Shaq Opens Up About How He'd Push Kobe Bryant's Buttons When They Were Lakers Teammates, And Why He Did It
Shaq has always been a troll.
The NBA has featured some incredible on-court duos over the years, such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and (the feuding) Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Of course, another pair of players who must be included among their ranks are Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The two Los Angeles Lakers alums had a “complex” relationship, but few would argue against their effectiveness and impact on the game. In recent years, Shaq has been open about their time as players and recently discussed how he’d push Bryant’s buttons, as well as why he’d do it.
Shaq was one of the most imposing basketball players to ever put on an NBA uniform and always appeared to have a serious demeanor during a game. However, he didn’t mind being a troll and taking the piss out of his teammates and rivals when given the chance. That apparently extended to Kobe Bryant, as the Diesel explained that he would taunt him during practices. And after hearing the hall of famer’s comments, I’d love to see footage of the exact encounters he describes here:
The thought of Shaquille O’Neal busting a young Kobe Bryant’s chops is honestly pretty funny. But as the Inside the NBA host also explained on the Patrick Bet-David Podcast, there was a method to his intimidation tactics. O’Neal chastised Bryant because he saw something unique within his teammate early on and wanted to cultivate it. With that, the retired center opened up about what made the Black Mamba so different from other players:
It’d be an understatement to say that Mr. 81 was a different kind of basketball player, as he possessed skills and a mindset that few athletes have. The “Mamba Mentality” is something that so many have attempted to emulate and, based on his on-court theatrics, it’s not hard to see why. If you’re like me, you can still picture the small forward gliding across the court, and such an image no doubt resonates with fans now more than ever.
Following Kobe Bryant’s death at 41 in 2020, many paid tribute to the late star, celebrating not only his contributions to the game of basketball but to society as a whole. Shaquille O’Neal marked the one-year anniversary of Bryant’s death by calling his parents. And in August, Shaq showed support for his widow, Vanessa Bryant, amid her court case involving photos from Kobe’s helicopter crash site. Though the two bumped heads at times, the two did manage to settle their differences before Bryant’s passing. That’s definitely a comforting piece of information for fans as are stories like the one O’Neal told.
Those who want to hear more anecdotes like these can check out Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, which is steamable with a Hulu subscription. The show drops new episodes on Mondays as part of the 2022 TV schedule.
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Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.