"She has a lot of pain that she's dealing with" - Shaquille O'Neal reveals reaching out to Kobe Bryant's mom despite complex past with Lakers icon

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal revealed that he has kept in touch with his former teammate Kobe Bryant's mother, Pamela.

In an interview with People's Natasha Dye released on Thursday, O'Neal said that he tries to make sure that Pamela is "okay."

"I always check in on Kobe's mom," O'Neal told People. "I check in on his mom once a month, make sure she's okay. Their mom has been through a lot in a couple of years, and that takes a toll, and sometimes you just need somebody to just call to check on you. "I kind of know what it feels like with the passing of her son, but I don't know what it feels like to lose a son and a husband, so I'm sure she has a lot of pain that she's dealing with."

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Kobe Bryant's father, Joe, a former NBA player, died of a stroke in July last year. In 2020, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gigi passed away in a helicopter crash, along with seven other people.

Shaquille O'Neal recalled that before Kobe's death, the late LA Lakers legend used to "check in" on his parents.

O'Neal and Bryant played for eight seasons together with the Lakers, winning three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. The 7-foot-1 center was named the NBA Finals MVP in each of their titles.

O'Neal and Bryant's off-court relationship soured towards the end of their stint as teammates. The rift reportedly stemmed from a difference in their roles. The superstars' former coach, Phil Jackson, chronicled the latter years of the messy relationship in a book.

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Shaquille O'Neal calls Kobe Bryant the 'best teammate' in a tribute video

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's feud de-escalated as they went on with their NBA careers. After their retirement, the NBA legends have praised each other, even appearing in several engagements.

During Bryant's statue unveiling ceremony in February 2024, O'Neal narrated a tribute video by "NBA on TNT." In the clip, O'Neal referred to Bryant:

"The most competitive player I’ve ever seen and the best teammate I ever had."

Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the LA Lakers. When he retired in 2016, he was widely regarded as among the greatest basketball players of all time. The NBA named the All-Star Game MVP Award in his honor. Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.

Meanwhile, Shaquille O'Neal played for 19 seasons and is a four-time champion. He retired in 2011 and went into the HOF in 2016. In February, Front Office Sports reported that O'Neal signed a long-term contract extension worth $15 million per year to remain with TNT.

Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos