The Shaq-Kobe saga is the greatest feud in the history of sports. Forget Montana-Young. Forget Gehrig-Ruth.....it's all the about the former teammates. They didn't get along because they both wanted to be the alpha dog on the team. Shaq felt the Lakers' chances of winning revolted around him. Kobe felt suffocated by the triangle offense that Phil Jackson ran.
The wikipedia article, fittingly titled Shaq-Kobe, chronicles the before and after saga of the two megastar players. The article goes into Kobe and Shaq's arrival (fittingly in 1996) in Hollywood. The article talks about Shaq's rookie hazing of Kobe and going out of his way to make life miserable (out of jealousy) for the superstar guard. The Kobe-Shaq fight during a two-on-two game in 1999 is mentioned. Wiki illustrates former Lakers coaches Dell Harris' and Kurt Rambis' failed attempts to intermediate the feud.
Phil Jackson's hiring in 1999 and his assistant coach Tex Winter's triangle offense is illustrated in the article. And how that added fueled to the fire between both players. Shaq would go to management and team meetings and say that the Lakers couldn't win or operate the triangle with Bryant. The ironic thing: Bryant was sitting in the room!!!! Kobe being pissed that Shaq was coming into training camp "out of shape" was mentioned.
Despite winning three NBA titles between 1999-00 thru 2001-02 seasons, Kobe and Shaq continued to beef. After Kobe scored 38 points in a blowout of the Phoenix Suns, Shaq demanded to be traded (he had 18 points). Because he didn't feel he wasn't getting the ball enough. Coach Jackson called Shaq's action "Juvenile" and ignored the request.
The beef continue into the 2003-04 season. Kobe blamed Shaq for not calling him during the infamous "Eagle Colorado rape trial". Shaq took credit for future Hall-of-Famers Gary Payton and Karl Malone (trying to be the alpha dog) arrival in LA. Shaq and Payton joked about Kobe needing to pass the ball more until he was healthy (referring to a knee injury Kobe sustained in the off-season). In response, Kobe (interviewed by Jim Gray), accused of Shaq coming into camp out of shape and not being a leader. According to Shaq's 2011 book "Shaq Talks Back", he threatened to kill Kobe for crossing him.
Phil Jackson doesn't get off-scotch free either....he accused of siding with Shaq and alienating Kobe (especially during the Eagle Colorado trial). Jackson would credit Shaq when the Lakers' were winning and blame Kobe when they lost. Jackson accused Kobe of being "uncoachable" and threatened to quit (he eventually did) if Kobe didn't get traded.
Eventually, after the 2003-04 season, Shaq and Jackson left (though Jackson would come back to coach the Lakers from 2005-2011). The wiki article insisted that Shaq left LA on his own terms and denied being run out by Kobe. Both players cite Shaq's demand for a contract extension to be the main reason why he left. Both claim to be on "good terms".