It worked out for both superstars. But maybe it could've worked out better for both had cooler heads prevailed.
Lakersnation.com is reporting that star guard Kobe Bryant is Shaquille O'Neal's guest on his podcast, "The Big Podcast With Shaq" with co-host John Kincade that will air Monday on Podcast One.
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ESPN Radio Los Angeles' Mason and Ireland Show played a portion of that interview, according to Lakersnation.com, and O'Neal revealed he never wanted to leave Los Angeles after the team's 2004 NBA Finals collapse against the Pistons.
Kincade asked Shaq in front of Kobe whether he experienced moments of regret.
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"A lot of things, you just played the clip where I said I wanted to be traded," O'Neal said. "I definitely did not want to leave L.A., but you know that's how you've got to talk when you're in business, especially when you think you're in control. Definitely didn't want to leave L.A. A lot of stuff was said out of the heat of the moment. I guarantee I don't remember a lot of stuff that they said because I changed my thought process of, you know what we won three out of four, what the hell are you all talking about, this is not really even a story."
Bryant told Kincade and O'Neal that his regret was airing their dirty laundry to the media.
"Here's the thing though, when you say it at the time you actually mean it and then when you get older you have more perspective and you're like holy s-, I was an idiot when I was a kid," Bryant said.
"To me, the most important thing was really just keep your mouth shut. You don't need to go to the press with stuff. You keep it internal and we have our arguments and our disagreements, but I think having our debates within the press was something I wish would've been avoided, but it did kind of create this whirlwind around us as a team with myself and Shaq and the press and the media that just put so much pressure on us as an organization."
But O'Neal did leave and went on to win another title two years later with the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade.
Bryant proved himself without O'Neal, leading the Lakers to back-to-back titles in 2009-10.
But had the two been able to work out their differences in Los Angeles, they arguably might have won more rings than that to the three they won together from 2000-02.
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