Many have been wondering how many more championships Shaq and Kobe would have won with the Lakers had they not been arguing most of the time. As most fans would say, that heated dynamic was the reason LA broke up arguably the most dominant duo in NBA history.

Speaking on his The Big Podcast, however, Shaq clarified that there had never been animosity towards him and Bryant. He emphasized that they may not see eye-to-eye on certain things, but he refused to call it a feud.

Shaq on his relationship with Kobe Bryant 🗣️

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“The respect has to always be there. We don’t see eye-to-eye. But it ain’t a feud. It just looks like a feud. When I’m getting doubled, he’s the first dude I’m looking for,” Shaq explained.

While Lakers fans would disagree with Shaquille O’Neal’s assertion on his relationship with Kobe Bryant–especially considering the snide comments and media war they had during their time together–the fact of the matter is people have different perspectives on what happened.

Perhaps for Shaq, what he and Bryant had were just their competitiveness and pride showing off and nothing else.

Regardless, though, Shaq and Kobe had mended their relationship in their post-playing career. And clearly, despite Bryant passing away, that respect and admiration for his former teammate remains in Shaq.