Shaquille O'Neal made a bold move on live TV recently when he confronted Stephen A. Smith about Kobe Bryant being left out of the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate. As a four-time NBA champion, O'Neal firmly believed that Bryant's name should always be in the conversation, regardless of who is considered the GOAT. He felt it was disrespectful to leave out his former three-peat teammate.

This was not the first time O'Neal expressed his disappointment over Bryant's exclusion. In a viral video from his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, O'Neal questioned why Kobe's name is never brought up in the GOAT debate.

Even Eisen, the show's host, admitted that it was a valid point and even described it as "disrespectful."

The video sparked a conversation among other NBA legends and superstars who also wondered why Bryant's name is often overlooked or ranked below Michael Jordan and ahead of LeBron James.

Despite their egos clashing during their time together with the Los Angeles Lakers, O'Neal insisted that he and Bryant never had any real beef. He believes that their occasional conflicts and arguments were just a part of being like brothers.

And like any brothers, they would fight but ultimately reconcile.

Their bond grew stronger over the years, and even after their retirements, the two legends sat down together to bury the hatchet and put their differences behind them. O'Neal has always been a proud big brother to Bryant and consistently includes him in his top-5 All-Time lists on social media, showing his love and respect for his late brother.