The charismatic Shaquille O'Neal wasn't short of bold predictions when asked about a potential return to the league to play alongside his former running mate LeBron James, this time wearing a purple-and-gold uniform.

“Nah, I'm done, man,” a hulking O'Neal told TMZ Sports as he was leaving the Budweiser LIVE five-on-five charity basketball tournament in Downtown L.A.

“Kobe coming back I heard. Kobe coming back! You heard it here first!”

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O'Neal was clearly joking about a potential Bryant return, as the five-time champion has shown no signs of being willing to make a comeback after capping his 20-year career with a season-ending 60-point outing against the Utah Jazz at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Rumors of a potential Bryant-James partnership have appeared recently, further complicating the conflict for Lakers fans who consider themselves loyalists to the Kobe Bryant era and want no part of James' kingdom in La La Land.

O'Neal is surely not helping matters here, but he's been known to stir the pot every now and then for the sake of his own enjoyment.