Kobe wants to apologize to Shaq

[KingKong]

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/8003826

Bryant wants to talk to Shaq and apologize for comments made

Dec. 16, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

LOS ANGELES -- Lakers star Kobe Bryant wants to apologize to former teammate Shaquille O'Neal for mentioning his name during a police interview last year.
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During television interviews on Wednesday, Bryant said he never meant to bring up O'Neal's name when he was being interrogated by police officers. The interview with police came after a woman accused Bryant of raping her.

"I would apologize for any harm that I brought him and his family," Bryant said of O'Neal.

The Heat will play the Lakers on Christmas Day, the first meeting of the two teams since O'Neal was traded. Bryant wants to speak to O'Neal then.

Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting the woman at a Colorado resort where she worked in June 2003. The Lakers star maintained they had consensual sex.

Prosecutors dropped a sexul assault charge against Bryant on Sept. 1 after the woman said she no longer wanted to participate in the criminal case. She had filed a civil suit against Bryant about three weeks earlier.

During Bryant's interview with investigators, he said he heard O'Neal had paid up to $1 million to various women to keep quiet about situations like his own. O'Neal, who now plays for the Miami Heat, dismissed those allegations as "ridiculous." There have been no published reports of O'Neal ever being accused of any sex crimes.

The former Lakers center was informed of Bryant's allegation last September, and the relationship between the two was strained throughout the 2003-04 season. After the season, O'Neal demanded to be traded.

"I never intended in any way to mix him into my troubles and difficulties that were going on at the time," Bryant said Wednesday. "Things kind of got blown out of proportion and people really ran with that stuff. I just apologize to him for that."

Bryant said he has passed the word to O'Neal through a mutual friend that he would like to discuss the matter.

"December 25 sounds like a good day to me to kind of talk to him and tell him I never meant in any kind of way to bring any of his personal business out," Bryant said.

Bryant also answered questions Wednesday about the recent spat with another former teammate, Karl Malone. Bryant has accused Malone, who is recovering from knee surgery, of making a pass at his wife at a game last month.

Malone's agent said last week that his client didn't plan to return to the Lakers because of comments Bryant made in a radio interview questioning Malone's intent in rejoining the team.

"To me it's water under the bridge," Bryant said Wednesday. "I just kind of want to move on from it. We just go our separate ways."

 

[HndsmCelt]

Prision cemetaries are filled with guys that "never intended in any way to mix him into my troubles and difficulties that were going on at the time."

 

[Gargamel]

Prision cemetaries are filled with guys that "never intended in any way to mix him into my troubles and difficulties that were going on at the time."

Well, interesting analogy, but Kobe's not a prisoner.

 

[JayBird]

Not to find fault with everything this boy wonder does, but if you are truly apologetic, wouldn't you just grow some, pick up a phone ASAP, and get it over with? I feel bad, so I'm gonna apologize in 13 days. Whatever.

 

[Bricklayer]

I saw the interview -- Kobe wants to do nothing of the sort. They kept on pressuring him on why he hadn't already, he made excuses, and then finally he wanted to get out of it so he asked the interviewer for Shaq's number. Because of course that's the only way Kobe could ever get that number if he wanted it.

 

[VF21]

Hmmm. I wonder if Kobe just might FINALLY be figuring out that come Christmas Day the Large Living Room Suite (with occasional tables, standing halogen lamp, area rugs, sleeper sofa, two recliners, ceiling fan, lined drapes, overstuffed chair with matching ottoman, entertainment center, framed picture of Don Johnson and Philip-Michael Thomas, multiple HD-TVs, chauffeur-driven golf cart for room-to-room transport, in-house catering service and hotline to Chad Ford) is going to be wearing a different uniform than Kobe. In fact, I'm thinking he may have had an epiphany and realized that, instead of clogging the lane FOR Kobe, the aforementioned Large Living Room Suite (etc.) will possibly be waiting in the lane...like a really, really, really big guy waiting for some obnoxious former teammate who has caused him a lot of grief to make the mistake of trying to get past him.

I am totally and completely convinced that David Stern already has, in his possession, a blank check with instructions from O'Neal to just fill in the proper amount of fine he knows he will inevitably be assessed for turning Kobe into chopped liver.

