Shaquille O’Neal’s superiority is recognized, but according to Kobe Bryant, even such an imposing 7-foot-1, 325-pounder may have had more to give.

Kobe Bryant was asked about how Shaq would be, were he as diligent as himself during the PHP Convention in Las Vegas in 2019.

"He'd be the greatest of all time” Bryant said during a 2019 interview at the PHP Convention in Las Vegas. He'd be the first to tell you that. This guy was a force as I have never seen. It was crazy. Generally, guys at that size are a little timid, and they don't want to be big. This dude did not care. He was mean, he was nasty. He was competitive, he was vindictive. I wish he was in the gym. I would've had f–king 12 rings."

The comment carries weight given Shaq's actual production. Standing 7-foot-1 and 325 pounds, O'Neal finished his 19-year career with 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs, 1 MVP, and 28,596 points, numbers that already place him among the most dominant centers ever, which is exactly why Bryant felt untapped potential remained.

That dynamic defined their shared run in Los Angeles. From 1996 to 2004, the duo posted a 336-125 regular season record, and during their three-peat years, they combined for 181 regular season wins alongside a 45-13 playoff mark.

Shaq's Finals MVP nod came in all three championship runs, while Kobe averaged 26.0 points per game in the playoffs during that stretch.

But there weren’t always so many affectionate feelings between Kobe and Shaq, making Shaq’s later regrets much easier to comprehend.

Shaquille O'Neal's Regret Over Losing Kobe Bryant Before It Was Too Late

At last, after several years of conflict between the two basketball heroes of the Lakers, there came reconciliation, but O'Neal never got his closure until the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant in 2020.

"You put off [getting in touch]," O'Neal told People. "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.'"

"[I thought], 'We're both going to get old. We'll both be at the 50-year Lakers anniversary,'" O'Neal told People. "Other things shouldn't have been more important [than getting in touch], but little things [got in the way]."

But at one point, the rivalry was very intense, as evidenced by Coach Phil Jackson, who referred to it as 'juvenile' according to Lakers Nation, with arguments over jersey selling and even public insults. O'Neal eventually requested a trade to Miami, ending the dynasty without ever making up.

Comment below if you believe that Shaquille O'Neal could match Kobe Bryant's legendary work ethic.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta