Shaq jokes about Kobe pushing him off Lakers during speech

Shaq jokes about Kobe pushing him off the team during HOF speech (Video)

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (L) talks to teammate Shaquille O'Neal (R) late in the 4th quarter during Game One of the NBA Western Conference first round play-off against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles 22 April 2001. The Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 106-93 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Bryant was the Lakers high scorer with 28 points and Shaq was second with 24 points. AFP PHOTO Vince BUCCI/mn (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images) /

Shaq jokes (we think) about Kobe kicking him off the Lakers during Hall of Fame speech

Shaquille O’Neal was inducted into the Basketball of Fame today. Shaq was arguably the most dominant force to ever touch a basketball, and that nature was a major part in helping him win four NBA championships — three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.

During his time with the Lakers, the rift between him and Kobe Bryant was no secret and was highly publicized. Both players wanted to be the “alpha” on the team and felt that the offense should be run through them.

When Shaq was traded in 2004, fresh off a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, many suspected the rift between him and Kobe was the key reason. Kobe felt that it was his time to be the main superstar on the team, and the Lakers’ brass seemed to side with him.

With the NBA gushing at the chance to have the former teammates face off, knowing that it would be must see TV, the league had a Christmas Day match-up of the Lakers against the Heat for three consecutive seasons.

The rift seemed to continue for at least a few more years, as Shaq made the famous “Kobe couldn’t do without me” freestyle in 2008 after Kobe failed to defeat the Boston Celtics in the Finals. In the end, though, Kobe would get the last laugh and win two more championships without Shaq.

That gave Kobe five rings to Shaq’s four, and Kobe made that verbally known during his press conference after the 2010 NBA Finals. Six years later, Shaq seemingly threw a jab at Kobe, albeit jokingly, during his Hall of Fame speech. Shaq said, “Kobe helped me get pushed off the team and traded to Miami.”

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/774429386577616896

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Many were led to believe that the Shaq/Kobe feud was over after the two appeared to put their differences aside over the years. Knowing Kobe’s competitive nature, he still might fire back.

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