Shaquille O’Neal once promised Isaiah Rider $10,000 if he fought this Hall of Fame teammate
The Shaq-Kobe feud has provided NBA fans with tons of hilarity in the past years.
There was the numerous barbs thrown in the media, Shaq’s hilarious diss track, and even reports of an alleged slap at the beef’s height.
But this latest revelation might be the best yet. According to Isaiah Rider, Shaq once offered him $10,000 racks to start a fight with Kobe. The former Lakers guard, who spent only the 2000-01 season in Los Angeles, recounted the story Thursday during his appearance on “All The Smoke.”
“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,” Rider explained. “This is three days into practice... I’m like ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.’ [He said] ‘There’s 10 G’s in one dollar bills, man. If you ever get into it and you handle your business, grab that.’”
Rider, as would most people, was surprised.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Rider added. “I’m coming to the Lakers, I’m like ‘Man, these boys are crazy, bro... But this my thing: I would’ve been off the team so fast if somebody laid a hand on that man.”
Luckily, nothing ever materialized of Shaq’s rather generous offer and the Lakers would go on to win their second of three straight championships. While Shaq and Kobe were able to repair their fractured relationship prior to Bryant’s untimely passing in January 2020, Rider’s story shows just how toxic things had gotten between the duo.
