Shaquille O'Neal says he regrets his beef with Kobe Bryant and is trying to help Ben Simmons avoid the same mistake

• Shaquille O'Neal recently leveled harsh criticism on Ben Simmons for sitting out amid trade request.
• O'Neal said on his podcast that Simmons messaged him to shoot back at that criticism.

Shaquille O'Neal says he tried to warn Ben Simmons about wasted time, moments, and opportunities in the NBA.

Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers' disgruntled point-forward, hasn't played this season after asking the Sixers for a trade to another team.

Simmons was reportedly disheartened by trade rumors last season and irked by public comments made by Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers after Simmons' disappointing playoff performance.

During a recent segment on TNT's "Inside the NBA," O'Neal ripped Simmons, saying he didn't respect Simmons because he couldn't handle criticism.

On a recent episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq," O'Neal said Simmons reached out to him to disagree with O'Neal's assertions on TV.

O'Neal was reluctant to reveal precisely what Simmons said to him. However, Shaq did suggest that Simmons was critical of O'Neal because he did not have all the facts about the situation between him, Embiid, and the Sixers. O'Neal confirmed Simmons was "mad."

However, O'Neal, who has called Embiid the deserving MVP this season, said he attempted to tell Simmons to get over his pride and return to the court with Embiid.

"All I said is you're leaving your man out there. You need to play," O'Neal said.

O'Neal cited his own conflicts with Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers, saying he later regretted the wasted opportunity to win more championships.

"I realized this after I left LA," O'Neal said. "I don't believe I've been fighting my whole career for a useless title. 'Shaq, you the man. Shaq, this your team.' In reality, what the fuck does all that mean? It don't mean nothing. It don't mean nothing. I could have won eight, nine championships with that man, instead of we both arguing about whose team it is."

O'Neal said he spoke to the 76ers (he didn't reveal when) and told them not to fight over "useless titles."

"Because when it's all said and done, you don't wanna be back saying to yourself, 'I wish I coulda.' That haunts me to this day," O'Neal said.

O'Neal and Bryant's conflicts on the Lakers have been well-chronicled: arguments over shot selection, touches, work ethic, and more led the two players to divorce. The Lakers ultimately took Bryant's side, trading O'Neal to the Miami Heat in 2004.

Bryant and O'Neal had grown much friendlier after O'Neal's retirement in 2011. Both players had expressed regret about their contentious relationship, saying they could have won more than three championships if they stayed together.

While Embiid and Simmons haven't yet reached perennial championship contention like Bryant and O'Neal did, their combination of size and defense has made them one of the NBA's most intriguing duos.

"Ego for no reason," O'Neal said of what "haunts" him to this day.

Watch an edited clip of the podcast below:

—NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 3, 2022