Shareef O’Neal, the son of Shaquille O’Neal, revealed on social media that Kobe Bryant reached out to him just hours before perishing in a helicopter crash Sunday morning.
Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others, were traveling to a basketball game when the helicopter crashed in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, California.
O’Neal posted a screenshot of a direct message with Bryant on Instagram, showing the 18-time NBA All-Star sending him a wellness check just hours before the helicopter crash.
Shaquille O’Neal was a teammate of Bryant’s for several seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Shareef had grown close with Bryant over the years during his time around the team.
Literally this morning you reached out to me ….đ I love you forever uncâ¤ď¸ I love you pic.twitter.com/3oVgvKKUkm
— Shareef OâNeal (@SSJreef) January 26, 2020
Bryant was a five-time NBA champion, 18-time NBA All-Star, 2008 MVP and an 11-time All-NBA First Team selection during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Shaquille was among the dozens of current and former NBA players that shared their reaction to Bryant’s tragic death on social media, calling him a friend and a brother.