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Shaq to Kobe: "I Will Kill You"

An excerpt from Shaq's memoir reveals details of their beef.

 (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

 

The NBA lockout may have stalled the games, but trash-talking season is in full swing. Shaquille O'Neal doesn't hold back in his perfectly-timed autobiographical memoir, Shaq Uncut: My Story. The retired baller recalls how he and his teammates felt about Kobe Bryant, and getting so fed up with Bryant discussing his weight and injuries during a TV interview with sportscaster Jim Gray that he threatened to kill him. 

 

Here's an excerpt from Shaq Uncut: My Story (via USA Today):

 

Kobe stands up and goes face-to-face with me and says, "You always said you're my big brother, you'd do anything for me, and then this Colorado thing happens and you never even called me." I did call him. ... So here we are now, and we find out he really was hurt that we didn't stand behind him. That was something new. I didn't think he gave a rat's ass about us either way. 

 

"Well, I thought you'd publicly support me, at least," Kobe said. "You're supposed to be my friend." [Teammate] Brian Shaw chimed in with "Kobe, why would you think that? Shaq had all these parties and you never showed up for any of them. We invited you to dinner on the road and you didn't come. Shaq invited you to his wedding and you weren't there. Then you got married and didn't invite any of us. And now you are in the middle of this problem, this sensitive situation, and now you want all of us to step up for you. We don't even know you." 

 

... Everyone was starting to calm down when I told Kobe, "If you ever say anything like what you said to Jim Gray ever again, I will kill you." Kobe shrugged and said, "Whatever."

 

...From that day on, I was done dealing with Kobe. I was done dealing with Jim Gray, too. What goes around, comes around. When he got fired, he actually had the nerve to call me and ask me to help him out. What, did you lose Kobe's number?

 

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