Future NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant recently made an appearance in Las Vegas for the 10th annual PHP Agency Convention, which included a chat with Patrick Bet-David. During that discussion, Kobe took a jab at his former teammate, Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal, which certainly didn't go unnoticed.
When speaking about how Shaq could've been the GOAT if he put in some more effort in the gym, Kobe said:
"He'd be the greatest of all time. He'd be the first to tell you that. I wish he was in the gym! I would've had 12 fucking rings!"
"Me and Shaq sit down all the time and I say, 'Dude if your lazy ass was in shape...'"
As seen in the tweet embedded below, it didn't take long for The Diesel to issues his response. In regards to Kobe's comments about winning 12 titles, Shaq commented on an Instagram post:
"U woulda had twelve if you passed the ball more especially in the finals against the pistons #Facts." He added, "You don't get statues by not working hard."
The duo won three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002, but the Lakers traded Shaq to the Miami Heat in 2004 as the tension between he and Kobe grew. As we know, Shaq captured another title alongside Dwyane Wade, while Kobe added two more rings to his collection in 2009 and 2010.
Check out Kobe's comments about Shaq's worth ethic, as well as Shaq's rebuttal response, below.