Kobe Bryant cemented himself on NBA's Mount Rushmore after iconic Shaq feud comeback

Kobe Bryant secured his fifth championship with the LA Lakers in 2010 and one particular response mentioning Shaquille O'Neal during the post-victory press conference left everyone in stitches.

Bryant and O'Neal are considered to be one of the greatest duos of all-time. Their stint together with the Lakers was historic as they won three championships and showcased dominance in all their title runs.

However, it is well established that the star duo did not get on well in the final few years as teammates. Ultimately, this led to O'Neal leaving the Lakers to join the Miami Heat in 2004.

This worked out well for Shaq as he won a championship in 2006 and while Bryant was putting up great numbers, the shooting guard was not immediately able to lead the Purple and Gold to an NBA title without the big man.

In 2008 he carried the Lakers to the Finals, but lost to their rivals Boston Celtics, leading to some in the game believing he could not win without Shaq.

Just a year later he silenced all those critics by winning his fourth championship by beating the Orlando Magic in the Finals. But Bryant was just not done and had more to say the next year.

Kobe Bryant's cold response after winning the 2010 championship

In 2010, Bryant once again led the Lakers to a championship and this time it was sweeter as it came against the Celtics - the same team that beat them in 2008.

The 18-time-All Star had won his fifth and the last championship of his career.

After the win, 'Black Mamba' was asked in his press conference about the feeling of winning a fifth ring.

Bryant said: "Got one more than Shaq, so you can take that to the bank.

"You know how I am, I don't forget anything."

Kobe Bryant press conference after he won his 5th NBA Championship (2010) pic.twitter.com/3TaDsh0sJ6

— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) June 16, 2025

Bryant and Shaq resolved their conflict

After a glorious career, Bryant decided to retire in 2016 and had one of the best farewell games anyone could have asked for. He scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz and it was in front of a packed arena with fans and his family there.

Shaq had already retired from the game and he resolved his conflict with Bryant.

The four-time asked Kobe to score 50 in his final game and although Bryant refused it at first, he eventually went and did it.

After the 60-point farewell game the duo shared a warm embrace, showing the world they still had a lot of respect for each other.

Their relationship got better after Bryant retired and they even did an interview, speaking about their stint together and how many more championships they could have won if they stayed together.

After his untimely death, Shaq has come out and spoken several times when Bryant's name is excluded from the best players list or the GOAT debate, which often only included Michael Jordan and LeBron James.