Shaquille O’Neal has opened up about his regrets of not being on talking terms with NBA legend and former teammate Kobe Bryant before the Black Mamba passed away in 2020.

The untimely and tragic death of Kobe Bryant haunts every basketball fan that has seen the Los Angeles Lakers legend dominate the NBA in his prime years. The Black Mamba was a five-time champion who struck fear into the hearts of opponents with his incredible skill and extraordinary determination, while he pushed his teammates onto another level performing alongside him.

When Bryant tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020, it stunned the basketball world into mourning. While they gutted everyone who has ever played with the Black Mamba about the news, no one was shattered more than Kobe’s former teammate and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal – who was not on talking terms with Bryant before his death.

The celebrated center has recently spoken out on his feelings on Kobe’s death, and he has expressed his regret of not being on talking terms with the legend before his death. Shaq and Kobe often clashed against each other for differences in opinion, but in his interview with People magazine ahead of his documentary releasing soon – Shaq addressed his feelings about Kobe.

Source: https://people.com/sports/shaquille-oneal-should-have-called-kobe-bryant-before-his-death/

“I’ll never get to see Kobe again, in real life, forever. And I just should have called. He should have called. We both should have called. But he’s working, I’m working, so it’s ‘I’ll see you when I see you.’” Shaq also compared their differences to that of John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles, as he said it did not stop them from “making some of the best music the world has ever heard.”

What did Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant win together at the Lakers?

Even though O’Neal and Bryant had their fair share of issues with each other, their time playing with each other was nothing short of glorious.

The pair played alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004, winning three consecutive NBA championships from 1999 to 2001. A spat between the two because of their differences saw Shaq being traded to Miami Heat in 2004, ending the partnership of one of the best one-two punches that the NBA has ever seen.

“Kobe and I pushed one another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time… And, yes, sometimes, like immature kids, we argued, we fought, we bantered or insulted each other with off-handed remarks,” O’Neal added. “But make no mistake, even when folks thought we were on bad terms, when the cameras were turned off, he and I would throw a wink at each other and say, ‘Let’s go whoop some a**.’”

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