Shaq Says He Won't Watch The HOF Ceremony Because It Will Be Too Sad

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The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

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Shaquille O’Neal is finally getting over his sadness surrounding the death of his longtime friend and former teammate, Kobe Bryant, and because of that, he won’t be watching the upcoming Hall Of Fame ceremony.

The late Lakers legend is set to be formally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August, which is the ultimate honor for any NBA player, especially one who is already regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

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While it’s going to be a huge moment, Shaq admits that he won’t be able to watch it–mostly because he can’t handle going through another bout of sadness like he did when Kobe passed away back in January.

“Still miss him. Still think about him every day,” he said on The Big Podcast with Shaq. O’Neal goes on to say that on the “scale of sadness,” with 10 being the worst, he’s finally at a “2.” Watching the Hall Of Fame ceremony “would bring me back to a 7, 8, 9 and I can’t right now.”

He went on to say, “It would be great if his wife gave a speech or his mom or dad give a speech but I’ll see that afterwards. I’m not gonna watch the ceremony.”

The retired baller also toyed with the idea of having a Kobe hologram at the ceremony, saying it would be “nice” to have a hologram of the Lakers legend “sitting next to everyone else.”

Beside the huge meaning behind Kobe Bryant’s Hall of Fame induction, his class includes Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, so it’s going to be a big night all around. For the millions planning on watching, it’s sure to bring up those same, heart-wrenching feelings from the beginning of this year all over again.

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