Charles Barkley says Shaquille O’Neal wouldn’t have rings if not for Kobe Bryant

For far too long, the the narrative surrounding Kobe Bryant centered on his inability to win an NBA championship without Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq said it. Plenty in the media repeated it. And Bryant listened to it. Hence, why Bryant found great satisfaction both in winning his fourth NBA title and first one without O’Neal (Bryant likened the criticism to Chinese water torture). He also relished his winning his fifth NBA title and his second one without the Big Fella (“I got one more than Shaq”)

But with O’Neal endlessly ripping Dwight Howard on the TNT telecast of the Rockets-Blazers game, Charles Barkely suddenly turned the narrative.

“If it wasn’t for Kobe Bryant, you wouldn’t have everything,” Barkely said. “Why don’t you walk over to NBA TV studios and thank Rick Fox for getting you those rings?”

Surprisingly, Shaq had no response.

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