Shaq regrets what he never told Kobe Bryant

Shaquille O’Neal has regrets over the things he never told Kobe Bryant.

Life is short, unpredictable and, in 2020, often harsh.

Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the NBA world learned this brutal life lesson back in late January with the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, but even seven months later, Shaq still has regrets over what he never said to his former teammate.

“I don’t want to see anybody go out like that and never to be able to talk to him again,” O’Neal told Mark Medina of USA Today Sports. “The thing that hurt me was all the stuff that I wanted to say, I hadn’t said it. I never said it.”

Shaq wishes he had more time with Kobe Bryant

With the superstar duo of Kobe and Shaq, the Los Angeles Lakers won three straight titles from 2000-02. Their differing personalities often butted heads, ultimately leading to O’Neal’s departure from L.A. in 2004. Their relationship was rocky at times, but even if they ultimately buried the hatchet as the years passed, Shaq admitted there were still things he left unsaid that he regrets now.

“You never know what stuff is going to happen. So you shouldn’t let stuff linger,” he said. “Were we best friends? No. Did we respect the hell out of each other? 1,000 percent. Do I wish we could’ve talked every day and hung out every day? Yes.

“There’s a myth that you have to be best friends to win championships. We only have to have one thing, and that’s respect… He knows I need him. I’m damn sure he knows he needs me. I was just hurt I would never be able to tell him anything ever again.”

Bryant would have turned 42 on Sunday and will be honored in the Lakers’ Game 4 contest against the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night with custom Black Mamba jerseys. While it’s heartbreaking to learn Shaq still had more that he wanted to tell Kobe, his admission should serve as a positive life lesson for us all: Life is short, so never hesitate to tell the people who are close to you how you feel about them.