He's one of Kobe Bryant's Greatest Teammates, Showed his Love to Lakers Legend

Shaquille O'Neal is a beloved Lakers icon and without him and Kobe Bryant, the team wouldn't had the 3 in a row championships title they got between 2000 and 2002. Shaq has taken his time to remember one of his best teammates as the LA Lakers organization recently unveiled a statue in honor of the late purple and gold legend Kobe Bryant.

“Obviously it’s well deserved,” O’Neal said of Bryant’s statue. “I’m always bragging about how many rings I’ve got – definitely couldn’t have gotten the three that I’ve got without him.”

O’Neal also spoke about the perceived “beef” he and Bryant had during their careers, downplaying how big it was. He simply said he and Bryant were “two alpha males” who were “challenging each other.”

“I’m honored to have played with him,” O’Neal continued. “I’m glad to have helped him win. And I’m glad he helped me win those championships. Listen, this is a no-brainer. You definitely gotta have a Magic Johnson statue, a Shaq statue, a Kobe statue. And I’m happy for him, his wife, his daughters. I’m happy for his mother, his father, and his two sisters. So, again, it’s a no-brainer. We knew he’s gon’ get his jerseys retired, and you knew it was gon’ be a Kobe statue.”

The seven Lakers legends statues once Kobe's gets unveiled

Seven different Lakers legends will have statues once Bryant’s is unveiled. He will be joining Elgin Baylor, O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Chick Hearn.