Shaquille O'Neal releases statement following Kobe Bryant's death

Teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers for eight seasons. Two of the greatest players in modern NBA history.

While their careers crossed paths for less than a decade, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal will always be linked with one another.

Following Bryant’s tragic death at the age of 41 on Sunday, O’Neal released a statement. Said statement was heart-wrenching and included photos of the two together.

There’s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of loosing my neice Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/pigHywq3c1
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 26, 2020

It’s hard to imagine what O’Neal is going through right now. Sure the two had a volatile relationship. But sharing the success they had in Los Angeles overrode everything else.

O’Neal and Bryant became closer in the past couple years after both stepped away from the game. It has to be a sorrowful day, one full of grief and memories for Shaq.