Shaq Once Offered $10K To Fight Kobe Bryant
The Kobe vs. Shaq feud stories are never short of insane, and now Isaiah Rider is giving fans fresh insight on some of the craziness that used to go down.
During an appearance on Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ podcast All The Smoke, the former NBA star discussed how after his arrival to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001, Shaq said he would give him $10,000 if he fought Kobe at practice.
“When I first get to the Lakers, Shaq tells me, if you and Kobe get into it, it’s 10 G’s in the locker,” Rider recalls in the interview. “This is three days into practice…I’m like, ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.’ He said, ‘There’s 10 G’s in one dollar bills, if you ever get into it and you handle your business, grab that.’”
“I couldn’t believe it,” he continued. “I’m like ‘Man, these boys are crazy, bro’…But this is my thing: I would’ve been off that team so fast if I laid a hand on that man.”
Of course, Kobe and Shaq eventually squashed their beef and became close and long-time friends. The duo played together in LA from 1996 to 2004, winning three consecutive titles.
Watch Isaiah Rider’s full interview on All The Smoke below.