When J.R. Rider Joined The Lakers Shaq Told Him He Would Give Him $10,000 Cash If He Ever Fought Kobe In Practice

“When I first get to the Lakers, Shaq tells me, if you and Kobe get into it, it’s 10 G’s in the locker…This is three days into practice…I’m like, ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.’ ‘There’s 10 G’s in one dollar bills, if you ever get into it and you handle your business, grab that’…I couldn’t believe it, I’m like ‘Man, these boys are crazy, bro’…But this is my thing: I would’ve been off that team so fast if I laid a hand on that man.” (h/t All the Smoke podcast) 

Yep, this checks out. There's absolutely zero shock that Shaq would have paid someone, anyone, $10,000 cash for fighting Kobe during practice. You know Shaq wanted to kick Kobe's ass but he couldn't do it. It would be too much of a problem and Shaq wants the ball. That's why he needed someone like J.R. Rider to do it. 

The fact that it was all singles is hilarious too. That's just a pain in the ass to carry around and imagine having to go to the bank with $10,000 in single bills. I don't think I would. I'd just leave that shit in a drawer or immediately go to the strip club. Those are the only two options. You can't be lugging that around. You can't even go to a casino with that many single bills. That might be the biggest asshole move you could do, trying to get chips and having them count out 5,000 singles. 

 You think Stephen Jackson would take up that offer? That man was pissed Rider didn't take the deal. Captain Jack would be waiting on the practice floor every day to fight Kobe and cash in a hundred thousand with ease. No doubt about it that man would be punching Kobe day in and day out. Makes me wonder if Chris Childs ever got cash? 

I can't get enough Kobe/Shaq stories. It's honestly somewhat a miracle that they won as much as they did when you hear shit like this. Sure, they may have been 2 of the top-5 players in the league at the time and 2 of the top-15ish all-time, but you got Shaq putting a goddamn bounty on Kobe's head. Shaq had a secret sign of not to pass the ball to Kobe with teammates. It's a miracle they didn't brawl on the court themselves at one point. But 10 grand is 10 grand, I'm shocked no one took that offer.