Shaquille O’Neal on Kobe Bryant: ‘I never said’ the ‘stuff that I wanted to say’

What would've been the late Laker's 42nd birthday has his longtime friend and former teammate expressing regrets about what he didn't share with him.

Shayler Richmond

Aug 25, 2020

Former Los Angeles Lakers player Shaquille O'Neal reacts to his former players seated in the audience with Kobe Bryant looking on. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Last Sunday would have been Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday, and the eight-month milestone of the beloved Los Angeles Laker’s untimely death evoked public displays of emotion from a host of loved ones, including Shaquille O’Neal, his friend and teammate.

“I don’t want to see anybody go out like that and never to be able to talk to him again. The thing that hurt me was all the stuff that I wanted to say, I hadn’t said it. I never said it,” O’Neal told USA Today.

Throughout their careers, the O’Neal-Bryant relationship had its ups and downs. The NBA Hall of Famers were teammates on the Lakers squad from 1996 to 2004. At times, they both went public about their issues with one another.

“There’s a myth that you have to be best friends to win championships. We only have to have one thing, and that’s respect,” O’Neal told USA Today.

Their friendship grew in the years following their time on the Lakers. The duo made numerous public appearances together, always appearing cordial and loving. In 2015, Bryant appeared on O’Neal’s podcast, and he was interviewed by O’Neal in 2017 for Players Only on TNT.

“People thought we were fighting and bickering. It was more like a media thing. Once we crossed the court and got into the lines, there was none of that,” O’Neal told USA Today.

Even with their growth over the years, Bryant’s untimely death left pages unturned for Shaq. To pay tribute to his friend’s life and legacy, O’Neal posted a highlight video with the caption: “Happy birthday Kobe. They couldn’t stop the REIGN.”