“I F**king Went Crazy”: Shaquille O’Neal Opens Up on Implosion Caused by Kobe Bryant

Even the greatest partnerships come to an end. However, the aftermath isn’t always pretty in those situations. Despite a remarkable 8-year run together, Shaquille O’Neal did not have a happy split with the Los Angeles Lakers. While he did record the third-ever three-peat alongside Kobe Bryant, jealousy and ego played a pivotal role in his eventual departure. But, it did not go swimmingly for the big man.

A title with the Miami Heat in ’06 meant Shaq drew first blood. However, back-to-back titles for Kobe Bryant meant he had surpassed O’Neal in total ring count. And Diesel could not take that lightly.

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On a podcast alongside Jason Kelce, he revealed how he went nuclear when it happened. “For me, it was Imma get one before you get one. Because we had the same arguments, ‘Oh, you can win but you can’t win without Shaq, you can win but you can’t win without Kobe. So, the fact that he has two and I have one? I f***ing went crazy in my house.” 

However, the 2000 NBA MVP believes that anger stemmed from mutual respect and competition only. “Similar to you [Jason] and your brother [Travis Kelce], it’s a respectful competition thing and I don’t ever want nobody to have one up on me.”

This isn’t the first time the big man has spoken in-depth about how “crazy” he truly went. Earlier, he even revealed the kind of property damage he caused. One that the Mamba could whole-heartedly relate to.

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant have a heart-t0-heart about their jealousy

Before Bryant’s untimely passing in the summer of 2020, the two legends would make up their differences. During that process, some ugly truths too came to light. O’Neal would reveal this same jealousy directly to the 5x NBA Champion, which led him to tear his house up.

For his part, Kobe knew he had to reach those standards. Once he saw Shaq go to the Miami Heat and join forces alongside the only man to receive a statue in the franchise’s history, Dwyane Wade, he knew the bar was enormous for him to climb.

With his 4th and 5th ring, Bean was able to accomplish those goals. And, the two even found a move past their differences in the end. Rather than turn ugly, that jealousy would motivate both guys to be better individuals in their field.

Read More: 18 Years Before Admitting to Bitter Jealousy, Shaquille O’Neal’s Jaw-Dropping Play With Kobe Bryant Catches Fans’ Eyes