“Make no mistake, even when folks thought we were on bad terms, when the cameras are turned off, he and I would throw a wink at each other and say let’s go whoop some a–.” That’s Shaquille O’Neal, standing at Kobe Bryant’s memorial, and honestly, it captures them better than any headline ever could. Sure, Shaq and Kobe clashed, who didn’t know that? But beneath all that fire and friction was a bond far deeper than most ever realized. Love, respect, that fierce competitive spirit, they shared it all, not just through their Lakers years, but long before the world was watching.

Shaquille O’Neal entered the league in 1992, rocking the Orlando Magic alongside Penny Hardaway, and that duo was electric. He dropped 28.6 points, grabbed 12 boards, and dished out 2.6 assists per game whenever they hit the floor together. But come 1996, everything changed. Kobe got drafted by the Lakers, and that same summer, Shaq packed his bags for Hollywood. They would not hit the Finals for another four years, but their story? It started way before they ever wore purple and gold.

Shaq sat down on Bailey Jackson’s Off the Record and dropped a story that not many folks have ever heard. He dug into his memory and pulled out a Kobe story, because of course. “So, a young Kobe comes in with the Orlando locker room, wants to meet Penny, but Penny’s too busy. I want to say you blow him off cuz Penny’s not that type of guy, but Kobe’s hurt and distraught. I never knew that,” Shaq said. Fast forward a few years, after a heated argument with Kobe, Shaq recalls Kobe suddenly saying, “Man, I love you.” And Shaq, being Shaq, goes, “Well, you don’t act like you love me.” That’s when Kobe hit him with, “Man, you don’t remember when I came in the locker room and Penny blew me off and I took a picture with you?” And Shaq’s reaction? “That was you?”

It was then that Shaquille O’Neal realized that they had a relationship built on respect, even if the world thought otherwise. “Drama sells… they want to, ‘Oh, they didn’t like each other.’ No, it’s not that,” Shaq explained. They fought, they argued, they drove each other crazy, but brothers do that. “I wouldn’t do nothing,” Shaq said when asked if he’d change anything about their time together. “We won three out of four… not the greatest mathematician, but every time we go to the Finals, we win 75% of the time.”

They would win the championship in 2000, 2001, and 2002 before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 playoffs. They would get back to the Finals in 2004, with Gary Payton and Karl Malone also on the team, although they lost to the underdog Detroit Pistons. And that bond? It never really left. Shaq even shared how close he is with Kobe Bryant’s mom now, how he checks in on her, sends flowers — because some relationships go way beyond basketball… and way beyond what people think they know. And that’s why, even after all these years, Shaq still stands up for Kobe, speaking for him when he no longer can.

Kobe Bryant at 11? Shaq says that’s ‘criminal’

When Bleacher Report dropped their all-time top 100 NBA players list with Kobe sitting at number 11, Shaq did not hold back. He jumped straight on X and called it out in four blunt words,  “Kobe at 11 is criminal.” Now, you look at that top ten— Jordan, LeBron, Kareem, Magic, Russell, Shaq himself, Duncan, Bird, Wilt, and Steph—all legends, no doubt. But leaving Kobe outside that circle? We are talking about a five-time champion, eighteen-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP, and a guy who poured everything into the game.

But this is where it gets interesting. As much as Shaq has Kobe’s back, he is still Shaq, and that means throwing in a little jab now and then. On Bailey Jackson’s show, when asked about who carried the biggest load among Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, and Steph, Shaq said it straight, “Kobe had a lot of help. I had a lot of help.” And then came the knockout punch, “Kobe didn’t have to do much ’cause I was there.” That comment exploded online. And if you look back at their three-peat run with the Lakers, it kind of checks out. Shaq dominated the Finals with nearly thirty points and fourteen rebounds a night, while Kobe held his own with twenty-five points and nearly six assists. They fed off each other, no doubt, but Shaq made sure the world remembered who was holding down the paint.

Still, when it comes to legacy, Shaq never lets the noise change how he feels about Kobe’s place in history. Whether it was on X, interviews, or even in connection with his Netflix series, Shaq made one thing clear: Kobe belongs up there with the absolute best. At one point, Shaq even ranked Kobe number two on his personal all-time list, right behind Jordan and ahead of LeBron James. So when Bleacher Report bumped Kobe to eleven while Curry cracked the top ten, you knew it would set the basketball world on fire. Sure, Steph’s got the numbers—four rings, two MVPs, insane shooting stats—but Shaq is all about legacy over numbers. And for him, Kobe’s legacy is untouchable.