- They had a complicated relationship and were known to be both one of the NBA's biggest partnerships and most vicious rivalries.
- Over the years, the relationship between the two basketball greats had improved significantly.
- Following the news of Bryant and his daughter Gianna's death, O'Neal said it was like losing a brother and that he hadn't "felt pain that sharp in a while.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
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Inside Kobe and Shaq's relationship: One of the NBA's most iconic dynasties and fiercest rivalries
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal played on the Lakers for eight years together and won three consecutive NBA championships between 2000 and 2003.
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Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday.
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His former Lakers teammate Shaquille ONeal said he hadnt "felt pain that sharp in a while" and that he had initially been in disbelief when his nephew had told him about reports of Bryants death.
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Bryant was in a helicopter with his daughter, Gianna, 13, and seven other people when it crashed into a hillside killing everyone on board.
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Bryant had an illustrious career with the Los Angeles Lakers spanning 20 years.
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Reminiscing about his relationship with Bryant, an emotional ONeal said, "All the stuff that was documented between us was never a dislike ... Its what brothers do ... I love Kobe Bryant."
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Source: The Big Podcast with Shaq
ONeal and Bryant were Lakers teammates for eight years between 1996 and 2004, where they played center and shooting guard, respectively.
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Bryant and ONeal brought the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 through 2002.
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Bryant and ONeal are considered to be one of the most iconic partnerships in NBA history. They worked together to combine physical dominance and skill to become a formidable force on the court.
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The duo won the Lakers their first NBA championship in twelve years in 2000.
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Source: LA Times
Talking about the final game of the 2000 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Times described ONeal as the "biggest star" and Bryant as "the shiniest." In a game 6, 116-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers, Bryant and ONeal scored a total of 67 points.
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Source: Los Angeles Times
Jerry Buss, the late owner of the Lakers, said at the time, "Ive never seen anybody dominate like that, ever [ONeal] played probably the best basketball any player has ever played."
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They followed up that performance in the following years final when Bryant and ONeal were, once again, the top scorers against the Philadelphia 76ers, bringing home the championship trophy.
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Source: The News Journal
The Lakers and coach Phil Jackson visited the White House in 2002 to meet then-president George W. Bush and celebrate their two championship victories.
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The Lakers clinched their third NBA title in 2002 against the New Jersey Nets with ONeal, once again, taking home the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
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Bryant and ONeal had a famously sour relationship when they were teammates, frequently taking shots at each other during interviews and, sometimes, through rap songs.
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Bryant was a fresh high school graduate when he joined the Lakers. ONeal, who was six years older than Bryant, had played for the Orlando Magic for four years before joining the Lakers.
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Coach Jackson said that when Bryant joined the Lakers, ONeal was interested in adopting an older brother-type role with the younger player. But Bryant wasnt interested.
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Source: Star Tribune
Bryant and ONeal had their first fight during a pickup game at Southwest College during the lockout of the 1998-1999 season. After indulging in some trash talk, ONeal, according to Bryant, said "take that little b----" several times.
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In 2001, after there was a change in the teams offensive focus that favored Bryant, ONeal expressed his dismay, implying that Bryant had a hand in changing the strategy for "selfish reasons."
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The teammates often spoke candidly about each other to the media. ONeal is quoted in 2002 as having said, "Kobes the best player in this league. The scary thing about that is, he doesnt think hes the best and wants to get better."
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In a 2003 ESPN interview, Bryant called ONeal "fat and out of shape" and said he had "childlike selfishness and jealousy."
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The same year, Bryant was accused of sexual assault by a woman in Colorado. She accused Bryant of raping her at the spa where she worked. Bryant publicly apologized but maintained his innocence and said he had viewed the encounter as consensual but understood how it was different for the woman. The criminal charges against Bryant were dismissed and he later settled a civil suit.
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Bryant claimed that ONeal had been less than supportive during his very public sexual assault scandal. He said that he "heard nothing" "from [his] so-called big brother."
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In a police report reviewed and reported on by the Los Angeles Times, Bryant accused ONeal of paying women up to a million dollars to keep quiet about affairs. ONeals agent later disputed the claims and called it "undeserving of a response."
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When Bryant missed training camp and ONeal was asked about absent players, he said, "I cant answer that, the full team is here."
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ONeal was traded to Miami Heat in 2004 after he demanded a new contract, and he went on to win a championship with them while Bryant won two more with the Lakers.
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After the Lakers lost an NBA final to the Boston Celtics in 2008, ONeal performed a freestyle rap in NYC with lyrics like "last week Kobe couldnt do it without me" and "Kobe, how my a-- taste?"
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Bryant and ONeal faced-off on court on opposing teams until ONeals retirement in 2016. At a Christmas day game between the Lakers and Heat, they refused to shake hands.
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Coach Jackson published a memoir in 2013 titled "Eleven Rings: The Soul Of Success" where he called ONeal more "gregarious and charismatic than Kobe."
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At the height of the feud, Jackson called the rivalry "juvenile stuff, really juvenile stuff."
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In the years since, the relationship between ONeal and Bryant cooled significantly.
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They shared an MVP honor at the NBA All-Star Game in 2009.
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In a 2011 KTLA appearance to promote his book "Shaq Uncut," ONeal said, "Based on what [Bryants] done, hes probably the greatest Laker of all time."
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Theyve had candid conversations with each other, with Bryant even making an appearance on ONeals podcast "The Big Podcast With Shaq."
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In the 2015 conversation, ONeal said, "A lot of stuff was said out of the heat of the moment ... I guarantee I dont remember a lot of stuff that they said because I changed my thought process." Bryant criticized the media "that just put so much pressure on [them] as an organization."
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In a 2018 TNT special, Bryant discussed not wanting to go back to the No. 2 spot on the team after ONeal got back into shape.
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They briefly made headlines late last year when Bryant said they would have won more championships had ONeal been in better shape. ONeal then fired back that Bryant should have passed the ball to him more often.
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Bryant shut down the buzz around the conversation saying its "nothing new."
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Bryant shared a friendly relationship with ONeals son Shareef ONeal and is said to have checked in on him from time-to-time after he underwent surgery to correct a heart condition in 2018.
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Bryant had checked in on Shareef as recently as the morning of the helicopter crash. Shareef shared the screenshots on his social media in a post saying, "I wish I didnt sleep in so I couldve talked to you."
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In an emotional tribute to Bryant on his podcast, ONeal said, "We pushed each other ... thats what people who care about each other do."
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Source: The Big Podcast with Shaq
"Were still gonna have the best duo ever created, thats not gonna change. But I wish at 60 and 70, in the old folks home or on a show, we could talk about it."
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Source: The Big Podcast with Shaq
See Also:
- Tickets for the first Lakers game since Kobe Bryant's death are on sale for $99,000 after StubHub said it would donate all fees to his charity
- How cheerleading evolved from one man yelling in Minnesota to 4.5 million leaping cheerleaders
- 'My spirit just left my body': Shaquille O'Neal gives an emotional speech about teammate Kobe Bryant
Read More: 'My spirit just left my body': Shaquille O'Neal gives an emotional speech about teammate Kobe Bryant
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Read More: Moving Kobe Bryant video tribute from 2016 shows NBA players and coaches thanking the legend for everything he did for the game of basketball
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