*Shaquille O’Neal’s résumé with the Los Angeles Lakers includes three championships and three consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards. Still, he believes the city’s deepest loyalty always belonged to Kobe Bryant.
O’Neal recently revisited that dynamic while discussing why LeBron James has not received the same emotional embrace from Lakers fans. “Well, they didn’t love me; they loved Kobe,” O’Neal said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “They didn’t love me.”
As Pro Football Network reports, his assessment reflects the different paths both stars took to Los Angeles. O’Neal arrived in 1996 as an established superstar after beginning his career with the Orlando Magic. Bryant entered the league that same year and remained with the Lakers for all 20 seasons of his career. His longevity eventually made him inseparable from the franchise’s identity.
Their partnership produced extraordinary results. The Lakers won NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002, with O’Neal earning Finals MVP honors after each championship.
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However, the success could not erase the tension between the two stars, who both expected to lead. O’Neal acknowledged that his own demanding personality contributed to the strain.
“This is what we call the B.O.B brother, the business of basketball,” he said. “When you’re like me, when I’m in charge, I’m a difficult man to deal with. Everything has to be done my way, and sometimes people don’t agree with that.”
O’Neal’s comments offered a rare glimpse into how he viewed his place in Lakers history. Despite his dominance on the court, he believes Bryant forged a connection with the franchise that no teammate, including himself, could ever match.
Check out what he had to say in the clip below.
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