ET spoke with the NBA legend at Shaq's Fun House Big Game Weekend Party in Miami ahead of Super Bowl LIV, airing Sunday, Feb. 2 on Fox.
Shaquille O'Neal wishes he could say one last thing to Kobe Bryant.
ET's Kevin Frazier spoke with the NBA legend at Shaq's Fun House Big Game Weekend Party in Miami on Friday, where he spoke about the conversations he wishes he could still have with the late Los Angeles Laker who, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a helicopter crash earlier this week.
"It's tough because we won't get to have these conversations. I don't really wanna have these conversations with other people. I wanna have them with him," O'Neal said, getting visibly emotional. "When I go to his Hall of Fame, I want to say, 'Congratulations.' When I go to his statue unveiling, I want to say, 'Congratulations.' Next time, I want him to say, 'A-ha! I got five, you got four.' Next time I see him, I want him to go, 'My daughter's 15, your daughter's 15.'"
It's been a difficult time for O'Neal since his friend's death. However, he's doing what he can to help those who lost their family members. "As you see, I'mma do it very well here tonight. I'mma just take care of those families, and we also need to have the conversation about them, too. 'Cause, Kobe, Gigi, of course they're important, but everybody's important. So, my condolences go out to all the other families," he said.
O'Neal is donating all the proceeds from his Super Bowl event to the families affected by the helicopter crash and the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation. Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan were among those who also lost their lives.
"We're gonna be hurting for a very long time. As I said on TV, I haven't been right anyway. Ever since -- you know, when you work as hard as I do, try to do certain things, you miss certain things," he explained. "I just wish I was able to say one last thing. Or two last things. Or 10 last things. Last time I saw him was the Laker, the TNT sit-down interview. I made a mistake. I thought the last time I saw him was in the last game, just 'cause I remember how great he was at that game. I thought that was the last time, but the last time was when we did that sit-down interview. That's probably one of the best interviews ever.
"When people look at it, they think we cleared the air. Was no air to clear. Big brother, little brother. I have a little brother, we fight all the time. I got sisters, we fight all the time," O'Neal said. " I just wish that he was here to see it with us, but we will never, ever let him be forgotten. He was already a martyr and kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, kids will know who the great Kobe Bryant was."
Friday marked the Lakers' first game since Bryant's death. Staples Center was adorned with a slew of tributes dedicated to the athlete, Gigi and all the lives lost.
"Man, it's more than well deserved. He was loved by Lakers and Laker Nation," O'Neal said of Bryant's big Staples Center tributes. "I wouldn't expect 'noting less from [Lakers owner] Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis and the Lakers organization."
It was a touching, as well as heartbreaking, moment in Los Angeles, as Usher sang "Amazing Grace" before the game. LeBron James also went on the court and delivered a heartfelt speech, vowing to continue Bryant's legacy.
See how else the Lakers honored Bryant in the video below.
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