Photo Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

Shaquille O’Neal Once Offered Isaiah Rider $10K To Fight Kobe Bryant

Even though the ‘early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers’ with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were one of the greatest teams in NBA history, the two stars didn’t always get along.

When he was guest on Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s ‘All That Smoke Podcast’, Shaq and Kobe’s former teammate, Isaiah Rider revealed a crazy story of how Shaq offered him $10,000 to fight Kobe.

Rider apparently was one of the few players who were able to get under Kobe’s skin and bring out a fury in him. This fact led to O’Neal’s offer.

“When I first get to the Lakers, Shaq tells me, if you and Kobe get into it, it’s 10 G’s in the locker. This is three days into practice. I’m like, ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.’ ‘There’s 10 G’s in one dollar bills, if you ever get into it and you handle your business, grab that’ I couldn’t believe it, I’m like ‘Man, these boys are crazy, bro.’ But this is my thing, I would’ve been off that team so fast if I laid a hand on that man.”