Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Image Source: USA Today
Shaquille O’Neal supports Vanessa Bryant.
Shaquille O’Neal recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier and praised Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant for holding the people accountable for clicking and sharing the graphic pictures of the legendary basketball player, their daughter and the other victims who passed away in a tragic accident in 2020.
The former L.A. Laker and NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal said that he feels for her and mentioned that they haven’t really talked a lot but they have had respect for each other and everything Vanessa and he meets, it’s a hug and laugh. Shaquille went on to remark that we all live in a society where people don't care, especially when it comes to the internet, and that he is unable to understand what she is going through right now. She's doing wonderful by keeping people accountable, but there are photographs that he would never, ever want to see.
Following the revelation that eight L.A. County Sheriff's Department officers reportedly took graphic photos of the victims of the helicopter accident in January 2020 and shared them with unauthorized persons, Vanessa is presently suing for damages for emotional distress and mental suffering.
Recently, Vanessa Bryant took the stand and shared that every day she lives in the fear that the graphic pictures of her late husband and daughter would show up and the pictures are not the way she wants to remember them. Vanessa said that she wants to remember Kobe and Gianna as they were. She said that she has three daughters to take care of and she cannot live in the fear that the graphic pictures would show up. The grieving mother and widow testified to the jury that she deals with anxiety and panic attacks because she knows that the pictures of them are still out there.
Shaquille O'Neal and Vanessa Bryant at Kobe and Gianna Bryant's memorial. Image Source: LA Times
After eight years, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant played together for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning three NBA titles for the illustrious squad, the duo got along well both on and off the court, but tensions between the two started to build over their respective positions on the team and Shaq's rumored compensation demands. Shaq O'Neal was then moved to the Miami Heat in 2004 and went on to win a fourth championship there but he made amends with Kobe Bryant in 2018, who managed to win two additional titles of his own before retiring.
This is not the first time Shaquille O'Neal has showcased his support for his late teammate's family as he gave a moving eulogy during Kobe Bryant's memorial service in February during which he reflected upon their relationship and the special times they had together in Los Angeles Lakers teammates. Shaq addressed the Staples Center, then known as a memorial for Bryant, by calling him "heaven's MVP," and he acknowledged it seemed unreal and was still very hard for him to understand.
He said that he never expected that he would be here today giving a speech about Kobe Bryant, and whenever he did imagine himself speaking for him, it was either in the setting of a Hall of Fame induction or as a guest speaker at one of Kobe and Vanessa's foundation events. and it deeply hurts him. O'Neal concluded the touching tribute by pledging to uphold Bryant's legacy and support his family. He continued by saying just remember, brother, that they have his back, and assured the legendary basketball player that he will take care of everything down here stating that he would teach his young girls all of his moves and joked that he would not teach them his free throw methods.
According to sources, HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty was renewed for a second season as a result of its positive reception and 1.2 million viewers on the premiere night across all platforms.The television show Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is based on Jeff Pearlman's book Showtime, Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. During the announcement of the second season, Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO programming, expressed her excitement about bringing Winning Time to life with Adam McKay, Max Borenstein, and the outstanding cast and crew of the show.
The series, she continued, not only tells the compelling tale of the Lakers' ascent but also looks back at the history of basketball's transformative era. She also added that the entire crew is eager to learn how they will depict the dynasty's upcoming chapter. Additionally, it was said to focus on Shaq and Kobe's rivalry and friendship both on and off the court. Shaq condemned the program's first season, saying he wanted to publicly express his displeasure with how they handled Mr. Jerry West, one of many people who questioned the show for how it depicted real people. Nevertheless, he said that he found everything else to be very, really amusing.
The renowned NBA player remarked that it would be intriguing to replicate the Shaq and Kobe situation as part of the preparations for the next second season. However, it was made clear that people were aware of him and knows that he has a great sense of humor and doesn't often have emotional outbursts. Shaq came to the conclusion that he and the audience should wait and see what happens.
