Brian Shaw played a significant role in broaching a peace between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 2003.

When Bryant was accused of rape in Colorado, he mentioned to investigators how O'Neal would pay women to keep quiet about their encounters.

O'Neal waited for Bryant in the parking lot, telling teammates that he was going to "[expletive] him up."

Shaw had recently retired and was called upon by Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak and several Lakers to help.

Shaw brought Karl Malone, Gary Payton and Horace Grant to the meeting, "because if Shaq had actually went after Kobe, I wouldn't have been able to hold him back," says Shaw.

"If they were able to get along from the beginning, you know, who knows how many championships they would have won?" Shaw said. "That was the best 1-2 punch that I've ever seen."

"We always had mutual respect. That was always there," Bryant said of O'Neal. "As years progressed, our relationship grew and grew and we're still friendly toward each other. It's always been civil, but when you put two guys in the locker room every single day, you have complete differences on how you should get there, training or whatever, with me, and him, you're going to have confrontations. Absolutely, you're going to have confrontations. But when you go your separate ways, you only see each other once every whatever, it's great."