Los Angeles (AFP)

"All this stuff that happened between us, it was never aversion. This is what brothers do": giant with a broken heart, Shaquille O'Neal evokes with emotion his relationship between quarrels, respect mutual and rapprochement, with Kobe Bryant, died Sunday.

"I'm not doing well. I haven't eaten or slept. I watch all the tapes (from their matches together, note). I'm sick of it. It will hurt a long time. I have a little brother, but I really lost a brother ", says" Shaq ", his throat tied, on his social network" The Big Podcast ".

Since Sunday morning and this terrible helicopter accident in northwest Los Angeles, which killed Bryant at 41, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others, the sports world and the NBA are in mourning.

The big Lakers family remains inconsolable and even struggles to find the words.

From Jerry West, who first saw the immense potential of Kobe by choosing him to draft in 1996 at 17, to legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, via Magic Johnson who called him the greatest Laker of the history, without forgetting LeBron James who promised to "perpetuate his legacy".

Translation: Bring the NBA Champion Trophy back to the purple and gold house in June, ten years after the last won by Bryant.

- "The best duo" -

Shaquille O'Neal also has its place in the pantheon of the Californian franchise. With his former teammate, he was a major player in the conquest of the 2000-2001-2002 treble and remembers this glorious but oh so stormy epic.

"We are still the best duo ever created. It will never change," he said. "Not only have we won three championships, but we have really crushed them."

If the alliance between O'Neal, a monster of domination inside, and Bryant, insatiable precision shooter, has swept everything during these three seasons, their war of ego has continued to gain momentum.

Bryant, who then arouses as much admiration as hatred for his genius drowned in arrogance and individualism, would like to be THE star of the team. But it was O'Neal who received the laurels by being named best player of the three finals won together.

The arrows that the two men shoot will always be more poisoned.

In 2003, Bryant, who faced a rape charge, which was eventually dropped, nevertheless played the matches between his summons to court. O'Neal finds he shoots too much and says he should make more passes. Bryant, he believes with the police that he should have paid this woman to remain silent about their meetings, "as does Shaq".

The chemistry on the floors took a hit and the Lakers failed to clinch a fourth victory in the final against Detroit. O'Neal asks to leave. The next day, Bryant, who won the internal showdown, signed a new contract with the Lakers.

- "And if ?" -

"Everything that happened has happened," concedes O'Neal. "A lot of people like to see the negative side but I think they do it as a Lakers fan. It would have been a more horrible story if we had failed."

History has it that "Shaq" won a fourth title in 2006 with Miami, and that Bryant, flying with his own wings, surpassed it by offering LA those of 2009 and 2010.

"It just makes me one more than Shaq," Kobe replied when asked what this fifth coronation meant to him.

O'Neal retired in 2011 and Bryant in 2016. Time has helped reconcile the two men on the basis of "mutual respect" which has turned into "a very good relationship" according to Bryant.

"Our relationship was that of brothers", continues O'Neal in his podcast. "I have a brother. We fight all the time but I love him. I love Kobe (the same way)".

"I am the first to say: + Hey, I have four rings and I know I could not have had three without him. Sometimes I say + and what if? +", Continues O'Neal, who will never know how much he and Bryant could have won if they had stayed together. Maybe as much as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, five times sacred ...

But the regrets lie elsewhere for "Shaq": "I wish we had communicated more. I wish he was there. I wish I could say something to him".

© 2020 AFP