Billionaire ‘FBI Agent’ Saved Kobe Bryant From Shaquille O’Neal After Spiteful Act Sent a Warning

Certain traditions exist in the NBA. While most of them exist on the court, a few extend to the locker room as well. Perhaps, the most infamous of that lot is the practice of hazing. In essence, it is a reminder to rookies of their place on the roster. Talking to Lou Williams, Shaquille O’Neal revealed the one time he did try hazing. However, the consequences were far from ideal for the big man.

“I hazed Kobe [Bryant] one time, and it’s like the FBI came to my room the next morning and it like, ‘He off limits.'” The Los Angeles Lakers legend was surprised by the reception he got from the other all-time greats. Unfortunately, that meant that Diesel had to tone it down.

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“Jerry West came down, Mitch Kupchak, Magic [Johnson]. Bro, this punk a** down there they like, ‘Hey man, leave him alone.'” To Shaq, it was a very unique experience. Even though his guest on the show, Lou Williams, had a similar experience with Allen Iverson covering his back, that was not the case for The Big Aristotle. One could go so far as to say it was in stark contrast to his own experiences.

When he came into the NBA as a rookie, O’Neal was among the most dominant players in the league from the get-go. However, even then, he couldn’t escape the hazing tradition. But he was in no mood to take part in them.

So, he had to fight his own battles.

How Shaquille O’Neal dealt with hazing

During his first season on an NBA roster with the Orlando Magic, the 4x NBA Champion was on the receiving end of similar treatment. However, he had to make adjustments and step up for himself. That is why he “didn’t mess with” the situation surrounding the Mamba. 

“When I got to Orlando…Scott Skiles told me to lift his bags. I said, ‘I don’t do that, bro.'” When Skiles responded with “you’re a rookie,” O’Neal had the ultimate walk-off line. “I’m not a rookie, I’m Shaq. I ain’t lifting no motherf***ing bag. ”

Thankfully, in both instances, the former league MVP was able to come out relatively unscathed. However, his reluctance in the Kobe situation does make one wonder if that perceived slight was the canary in the coal mine for their eventual split.

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