Star Wars Part III: Shaq vs. Kobe

Wow, what a weird turn this Monday afternoon took. Earlier today, the gossip website TMZ.com posted a video of Shaquille O'Neal freestyle rapping at a New York club, and absolutely ripping his former teammate Kobe Bryant. The video
feels kind of like a scene from 8 Mile, and contains explicit lyrics, so if there are sensitive ears in the room, consider yourself warned.

The overriding theme of the freestyle is that Kobe can't win without Shaq, but among the highlights and/or lowlights: "I'm a horse, Kobe ratted me out, that's why I'm getting divorced."

Later on, Shaq did an interview where he backtracked quite a bit, and said it was all in good fun. Basically: ``the rap made me do it'' defense. No word yet on how Kobe is taking the verbal smackdown

Here's the latest from Shaq-fu:

"I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MCs do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all. And by the way, don't forget, six albums, two platinum, two gold. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a funny freestyler. Check the NBA DVD when I was rapping about Vlade Divac during my first championship run. Please tell everybody don't make something out of nothing."