Shaquille O’Neal not looking for some drama on Tuesday’s segment of the TNT show? No way! When nothing quite made an impact, he took it upon himself to start one. And that too with former colleague and friend Jalen Rose. Or can we say it was Shaq’s perfect revenge against Rose for trolling him on TV over his crusty hands? However, the former NBA player didn’t just sit idle. Being the good sport he is, Rose had an apt response to O’Neal’s remark.

One can never forget Mamba’s iconic 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors! The Lakers ensured it was immortalised by honoring Kobe Bryant’s celebratory pose from the game with a statue. But do you remember who was tasked with guarding Kobe that night? If not, Shaq is here to remind you.

As the conversation shifted to the best stats’ lines, the Lakers legend seemed more than happy to take a dig at Rose. The stat sheet displayed Bryant’s two assists, while Rose’s name was also mentioned as the primary defender to tackle Kobe that night. His celebratory pose was also directed toward him. Even the picture of Kobe included Rose in the background, nearly blurred out but clear enough for viewers to recognize.

It was both hilarious and an unnecessary jab at Rose. Even WNBA star Candace Parker felt there was no need to bring him into the discussion. Shaq, however, quickly disagreed, insisting that Rose had to be on the sheet. “Yeah We did,” Shaq said. But Rose has his own way of responding to Shaq’s tough love. 

He tweeted his reaction. “Atleast, we held Kobe under 100,” he wrote. And as Lefkoe read the message aloud, Shaq took another shot. “That’s right, Jalen,” O’Neal added. While the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s comment on Rose certainly wasn’t a direct response to this incident, it shows how the two, who are also friends, enjoy teasing each other whenever they get the chance.

But this isn’t the first time. For a long time, this has been the running joke, so how has the former member of the Fab Five handled it?

What did Jalen Rose say about Kobe Bryant’s 81 points performance?

The former NBA player too has appreciation for Kobe Bryant’s mind blowing performance. Bryant hit 81 points on 28-of-46 shooting (60.9%), including 53.8% from three and 90% from the free throw line. He also added six rebounds, and three steals. However, as a player, he had a different opinion.

He believed that Bryant’s record high 81 points was because the Raptors’ coaching strategy didn’t work out. Jalen Rose once remarked, “We were a team that didn’t have much bulk up front. So our coaching staff decided the best approach to playing against the Lakers would be to keep them on a perimeter, and they thought that a 2-3 zone would be the remedy.”

The former shooting guard further added, “The zone, it didn’t work out so good. What ends up happening in the NBA when you’re not pressuring passes, when you’re not contesting shots—you give a guy a rhythm.” Regardless of what happened at the game, Bryant made history that night. After Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 blockbuster game, Mamba’s 81 points remain the second highest in NBA history. So, for now, we wait until another star player drops a stunning performance to shake up the record.