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“You Remember Me?”: Shaquille O’Neal Recalls the First Time He Met Kobe Bryant

Published 06/27/2020, 2:40 PM EDT

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Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant are one of the best duos in the history of the NBA. They were dominant on the court, leading to their three-peat back in the early 2000s. But later their relationship spiraled, and Shaq eventually left Los Angeles.

During an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Shaq recalled the first time he met Kobe. It was back when he was playing in Orlando before Kobe entered the league. “I was in Orlando and Kobe came in the locker room and asked Penny for an autograph. Penny blew him off, I’m not sure, this is what Kobe was telling me. And then he said he came up to me and I was (really) nice to him.” 

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Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal: Brothers first, teammates second

But Shaq says he forgot about this incident until Kobe brought it up again. “I never knew that until one day (in his rookie season) he was like, ‘you remember me?’  I was like no, ‘I came in the locker room’, oh yeah that was you. What I realized and loved about him early on was that he wanted the spot. He wanted to be the best.”

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When Shaq was inducted in the Hall of Fame, Kobe posted a picture of them and wrote, “Congrats to my big brother, most dominant big of all time, on being inducted into the Hall! Beyond deserved.” Their relationship was just like any other siblings. Fighting all the time, no matter how old they are.

 

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After Kobe passes away in January, in every interview, one could see the pain in Shaq’s eyes. He even broke down on screen a few times.

“Our relationship was that of brothers,” Shaq said. “When I saw Kobe and his daughters, loved them. He saw my kids, loved them. So all the stuff that’s documented between us, there was never a dislike. Listen, this is what brothers do. I have a younger brother. We fight all the time. But, guess what? I love him. And I love Kobe Bryant.” 

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Aaron Mathew

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Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.
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