Shaquille O'Neal is now saying that the feud between himself and Kobe Bryant during their time in Los Angeles was simply a marketing gimmick.

"We helped you hype it up," O'Neal said in an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. "I know what I'm doing, brother. I'm the smartest player in the world."

Bryant and O'Neal have bickered publicly since they jostled for position as the Lakers' franchise player in 2004.

"I always did love Kobe," O'Neal said. "It was all marketing."