While Shaq was busy sitting on the couch, watching the NBA Finals after his Suns had been blown out of the first round by the Spurs, it turns out he was coming up with rap lyrics. Shaquille O'Neal's video of him dissing Kobe Bryant, while rapping on stage is making its way around the internet (TMZ).
Are we still fighting over this? Isn't it time that Shaq get over it? While Kobe deserves an enormous share of the blame for his public breakup with Shaq that caused the Lakers to enter a difficult 3-year rebuilding period, it's not as if Shaq is completely innocent either. Shaq helped facilitate the breakup by refusing to sign a contract that would have allowed the Lakers add any meaningful free agents, but the he wound up signing the same deal with the Heat that the Lakers wanted him to all along. His refusal to stay in shape and condition himself on a consistent basis probably cost the Lakers even more titles.
It's true that Kobe hasn't won without Shaq, but Shaq needed Kobe for his 3 Laker titles and he needed 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwayne Wade to win his fourth in Miami. But unlike Shaq, Kobe still has a few good years ahead of him.
It's interesting to note that since the Shaq-Kobe breakup four years ago, Kobe has continued to take the high road. He hasn't lashed back at Shaq, nor insulted him on any number of things. Yet, Shaq continues to act petulant and bitter, even though he as a title ring, and for whatever reason, he can't move on. He still calls Kobe Bryant "you-know-who" and he refers to Phil Jackson as "Benedict Arnold." Now he comes out with these absurd rap lyrics, after losing in five games to a Spurs team that the Lakers beat in the playoffs, and after being traded from a Heat team that was embarrassingly bad with him in the starting lineup. Well, I think Laker fans will thank Shaq for helping to motivate Kobe next year.
