Ariza: Shaq winning title with Heat drove Kobe to 'sleepless nights'

MIAMI - DECEMBER 25: Shaquille O'Neal #32 of the Miami Heat after dunking with Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers shares a word on December 25, 2005 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Lakers 97-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2005
Issac Baldizon / National Basketball Association / Getty

Kobe Bryant apparently wasn't too happy that former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal won an NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.

Trevor Ariza, who played for the Lakers from 2007-09, said on a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast that Bryant had some "sleepless nights" after O'Neal helped lead the Heat to their first title.

"Sometimes he would come in practice just aggravated," Ariza said. "Wouldn't say shit to nobody. And you can tell in his demeanor that those things was ticking him off. He wanted it bad. He wanted it real bad.

"I'm not sure if it was a competition between him and Shaq. If it was, I wouldn't have known because he never spoke bad about Big Fella at all, but I know that his drive was always to be the best."

Bryant and O'Neal won three straight championships together in L.A. between 2000 and 2002. Bryant then won another two in 2009 and 2010.

XRedditFacebookWhatsAppEmailSMS