Shaquille O'Neal's poignant message on Kobe Bryant's fifth death anniversary

01/27/2025 12:51 AM

Today, January 26, 2025, is the fifth anniversary of the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others when Kobe was only 41 years old. Five championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular-season MVP, and 18 All-Star selections, he was one of the greatest if not the greatest ever. The NBA even renamed the All-Star Game MVP award after him, an award he won four times.

This anniversary wasn't any different from the previous ones, as it brought emotional messages from fans and loved ones, including one from his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate and friend, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq paid tribute today with a touching message.

Shaq posted, "Miss you lil bro & miss you too Gigi #missyall #neverforgotten," along with old photos of their time together on his Instagram.

The two were an unstoppable duo for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004, as they led the Lakers to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002.

O’Neal has often shared how Kobe would check in on his kids, texting them just to see how they were doing, including during interviews like The Big Podcast with Shaq. Shaqir O’Neal, Shaq's youngest son, shared a throwback photo on his Instagram story of himself as a teenager shaking hands with Kobe Bryant, captioning it “Mamba mentality.”

Shareef O’Neal, Shaq's other son, shared a screenshot of the last text Kobe sent him on the morning of the crash on Instagram too on January 26, 2020. The text said, “You good fam?” Shareef, who is 25, responded, “Yeah! Just been getting this work in trying to figure out my next move,” and added, “How you been?” Now, that message carries even more weight for the family as it was the last conversation before the tragic event.

During their eight years as teammates, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe played 461 games together. Shaq averaged 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in those games, while Kobe averaged 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

The great legacy of Kobe Bryant is carried on through his wife Vanessa, their daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri, and the millions of fans who still admire him. Even five years later, his influence hasn't changed at all.

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