Shaquille O’Neal reveals biggest regret about Kobe Bryant’s death and why he did not believe news

Shaquille O’Neal has revealed he thought news of the late Kobe Bryant’s death was a hoax at first and admitted he regretted not keeping in more regular contact with his former teammate.

Bryant died alongside eight other people – including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna – in a helicopter crash just outside Los Angeles in February 2020. 

O’Neal and Bryant won three NBA titles in eight years together with the Los Angeles Lakers, but their on-court relationship turned sour before O’Neal left the franchise in 2004.

The two eventually put their differences aside, and O’Neal admitted he wished he had shared more time with his former teammate.

‘I just broke down, the fact that I didn’t even get a chance to talk him,’ O’Neal said on his An Evening with Shaq interview in Melbourne on Thursday night as he recalled the moment he received news of Bryant’s death.

‘He works, I work, I don’t like to bother people,’

‘We made history together, I should‘ve been the one to just call once a week or text once a month or once a year, [say]: “Happy birthday, how’s your kids?” We never did that, so kind of still sits with me.

O’Neal and Bryant (right) won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s

‘So anybody you’re thinking about or anybody you haven’t talked to in a while — send them a text, give them a call — because once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.’

Bryant’s tragic passing came just months  after O’Neal had lost his younger sister after her third battle with cancer and the NBA legend revealed he initially refused to believe the news. 

‘I figured someone was just playing around. I didn’t want to believe it,’ O’Neal said on an episode of his The BIG Podcast with Shaq at the time. 

O’Neal revealed he regretted not speaking to his former teammate more often 

The NBA destiny of O’Neal and Bryant were closely intertwined from the moment the latter entered the league in 1996. The Lakers were looking to offload Vlade Divac’s contract to clear up salary cap space and land O’Neal, who was a free agent after four seasons with the Orlando Magic.

Los Angeles agreed to trade Divac to Charlotte in exchange for their 13th overall pick in the NBA Draft, which the Hornets used to select Bryant.

Bryant entered the NBA straight from high school and O’Neal did not share then-Lakers general manager Jerry West’s excitement over the 18-year-old.

O’Neal is in Australia for a series of entrepreneurial talks in Melbourne and Sydney

‘Right when I was signing he [West] stopped my hand [and said]: “Man I just acquired this 18-year old kid, we just got him from Charlotte, his name is Kobe Bryant.”

‘And the great Jerry West said: “You and him are going to win multiple championships.” And I’m like: Yeah OK Jerry, whatever”.’.

West’s claim proved accurate as the Lakers made four NBA Finals in five years between 1999 and 2004, winning three in a row with O’Neal winning the NBA Finals MVP award in each occasion.