Shaquille O’Neal Makes Kobe Bryant Birthday Special With Wholesome Gift to Late Teammate’s Mother

When Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the franchise drafted an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant to be his teammate. Over the next 8 years, they would go on to win 3 straight NBA titles.

After those wins, a feud had broken out between the two, and it escalated to the point where neither of them was even talking to each other. Eventually, the Lakers franchise had to make a call, and “the Diesel” was traded away to the Miami Heat.

Their feud continued for a while, but then started to take a turn for the better. The duo’s renewed friendship was evident when Bryant responded to O’Neal’s request to score 50 points on his final home game as a Laker by scoring 60.

Over the years, they resolved their beef and became close. When Bryant passed away in January 2020, his former teammate was inconsolable.

This week could have been Kobe Bryant‘s 47th birthday. Since he is no longer there to look after his loved ones, the Big Aristotle decided to do his part.

The three-time Finals MVP winner keeps tabs on the late Bryant’s parents. The last time he visited them, he noticed an old SUV standing in their garage. They informed him that it was used by his former teammate to go to high school.

Shaquille O’Neal, in collaboration with Effortless Motors, took away the 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser for restoration. On August 24th, they delivered the car back.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Effortless Motors (@effortless_motors)

This was the 53-year-old’s gift to Pam Bryant, the late Lakers legend’s mother. The SUV had stayed with the family for years, and O’Neal just ensured it stays with them in peak condition.

Shaquille O’Neal has stayed close to Kobe Bryant’s mother since his passing

Shaquille O’Neal has maintained his connection with Kobe Bryant’s family. Be it his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and their daughters, or his parents, Pam and Joe Bryant, O’Neal stays in touch.

After Joe Bryant’s death last year, O’Neal made it a point to ensure he always stays in touch with Pam, as he revealed while on Bailey Jackson‘s podcast.

I’m really close with his mother now. We talk all the time. Cause I know. I know her pain is… But I just call her, just to check on her. See if she needs anything. Flowers. Love you. Miss you. Stuff like that.

Shaquille O’Neal revealed

The big man knows that these gestures will not fix what they lost through their beef. But he is doing everything he can to ensure his late teammate’s families have someone to lean on.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal could have been most dominant duo ever

There is no doubt that Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were the most dominant basketball duo in NBA history. But there is always a chance that a similar big-small pair in the future could usurp them.

Had the Los Angeles Lakers duo won 5, 6, or more titles, it would have elevated their legacy. That was the idea when the late-great Jerry West offered O’Neal a deal when he was still with the Orlando Magic.

West had envisioned the center and his straight out of high school draft pick to be incredibly successful. Had West not been seemingly escorted out of the franchise, it is possible that the two superstars would not have had a beef.

On top of it, West would have motivated his big man to stay in shape. As Bryant mentioned in 2019, O’Neal’s conditioning stopped them from winning 12 championships.

Maybe that was an exaggerated claim. But no duo in the league could have beaten them had the two stayed healthy, conditioned, and motivated.

Also Read:

• LeBron James and Caitlin Clark Shout Out Tommy Fleetwood After $10 Million PGA Tour Win
• LeBron James’ Former Teammates Bank $1 Million After Winning BIG 3 Championship