Kobe appears on Shaq's podcast, both express regret over feud

[PHILA]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-...gret-over-feud

Kobe appears on Shaq's podcast, both express regret over feud

[I]August 26, 2015

Kobe Bryant will be on the next episode of Shaquille O'Neal's podcast. Wow, what a sentence that is.

The Los Angeles Lakers legends expressed regret about their old feud on "The Big Podcast With Shaq," and the full discussion will be available on Monday. For now, here's an excerpt, via ESPN:

"A lot of stuff was said out of the heat of the moment," O'Neal said in an excerpt from the podcast that was played on ESPN Radio on Wednesday. "I guarantee I don't remember a lot of stuff that they said, because I changed my thought process of, you know what, we won three out of four, what the hell are you all talking about? This is not really even a story."

Said Bryant: "Here's the thing, though. When you say it at the time, you actually mean it, and then when you get older you have more perspective, and you're like holy s---. I was an idiot when I was a kid.

"To me, the most important thing was really, 'just keep your mouth shut.' You don't need to go to the press with stuff. You keep it internal, and we have our arguments and our disagreements, but I think having our debates within the press was something I wish would've been avoided. But it did kind of create this whirlwind around us as a team with myself and Shaq and the press and the media that just put so much pressure on us as an organization."

It's not as if the two are enemies, despite the fact that they took shots at each other back when they were teammates. O'Neal recently said that he'd take Bryant in his prime over LeBron James, for example, and Bryant defended O'Neal publicly as he criticized the media. This is a big deal, though -- both of them have talked about how their relationship deteriorated in Los Angeles, but it's been done in separate interviews. To hear the two of them hash things out will be something.

As for the excerpt: Bryant sounds sensible here. Regardless of how many championships they won, O'Neal is wrong to say "this is not really even a story." When two of the best players in the NBA are on the same team and are criticizing each other to the press, especially when the team is the Lakers, it is going to be an enormous story. The media didn't create a narrative here -- Bryant and O'Neal did indeed mean what they said, and just about every basketball fan on the planet was fascinated by their dynamic.

A podcast seems like the perfect medium for this kind of chat, doesn't it? Wonder if they discussed what their feud would have been like if social media was around then. Maybe they would have posed for photos together to defuse some tension,

[Hit_Em]

Shaq has a podcast

[Fallen Angel]

Apparently Kobe and Shaq both came together during the 2012-2013 season and reminisced about their past. Kobe told Shaq how much he appreciated and unappreciated about him.

This was (reportedly) stemmed by Kobe's time as a teammate of Dwight Howard. He told Shaq about the things that he appreciated and missed from him that Dwight Howard wasn't able to produce.

This was also around the time that Shaquille O'Neal's hate for Dwight Howard reached all-time heights. He's trying to show his love to Kobe by spewing hate to Dwight. Shaq wants Dwight to be Shaq, but both players are different in terms of how they play on the floor.

[guy]

Read about this earlier. There's also a quote from Kobe where he compares themselves to Wilt and Jordan. Him assuming that Jordan would've done the same exact thing as him makes him sound real petty.

[Hey Yo]

[Fallen Angel]

I think Kobe and Dwight will come together next summer and squash this beef. Both sides can see where they were wrong and at the end of the day there's nothing to gain from continuing such a petty rivalry.

Kobe wanted to win.
Dwight wanted to win.

Kobe wanted the best available coach.
Dwight wanted Phil.

Kobe wanted Dwight to play like the best C in basketball.
Dwight had an injured back all season.

Kobe embraced Laker Nation.
Dwight felt Laker Nation turned on him prematurely.

Kobe was unhappy about the season.
Dwight was unhappy about the season.

That Lakers team was bound to fail without a one lone general to command everybody. There was nobody in that organization that could deal with the egos on that 2013 Lakers starting lineup. The injuries throughout the season just made it that much worse.

Dwight was right about one thing, this team needed Phil Jackson.

[GIF REACTION]

It doesn't matter. Dwight is a scrub now.

[raprap]

Shaq has a podcast

.... this

[9erempiree]

The greatest partnership/combo in the history of the NBA.

[r15mohd]

It doesn't matter. Dwight is a scrub now.

a "scrub" that would replace 95% of Centers in the league today, and have a completely positive impact.

another difference between the Kobe/Dwight saga is that Dwight felt it was indeed his time to be the 1st option and Kobe feed off him. Dwight wasn't wrong on this either...Kobe would have certainly thrived from having another legit big, as well as Pau, to do the down-low damage all while Kobe "got his."

they also should have never overlooked Brian Shaw as next in line after Phil Jackson, he deserved the opportunity and would have picked up right where Phil left off...seamlessly, too.

Lakers FO in choosing Mike Brown and Kobe's unwillingness to give up the 1st option spot cost the continued threat out of the Lakers after their recent championship run. Dwight's showing the Lakers' up today though, as they and their fanbase turned on him yet he's still proving full worth in Houston.

[r15mohd]

The greatest partnership/combo in the history of the NBA.

MJ and Scottie
Bill and Cousy
Wilt and West are tie for Kobe/Shaq

[9erempiree]

a "scrub" that would replace 95% of Centers in the league today, and have a completely positive impact.

another difference between the Kobe/Dwight saga is that Dwight felt it was indeed his time to be the 1st option and Kobe feed off him. Dwight wasn't wrong on this either...Kobe would have certainly thrived from having another legit big, as well as Pau, to do the down-low damage all while Kobe "got his."

they also should have never overlooked Brian Shaw as next in line after Phil Jackson, he deserved the opportunity and would have picked up right where Phil left off...seamlessly, too.

Lakers FO in choosing Mike Brown and Kobe's unwillingness to give up the 1st option spot cost the continued threat out of the Lakers after their recent championship run. Dwight's showing the Lakers' up today though, as they and their fanbase turned on him yet he's still proving full worth in Houston.

lol @ giving up first option duties. To who?

[r15mohd]

lol @ giving up first option duties. To who?

failed reading in school, huh...not that hard to understand

[LikeMike]

I had no idea Shaq has a podcast.

[KnittingRyu]

Read about this earlier. There's also a quote from Kobe where he compares themselves to Wilt and Jordan. Him assuming that Jordan would've done the same exact thing as him makes him sound real petty.

It also makes it seem that Shaq is better than Jordan, which we know isn't true.