We all know the story of the Mavericks trying their best to trade for Kobe Bryant, which ultimately failed. Even Shaquille O’Neal once tried his best to play for the Dallas franchise, but it failed too. Yet, Shaq had no idea about the trade talks that Mark Cuban orchestrated for Kobe Bryant.

“Hey, do you realize how close we were to trading for Kobe in 2007?” Shaquille O’Neal was genuinely surprised, “I never knew.” But the Dallas Mavericks minority owner still remembers it. “It was like literally this close. I talked to Jerry Bus and worked something out with Jerry and then Mitch talked him out of it and because Kobe wanted it. It was 2007 and I remember it vividly because I was doing Dancing with the Stars.”

The plan was set in motion because Mark Cuban even remembers the players involved in the trade. “It was going to be Josh Howard and Jason Terry and picks. And no Dirk because I said anybody but Dirk,” via Big Podcast. Eventually, the trade never happened and Kobe Bryant was with the Purple and Gold franchise. As stated previously, the 5x NBA champion wasn’t the only Laker who requested a trade to Dallas.

“Trust me, I tried to get to Dallas many times. Me and Mark was working behind the scenes. Right after I left L.A., Mark was the first person I called.” Shaquille O’Neal said on his previous podcast with Dirk Nowitzki. “I called Mark, and I said ‘Mark, whatever you got to do get me there.’ He said, ‘The Lakers won’t do it, man.’ I said, ‘F–k make them do it, Mark.’ They would not do it. But it would have been nice.”

Just like Kobe Bryant Dallas talks, even Shaq’s trade failed. But Mark Cuban never truly gave up on the trade, and his statement in 2013, in reference to the Lakers star, caused quite a bit of uproar.

Kobe Bryant and his “Amnesty” with Mark Cuban

There was a new rule due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, where a team could use an amnesty clause on one player. The rule stated that the team could still pay the player a salary, but it wouldn’t count toward the team’s salary cap. So Mark Cuban in 2013 suggested that Kobe Bryant should be the player for the Lakers franchise.

However, the timing of that statement was unique since the Mavericks’ next opponent was the Lakers. In true Kobe style, he took the game in his hands and won 103-99. The American Airlines Center witnessed the 2x Finals MVP be the top scorer of the day (38). Not only that, Kobe Bryant’s contribution of 7 assists was also the highest on the day.

The Lakers legend would tweet after the game, “Amnesty THAT.” Even Cuban later explained that his comments on the amnesty clause were about the team selecting the highest-paid player, irrespective of their stature. But the damage was already done by Kobe Bryant. It was this nature of Mamba that Cuban knew, and that’s why the failed trade talks still hurt.