Shaq's Heartfelt Quote About Kobe Bryant Went Viral
On Sunday evening, the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets are facing off at Ball Arena in Colorado for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Exactly 23 years ago, Los Angeles Lakers legends Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers won the game 89-94, overcoming a 13-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter.
One of the most iconic plays in NBA history was when Bryant crossed up his defender and threw a lob to O'Neal, who slammed down a dunk.
O'Neal is doing Finals coverage for NBA TV, and before Game 2, he shared a heartfelt quote about his former teammate (who passed away in 2020).
O'Neal: "Of course, it was a happy moment. But if I could trade that moment and have him sitting here with us ... that would be better for me."
O'Neal and Bryant are one of the best duos in the history of sports, and they are the last NBA team to win three titles in a row (2000-02).
Bryant was a 17-year-old rookie when O'Neal signed with the franchise after four seasons with the Orlando Magic.
The duo played eight seasons together on the Lakers, and O'Neal averaged 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks per contest while shooting 57.4% from the field over 461 regular season games.
In addition to their three titles, Bryant and O'Neal led the Lakers to the NBA Playoffs in all eight seasons (and the NBA Finals four times).
