Skip to main content
Larry Brown Sports Tagline. Brown Bag it, Baby.
#pounditTuesday, November 28, 2023

Shareef O’Neal shares most important advice Kobe Bryant gave him

Shareef O'Neal

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal may have openly disagreed about a number of things from the time they played together right up until Kobe’s death, but that did not prevent their two families from becoming extremely close. In particular, Kobe made a huge impact on Shaq’s son Shareef.

Like his father, Shareef was hit hard by the loss of Kobe and Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna. TMZ asked Shareef this week what the most important advice was that he received from Bryant, and he said Kobe stressed to him the importance of outworking the competition and not trying to fill Shaq’s massive shoes.

“He just told me to always be the best I can be,” Shareef said. “Always try hard and always try to work harder than everyone else ’cause every day you take off, there’s always people trying to get better.

“He just told me to be the best I can be, I don’t have to live up to my dad’s name. I don’t have to live up to anybody’s name. Be the best I can be.”

Shareef, who recently left the UCLA basketball team and is considering a transfer to LSU, said Kobe, Gianna and the seven others who died in a helicopter crash earlier this month will be on his mind every time he plays.

Not long after the crash, Shareef shared a heartbreaking screenshot on social media that showed Kobe had reached out to him that morning to check in on him. Shareef referred to Kobe as “unc” in the post, which was an indication of the close relationship they shared.

More Larry Brown Sports coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death:

Don’t miss any news
– Follow Larry Brown Sports on Twitter
Join our Facebook group
– Download the Larry Brown Sports app on your iOS device
– Subscribe to our newsletter (sign up here)

Tributes to Kobe:
Vanessa Bryant posts first Instagram message since death of Kobe, Gianna
NBA players changing jersey numbers in honor of Kobe Bryant
Clippers leave Kobe Bryant’s retired Lakers jerseys uncovered at Staples Center
Bill Belichick shares touching anecdote in tribute to Kobe Bryant
UConn honors Gianna Bryant with own jersey, spot on the bench
Jeanie Buss shares emotional tribute to Kobe, Gianna Bryant on Instagram
Kobe Bryant could have street named after him near Staples Center
Video: Shaq gets emotional talking about Kobe Bryant on TNT
Shareef O’Neal shares most important advice Kobe Bryant gave him
LeBron James had inspirational message for Lakers during meeting about Kobe
Video: See LeBron’s tribute speech to Kobe before Lakers game
Dallas Mavericks retire Kobe Bryant’s No. 24 jersey
Video: Raptors, Spurs start game with amazing tribute to Kobe Bryant
Shaq posts heartfelt tribute to Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan releases statement on death of ‘little brother’ Kobe Bryant
Video: Doc Rivers breaks down crying talking about Kobe Bryant
Phil Jackson calls Kobe Bryant ‘a chosen one’ in statement on his death
NBA commissioner Adam Silver issues statement on death of Kobe Bryant
Video: Dwyane Wade posts emotional message reacting to Kobe Bryant’s death
Kendrick Perkins extends olive branch to Kevin Durant after Kobe Bryant’s death
Gilbert Arenas vows to begin coaching career like Kobe Bryant urged him to
Video: Emotional Mike Breen sums up NBA world’s emotions about Kobe Bryant’s death
Damian Lillard puts Kobe Bryant into context with great quote
Chiefs, 49ers honor Kobe Bryant by lining up at 24-yard line before Super Bowl
Trae Young’s huge game was full of Kobe Bryant-related statistical coincidences

More coverage:
Video: Kobe Bryant helicopter audio released
Investigators release chilling drone footage from Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site
Media errors, rumors, poor judgment run rampant in reporting of Kobe Bryant news
TMZ says they had permission from Kobe’s people to report Bryant had died
NBA postpones Tuesday’s Lakers-Clippers game after Kobe Bryant’s death
Shaq says he had not spoken to Kobe Bryant in nearly four years
Kobe Bryant recently filed for ‘Mambacita’ trademark for daughter Gianna
Kobe Bryant checked in on Shaq’s son Shareef morning of helicopter crash
No, Rick Fox did not die in helicopter crash that killed Kobe, Gianna Bryant
Lakers fans start memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center
Kobe Bryant’s last tweet was congratulating LeBron James on passing him
Sports world stunned over Kobe Bryant news
Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash – dead at 41

Other victims of the helicopter crash:
John Altobelli, junior college baseball coach, also died in helicopter crash
Christina Mauser, girls’ basketball coach, among the helicopter crash victims
Sarah Chester, daughter Payton were also killed in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash
Ara Zobayan was the pilot in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

Don’t miss any news
– Follow Larry Brown Sports on Twitter
Join our Facebook group
– Download the Larry Brown Sports app on your iOS device
– Subscribe to our newsletter (sign up here)

.

Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast!

Sports News Minute Podcast
comments powered by Disqus