During the latest episode of his podcast, the 47-year-old NBA star also admitted that he had not slept of eaten since the helicopter crash that took the life of the late athlete.
- January 29, 2020
AceShowbiz - Shaquille O'Neal couldn't hold back his tears while remembering Kobe Bryant. The "Grown Ups 2" star joined a few other basketball players on "NBA on TNT" to reflect on Kobe's legacy, and Shaq was overwhelmed by emotion as he revealed how he learned of the star's death and the difficulty he's having to cope with it.
Recalling the time when he first learned of the news, Shaq admitted he didn't believe it at first as "we live in a world where anything could be photoshopped, anything could be hoaxed. I didn't want to believe it." However, when he knew that the news is indeed true, the 47-year-old said through tears, "I haven't felt the pain that sharp in a while. Now I lost a little brother." He added, "And then the final blow, his lovely daughter was with him on the helicopter."
Shaq got even more emotional when he shared all the things he hoped to share with Kobe, who was his runningmate, in the future. "We're up here, we work a lot and I think a lot of the time we take stuff for granted. Like, I don't talk to you guys as much as I need to," he said. "The fact that we're not going to be able to joke at his Hall of Fame Ceremony; we're not going to be able to say, 'Ha! I got five, you got four' …Those are the things you can't get back. That's the only thing. I wish I could just say something to him again."
Prior to the interview, Shaq admitted in the latest episode of his podcast that he had not slept or eaten since the accident. "I'm sick right now," he said. "And I know some idiot's gonna bring up the relationship me and Kobe had. Our relationship was that of brothers. We're brothers on this podcast, John, we argue all the time. But in real life, when I see you and your lovely wife, it's all about respect."
Shaq and Kobe led the L.A. Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002, but the feud between the two led to the former being traded to Miami in 2004. However, after Kobe retired in 2016, it appeared the two had reconciled, though Shaq said that he hadn't spoken to Kobe as much as he'd like in recent years.
