The two disagreed often, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal squabbling endlessly on how they would co-exist with the Lakers.
But that tension has evaporated enough that Bryant appeared on O’Neal’s podcast set to be broadcast on Monday. According to excerpts that were played on ESPN Radio on Wednesday, both Bryant and O’Neal expressed regret over their squabbling through their eight-year tenure as teammates (1996-2004) before the Lakers traded O’Neal to the Miami Heat following the team’s NBA Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Though the pair put their differences aside enough to help the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002, constant debate has ensued on whether Bryant and O’Neal could have won more together had their relationship improved.