The NBA has always belonged to players bold enough to break rules and chase greatness on their own fearless terms. In the ’80s and ’90s, Michael Jordan’s Bulls dominated every inch of the hardwood. The 2000s belonged to the Lakers’ Kobe obsession and Shaq’s dominance, fueling three-peat runs. Whenever those two names are mentioned together, people remember three rings and one fiery, unforgettable rivalry. However, a former Sacramento Kings player recently revealed a behind-the-scenes story about them that still rings in his ears today.

Shaq and Kobe might’ve won three straight titles together, but their relationship was anything but smooth. They relentlessly fought for control, with Kobe ultimately winning when Shaq was traded to Miami in 2004. Long before the championships or the tension that followed, one 1998-99 lockout pickup game became basketball folklore. And thanks to Olden Polynice, that 27-year-old wild story just came to light, and it’s one for the books.

Olden Polynice recently stopped by Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast. Asked for his wildest Kobe story, he didn’t disappoint. “My ear still rings to this day,” Olden said, “from me getting hit by a damn punch that was meant for Kobe!” For context, this went down during a pickup game in the 1998-99 NBA lockout. A group of Lakers, including Shaq and Kobe, were hooping when the trash talk got way too heated. Things escalated fast, and Polynice stepped in when Shaq cocked a haymaker at Kobe.

“As I’m pushing Kobe out the way, the punch is like BOOM,” Polynice recalled, acting out the shot to his head. That’s a war story you don’t just walk away from or stop hearing. But catching Olden instead didn’t slow Shaq down one bit. Polynice went on to describe how the big man kept coming for Kobe like a runaway train. “So that’s when I grabbed Shaq,” Olden said. “I just grab him, and I’m like, ‘Come on big fella,’ and I’m looking around like, ‘Can somebody help me?’” 

Picture it: a furious, seven-foot, 300-pound Shaq bulldozing through the gym as Polynice clung on. Considering Shaq’s size, strength, and sheer fury in that moment, it’s honestly a miracle the entire gym wasn’t leveled.

Shaquille O’Neal opens up about his biggest career regret involving Kobe Bryant

Shaq’s larger-than-life personality made him one of the NBA’s most dominant forces, but even the Big Diesel carries regrets. And none weigh heavier than the fractured relationship he shared with Kobe Bryant during their prime. In a candid conversation with People, Shaq admitted he let too much time slip by without picking up the phone. “You put off [getting in touch],” he said. “I’ll never get to see Kobe again, in real life, forever.” That one really stings, even for a giant like Shaq.

This duo dominated on the court, powering the Lakers to a three-peat from 2000 to 2002. But behind the scenes? It was a tug-of-war between two alphas who refused to back down. Shaq reflected on their love-hate bond, saying, “Kobe and I pushed one another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time… And, yes, sometimes, like immature kids, we argued, we fought.” Yet, even in their most heated moments, they shared a knowing look, an unspoken pact: “Let’s go whoop some ass.”

What makes this regret even heavier is knowing how their careers and lives could’ve been different had they reconciled sooner. Shaq’s been open about how the petty disagreements, those locker room jabs. And battles for control robbed them of years of possible friendship and on-court dominance. He’s admitted before that he didn’t fully appreciate what they had in those glory days until much later in life. “We wasted too much time not talking,” he once said. Now, with Kobe gone, Shaq carries those what-ifs on his broad shoulders. It’s a tough lesson about pride, timing, and how life doesn’t always give you a second shot.