Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant got past the feud that ended their partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers years ago. But their long-running disagreement about work ethic and preparation reared its ugly head again this week regardless, when video surfaced of Bryant quipping at a conference in Las Vegas that he would “f****** have 12 rings” if O'Neal spent as much time honing his craft as he did.
O'Neal, understandably, took exception to his former teammate dredging up the past, writing on Instagram that Bryant would have won more championships if he “passed the ball more especially in the Finals against the Pistons.” The heavily-favored Lakers, remember, were soundly beaten in the 2004 NBA Finals by the Detroit Pistons in five games. O'Neal also addressed Bryant's critique of his work ethic, saying, “You don't get statues by not working hard.”
Fortunately, Bryant diffused the budding disharmony between the pair on Wednesday morning, insisting they had “no beef” and blaming the media for so much attention on his incendiary remarks. O'Neal quickly responded, agreeing with Bryant and finding common ground in one of the shared targets of their ire: Dwight Howard.
It’s all good bro, when I saw the interview, I thought you were talking about Dwite, is that how u spell his name lol
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) August 28, 2019
Howard, of course, was a teammate of Bryant's with the Lakers during the 2012-13 season, one that was supposed to end in championship glory but instead finished with a first-round flameout. The mismatched pair grew crossways early in the season, and haven't exactly mended fences in the interim.
Shaquille O'Neal, meanwhile, has been one of Howard's most frequent critics throughout the latter's career, often decrying his inability to consistently put up dominant scoring numbers. Howard, now firmly on the downside of his playing days, signed a non-guaranteed contract to return to Los Angeles last week.
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