During their time together as members of the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant proved to be a dynamic duo. Shaq, when he was at his best, could dominate the interior like no other; Kobe, as we all know, could usually will his team to victory single-handedly. While those combined skill sets helped the two stars win three championships together, things weren’t always happy behind the scenes.
Although the tension between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant has been well documented, it seems like things came to a head in 2003. After a particularly scathing interview, the Big Aristotle apparently threatened to “murder” his teammate.
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were an unstoppable pairing with the Lakers
These days, it seems like it’s impossible to win an NBA championship without having multiple superstars on the roster. The LA Lakers, however, were ahead of the curve in the 1990s when they had both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on the roster.
While Shaq started out on his own, making a name for himself with the Orlando Magic, he joined the LA Lakers in 1996; earlier that year, the team had selected Kobe Bryant as the 13th-overall draft pick. Although the two men seemed like something of an odd couple and had some initial clashes, things would eventually turn the corner.
Once Phil Jackson arrived in Hollywood and installed the triangle offense, the Lakers truly hit their stride. With Shaq and Kobe looking like an unstoppable duo, the club rattled off three straight championships from 2000 through 2002. Despite the cliches, though, winning did not solve everything.
A scathing public criticism leads to a behind-the-scenes murder threat.
