- Shaquille O'Neal joked about the moment his former teammate Kobe Bryant gained his respect early in his career at a memorial for the star and his daughter Gianna on Monday.
- O'Neal recounted the moment that two of Bryant's Lakers teammates complained to him that Bryant was not passing enough.
- O'Neal said that as one of the team's senior players, he went to Bryant and told him: "Kobe, there's no 'I' in team."
- Bryant replied: "No, but there is a M-E in that motherf-----."
- Afterwards, O'Neal said he went back to the teammates, who he named as Lakers legends Rick Fox and Robert "Big Shot Rob" Horry, and told them: "Just get the rebound, he's not passing."
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Former LA Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal joked that Kobe Bryant once told him there is an "M-E" in team after his teammates complained that Bryant was not passing the ball enough.
In a moment of levity at an otherwise sombre memorial for Bryant and his daughter Gianna at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, O'Neal recounted a moment early in Bryant's career when fellow Lakers came to him to complain about Bryant's selfishness on court.
"The day Kobe gained my respect, the guys were complaining, saying 'Shaq, Kobe's not passing the ball,'" O'Neal told the crowd at the memorial, which included celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Jimmy Kimmel, Usher, and Alicia Keys.
"I said: 'I'll talk to him.' I said: 'Kobe, there's no I in team.' And Kobe said: 'I know, but there's a M-E in that motherf-----.'"
Afterwards, O'Neal said he went back to the teammates, who he named as Lakers legends Rick Fox and Robert "Big Shot Rob" Horry, and told them: "Just get the rebound, he's not passing."
You can watch the emotional moment below:
After that lighthearted anecdote, O'Neal took a more serious and reflective tone, telling the audience: "Mamba, you were taken away from us way too soon. The next chapter of your life was just beginning, but now it's time for us to continue your legacy.
"You said yourself that everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise. So we now take that sage advice, and we now rise from anguish and begin with the healing.
"Just know that we got your back little brother."
Read more:
The 9 most moving moments at the memorial for Kobe and Gigi Bryant
People took drastic measures to be among Lakers fans for Kobe Bryant's memorial - even though they didn't have tickets
Michael Jordan provided a moment of levity at the memorial service for Kobe and Gigi Bryant: 'Now he's got me - I'll have to look at another crying meme'
'She was so full of life': Vanessa Bryant laments not being able to watch her daughter grow up at the memorial for Gianna and Kobe
Next Story
I tutor the children of some of Dubai's richest people. One of them paid me $3,000 to do his homework.
John Jacob Astor IV was one of the richest men in the world when he died on the Titanic. Here's a look at his life.
A 13-year-old girl helped unearth an ancient Roman town. She's finally getting credit for it over 90 years later.
Sell-off in Indian stocks continues for the third session
Samsung Galaxy M55 Review — The quintessential Samsung experience
The ageing of nasal tissues may explain why older people are more affected by COVID-19: research
Amitabh Bachchan set to return with season 16 of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', deets inside
Top 10 places to visit in Manali in 2024
