Shaq Reveals One Regret About Kobe Bryant

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Los Angeles Lakers Unveil Shaquille O'Neal Statue
Former Los Angeles Lakers player Shaquille O'Neal reacts to his former players seated in the audience with Kobe Bryant looking on during unveiling of his statue at Staples Center March 24, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Shaq and Kobe Bryant had a complicated yet special friendship.

Shaq and Kobe Bryant were one of the greatest basketball duos of all time. From 2000 to 2002, they won three straight NBA titles. They also made it to the Finals back in 2004 but were unable to defeat the Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately, their time as teammates ended on bad terms. Luckily, they were able to rekindle their friendship near the end of Kobe's life.

Shaq Documentary

Tomorrow, Shaq will be releasing a four-part documentary on HBO which will be about his life and career. This series is going to take a look at his days in Los Angeles, as well as elsewhere. Additionally, there will be some coverage of Kobe. However, Kobe's family has asked for his parts to be kept to a minimum.

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz 101-96. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

That said, Shaq has a lot of fond memories of Kobe. He also has some regrets as to the kind of friend he was prior to Kobe's passing. While promoting his documentary with People Magazine, Shaq got open and honest about how he wishes he had picked up the phone a lot more.

"I'll never get to see Kobe again, in real life, forever. And I just should have called," Shaq said. "He should have called. We both should have called. ...Call your mom. Call your brother. Call the homeboy you used to party with in college. Forever is a long time."

These kinds of admissions are certainly heartbreaking to hear. Shaq took Kobe's death very hard, as did everyone who was close to the NBA legend. However, his story is an important one to tell, as it just goes to show that we need to be good friends while we still have time.

Stay tuned to HNHH as we will continue to bring you the latest news and updates from around the basketball world.

[Via]

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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