The Los Angeles Lakers in the late 90’s and early 2000’s were historic, amazing to watch. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant playing together was a work of art but as we all know, it wasn’t all champagne and roses. We all know the story between Shaq and Kobe.
Jerry West, Laker legend, The Logo, knows all too well about the goings-on. Especially at that time. And in an interview with Graham Bensinger. He talked candidly about the Warriors, his lifelong battle with depression and of course the Shaq and Kobe saga.
Bensinger: “Why do you think it was so difficult for Kobe and Shaquille to co-exist?”
West: “I think that Kobe Bryant played every game like he didn’t like anyone he played against, which I loved. He didn’t like fraternization, which I loved. And Shaquille was like a big teddy bear, who smiled, but you put him in a game where something was on the line and you wouldn’t want to play against Shaquille O’Neal…
“I think the combination of, you know, Kobe wanting to exert himself more than he had, and Shaquille being very vocal about who he was…. I think those two different personalities had to clash somewhere along the way. I didn’t think they’d ever clash to the extent they did.”
Kobe has had this problem twice as it seems. Dwight Howard springs to mind when I hear about “two different personalities”. Lucky for Shaq he got some rings, what was unlucky for Dwight is that he got absolutely nothing out of that. Except maybe a reality check.
I’ve always said that if I don’t see Dwight smiling, then he’s doing well. And that seems to be working now, with his Rockets pitted against the Los Angeles Clippers right now. The only way is up. As for Shaq, he can continue stacking it on the set of “Inside The NBA”.
