It was announced Monday that Shaquille O’Neal would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but he’s still jealous of Kobe Bryant’s final year.
During a recording of next Monday’s The BIG Podcast with Shaq , O’Neal weighed in on Bryant’s retirement tour. Shaq wished that he would’ve had a farewell tour of his own during his final season with the Boston Celtics.
He said via PodcastOne.com:
“I’m super jealous. I wanted a Shaq tour, man. I did. Like, I never said this but this is killing me. It did. So, you know, I had two years in Boston. I got hurt my first year, but the second year, we were going to plan a whole Shaq tour. I’m super jealous. I wanted a Shaq tour.”
He went on:
“But still, I wanted to just go to the city, and people see me play my last game. I did. I’m like – at first I tried to suck it up, but I can’t. It’s killing me.”
Even during the worst season in Lakers history, Kobe’s final season has made every Lakers game a hot ticket, especially in road games. Shaq played for six NBA teams while Kobe spent his entire career with the Lakers. A Shaq farewell tour with the Celtics, though deserved, likely wouldn’t have carried the same significance of Kobe’s last season in Los Angeles.
On the bright side, Shaq will always have a WrestleMania appearance over Kobe.
You can catch the full podcast here on Monday, April 11.