“I Don’t Want to See Old Highlights”: Shaquille O’Neal Reveals He’s Still Heartbroken Over the Death of Kobe Bryant

With the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan being inducted into the Hall of Fame, the class of 2020 seems to be one of the greatest ones. And probably one of the most emotional ones too, with Bryant getting the honor posthumously. That is probably why Shaquille O’Neal, one of Bryant’s closest acquaintances, will not be watching the ceremony.

Talking recently on his podcast, Shaq said he wouldn’t be able to watch the ceremony because it would make him sad.

“I’m actually not going to watch the Hall of Fame ceremony,” O’Neal, who became a part of the Hall of Fame in 2016, said. “On the scale of sadness from 1 to 10, I’m finally at least at a 2 now … That would bring it back to a 7, 8, 9 and I can’t right now. So I don’t want to see old highlights that I’m already watching now.”

O’Neal, however, said he wanted one of the Bryant’s family members to give a speech, which he would watch later.

“It would be great if his wife gave a speech or his mom or dad gave a speech but I’ll see that afterwards. I’m not gonna watch the ceremony.”

Shaquille O’Neal was “sick” on learning about Kobe Bryant’s death

When Kobe and his daughter Gigi died along with others in the helicopter crash in January, O’Neal could hardly believe it. Shaq, who played for eight years alongside Bryant with Los Angeles Lakers, took to twitter to show how painful it was for him to lose his “brother”.

Shaq would also later fondly remember Bryant on multiple occasions.