Shaq says he'd like to return to Lakers and Kobe

November 18, 8:04 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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  Shaq and Kobe

You can't blame Shaquille O'Neal for wanting to return to the scene of his greatest triumph and his largest stage. He tends to get bored when things aren't hot and spicy where he works so this latest reflection on his years with Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant isn't surprising. Perhaps it's less reflection and more career engineering.

Last week, O'Neal was quoted as saying that he would be open to returning to Kobe's team in 2010 as a free agent. Oh yeah and all the trouble he had in that triangle of personalities in Los Angeles was caused by the head coach since he never had a problem with his "little brother".

As someone who lived through those days I can tell you that Jackson certainly was an agent provocateur on more than one occasion. But most of the time he needled Kobe about being a ball hog and Shaq about his free throw shooting and his refusal to stay in shape.

Kobe took the worst of it from Shaquille himself as well as Jackson and the local media that although split between the two super stars did show a bias towards the big guy. It stayed that way after O'Neal was traded and only began to turn around last season when the Lakers started to win with and then without Andrew Bynum. Kobe and Phil reconciled years ago when Dr. Buss re-hired Jackson as head coach.

O'Neal's performance has picked up this season after a tough transition period in Phoenix but he is still a role player on that team and the last time I looked it's a very long season for a guy with bad wheels and a weight problem. He will be 38 when he says he'd consider coming back to Los Angeles.

Don't tell me that Kobe didn't get chills down his spine after hearing about Shaq's comments despite his laughter and refusal to comment. It's striking thatt this isn't a bigger story both locally and nationally. As I said up top, it's not surprising that Shaq is longing to be relevant again.

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