Kobe Bryant appeared on Shaquille O'Neal's podcast, which was released on Monday morning, to talk about the up and down relationship the two shared from 1996 to 2004.
"I'm not a nostalgic person," Bryant said early into the conversation. Then, O'Neal and Bryant spent about 30 minutes sharing insights into the unique relationship the pair shared more than a decade earlier as teammates in Los Angeles.
O'Neal stated a multitude of times that he does not hate Bryant and verbally shared that he thought the feeling was mutual. Bryant offered the analogy of Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan playing together with both players in their prime, which would likely have ended with Chamberlain and Jordan butting heads because neither player wanted to relinquish the title of being the alpha male. Ultimately, both O'Neal and Bryant saw their split as something that made sense in retrospect, but that did not necessarily mask that both missed out on a tremendous opportunity to win more titles together.
"I definitely did not want to leave LA," O'Neal admitted after hearing an audio clip asking for a trade out of LA.
Perhaps the most telling part of the podcast came when the Lakers' former center claimed not to remember saying several of quotes he heard on his own show. Memories warp, and the mind often restructures the past. In this instance, both Bryant and O'Neal had transformed into a pair of two old pals reminiscing about good old times. Meanwhile, reporters present at those old times would swear that neither O'Neal nor Bryant wanted anything to do with one another when the pair split up in 2004.
Somewhere in between, Bryant mentioned a time when he went after O'Neal and tried to get in a fist fight with the gargantuan being. Bryant said he went home and quickly realized that he probably had a few screws loose after that day. Where Bryant acknowledged his unique brand of crazy, O'Neal credited the shooting guard for his lack of fear and his follow through.
"Whatever [Bryant] said he was going to do, he was going to do it," O'Neal said in admiration.
However, O'Neal would go to the Miami Heat, where he went on to win a title without Bryant. Bryant said he felt joy for O'Neal when the big man won in South Beach but only because he knew it would push him to get five or more. O'Neal provided Bryant with motivation. On the other hand, O'Neal openly admitted he was not happy getting passed by Bryant, who famous sat at the podium with a wide smile and said, "It means I got one more than Shaq."
Now older and wiser, the pair reflected back at the good times they shared. Both said that the 2001 Championship team had to be the best in the bunch. That year, the Lakers swept the Western Conference before losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals to Allen Iverson's Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers would rattle off four straight wins and set a playoff record with a 15-1 postseason mark. The record still stands, and O'Neal predicted that it would not be touched for another 30 years.
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Of course, Bryant met questions about retirement and his future with crafty dodging. The 20-year professional said he was "excited" about the upcoming season and refused to say if it would be his final season. With regards to his future after basketball, Bryant pointed to his recent film, Muse, and said he had interest in continuing to build his company and work on "storytelling that inspires people."
Before time ran out on the interview, O'Neal took a moment to proclaim their partnership as "the most dominant 1-2 punch in Laker history."
O'Neal added, "I just want to say I love you, brother." To think, it seems like only yesterday that the world wondered if these two would embrace on Christmas Day.