 

[vladetomiller]

Kobe didnt convince anyone with his interview. I dont think he wants to appologise, if he wanted to then i am sure he could have gotten shaqs number. Or i am sure there are many ways you can meet a person when you really want to, but the bigger issue is that he wants to appologise now. Wasnt that out last september, wasnt that known to shaq and kobe. He should have done that then and not now after its leaked to the press, is he going to appologise for the publicity that was caused or what. He just didnt come out right in this.

Regarding the malone incident, it comes down to he said she said, and kobe should not have taken his wifes side and accused malone directly. He should have talked about that to him (i dont know if he did) and leave it there, taking it to his wife is stupid. He used to strike me as a very intelligent smart person untill a year ago. The more we get to know him, he is as stupid as any other nba player. Maybe he is smarter basketball wise but generally he doesnt really know how to handle life and handle personal matters, maybe thats cos he came into the league so early and got whatever he wanted. He was able to acheive so much just based on talent that he forgot the real life, which is not that simple and which doesnt always treat you well.
There are more implications in real life than in basketball where you at most lose the game and for the high school kids who think its all easy cos they have the money/fame etc dont understand the hardships that every other common man has to go through.

For them life is easier cos money can buy almost everything and they have money, but the certain things that money cant buy they get hurt so badly and end up being big losers in life.

About the christmas game, talk as much as you want about shaq and his stupidity, but he is not vindictive and he is a good guy. he wouldnt hurt someone on the court to settle something that is off the court. He could have hurt so many people on the court in his lifetime and they wouldnt have even called it a foul, but he is not that type and i believe in that guy to play the game the right way.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Well, interesting analogy, but Kobe's not a prisoner.

yeah well neither is OJ. The point is the honor code among those people who sit on the visitors side of the interigation table were violated, and the code has consequenes.

 

[tbear03]

Hmmm. I wonder if Kobe just might FINALLY be figuring out that come Christmas Day the Large Living Room Suite (with occasional tables, standing halogen lamp, area rugs, sleeper sofa, two recliners, ceiling fan, lined drapes, overstuffed chair with matching ottoman, entertainment center, framed picture of Don Johnson and Philip-Michael Thomas, multiple HD-TVs, chauffeur-driven golf cart for room-to-room transport, in-house catering service and hotline to Chad Ford).

That is very funny.

 

[piksi]

I want to see Kobe trying to dunk over Shaq. That might make my Christmas. Kicking Laker but would be my first choice but that will happen tonight.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Yep All I want for Christmass is to see Shaq block Kobies shot and send ball and shooter into the 3rd row...

 

[bdouble013]

I watched both interviews yesterday and I'm sorry I just don't buy the fact that Kobe couldn't get ahold of Shaq. The man hasn't tried to apologize or else, and had it been important he would have found his number. Give me a break Kobe. I know some American's are so jaded they will believe anything that comes from a celebrities mouth, but this bunch of crap? Riiiiiight.

 

[RageMe11]

Kobe has no class...i remember hearing what he said about shaq and saying....ummmm....that's not good...but at that time i hated shaq as well...now not so much, especially since he is gonna kill kobe on x-mas. I love it!!! I am really just hoping for a really hard foul that knocks kobe on his @$$ and ends up with shaq towering over him with his ugly kazaam grin on his face!!! Best x-mas gift anyone in this forum could get.

 

[Evenstar]

if kobe wanted to apologize to shaq, he would have done it, oh 2 months ago or whenever it was when this whole thing started.

that interview was total BS.

i'm actually rooting for the big sofa ( hotline to chad ford LMAO VF21!!!!!!!) to CRUSH kobe. SIT ON HIM!!!!! i didn't think i'd actually want to watch this game, but kobe makes it REAL easy to root against him.

 

[Lamar_Odom]

yeah well neither is OJ. The point is the honor code among those people who sit on the visitors side of the interigation table were violated, and the code has consequenes.

Comparing Kobe to OJ? Wow! I thought I've seen your worst but I guess I was wrong.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Comparing Kobe to OJ? Wow! I thought I've seen your worst but I guess I was wrong.

Oh this is no where near as bad as I can be, trust me...

But if you will sleep better the comparison was just made at the level of criminlay accused athleets who were not convicted... no judment on either part here

 

[Lamar_Odom]

I meant takes... LOL.