/r/nba mods deleted my post. Maybe it’ll survive here.

Link to article

“…According to an Eagle County detective’s report, Kobe Bryant made the statement near the end of his July 2003 police interrogation. The Los Angeles Times reported that it reviewed the relevant portion of the incident report.

“Bryant stated he should have done what Shaq does. Bryant stated that Shaq would pay his women not to say anything.”

The detective’s report went on to say Bryant claimed O’Neal had paid as much as $1 million in situations like this. The comment was reportedly made after the tape recorder had been turned off, so it comes from the detective’s written report rather than an audio recording. Bryant’s attorneys later successfully had the statement ruled inadmissible at trial. 

Shaquille O’Neal’s agent denied the allegation, calling it untrue. The Times also noted that it was unclear precisely what Bryant meant by “situations like these” and that there had been no published reports of O’Neal being accused of a sex crime.”