Los Angeles Lakers Legends Kobe Bryant, Shaq Bury the Hatchet on O’Neal’s Podcast
NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal sat down for a long overdue chat about their successful partnership and the regrets over their much-publicized feud.
Long-time Lakers player Bryant dropped by "The Big Podcast with Shaq" for some face-to-face time with his former teammate, according to Lakers Nation. Podcast co-host John Kinkade probed the two future Hall of Famers for their thoughts and reflections on how things went down between them.
A snippet of the interview was played on Mason and Ireland's radio show on ESPN.
When asked by Kinkade if there was anything they had any regrets about their time as teammates, both athletes answered in the affirmative.
O'Neal reflected on leaving the city where he won his championship rings, saying it wasn't the way he actually wanted things to play out.
"A lot of things, you just played the clip where I said I wanted to be traded," the former Lakers big man pointed out. "I definitely did not want to leave L.A., but you know that's how you've got to talk when you're in business, especially when you think you're in control. Definitely didn't want to leave L.A."
He admitted, "A lot of stuff was said out of the heat of the moment. I guarantee I don't remember a lot of stuff that they said because I changed my thought process of, you know what we won three out of four, what the hell are you all talking about, this is not really even a story."
Bryant agreed it was difficult to control what to say in public saying, "When you say it at the time, you actually mean it and then when you get older you have more perspective and you're like 'Holy sh--, I was an idiot when I was a kid."
The shooting guard, who stayed with the L.A. Lakers throughout his entire career, did not have regrets about leaving, but wished he acted differently during the more challenging points of their career as teammates.
"You don't need to go to the press with stuff," Bryant said. "You keep it internal and we have our arguments and our disagreements, but I think having our debates within the press was something I wish would've been avoided, but it did kind of create this whirlwind around us as a team with myself and Shaq and the press and the media that just put so much pressure on us as an organization."
Bryant and O'Neal played together from 1996 to 2004, leading the Lakers to three straight championships together and an NBA Finals appearance.
The full interview of Kobe Bryant on "The Big Podcast with Shaq" will air on Monday, August 31.
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