille O’Neal also shared the biggest regret he had when Kobe passed away. “I know he’s going to be remembered and all that stuff but I just wish he was here. I just wish I could say something to him.” Even though the two had a fallout during their time with the Lakers, it never diminished their respect for each other. This could be traced back to when the Big Aristotle took a young Kobe under his wing.

Shaquille O’Neal and his mentorship duty with the Lakers legend

During his NBA career, Shaq had multiple superstars alongside him, including Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. Last year, on The Draymond Green Show, the 4x NBA champion had to rank those three players. Hesitant at first, Shaq would later put his Lakers teammate at the number one spot and explain what set him apart from others.

“Kobe #1, he had the master killer mentality and I like to say I helped him get that.” Further, Shaquille O’Neal also shed light that he would doubt Bryant’s ability which would “drive him crazy.” However, this was the tactic of testing Black Mamba’s mentality as he practiced multiple hours in the gym to prove Shaq wrong. “He (Kobe) did that just so he could shut me the f-ck up.”

The duo might have ended the partnership on the court on a bad note, but later on would only make that bond stronger. That is why the O’Neal kids still proudly remember their uncle.