Los Angeles Lakers icon Shaquille O'Neal has emotionally admitted he regrets not keeping in touch with Kobe Bryant after the two retired. O'Neal and Bryant were an unstoppable double-act for the Lakers, and were only the fifth team ever to achieve a 'three-peat'.
But their relationship soon deteriorated, with Bryant fuming at O'Neal waiting until the start of the season to get surgery on an injury he picked up in the previous campaign.
The pair continued in their feud throughout their playing careers, but would later reconcile in retirement. That reconciliation didn't lead to their friendship recovering, however, as O'Neal admitted on the late Bryant's birthday this week.
The four-time NBA champion opened up on his reaction to hearing the devastating news Bryant - along with his daughter and seven others - had died in a helicopter crash.
O'Neal said: "I just broke down, the fact that I didn’t even get a chance to talk him. 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.
"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."
O'Neal also admitted he didn't pay any interest in who Bryant was when he was first informed of the teenager signing, as he was too busy trying to agree a record-breaking contract of his own.
The 50-year-old explained: “When [his agent] pulled the piece of paper out I’ve never seen so many zeros in my life.
"He said, ‘I’ve got some good news, I’ve got some bad news. I can’t get you $150 million, but I can get you $120 million.
“Right when I was signing he (former Lakers general manager Jerry 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’.”
