Fight club   Catch up with Kobe Bryant's many on and off court feuds

Kobe vs. Shaquille O'Neal

From the tone of his comments, it doesn't appear Shaq will be embracing his former Lakers teammate anytime soon. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images Background: This goes Hatfield-McCoy deep. The two have traded pointed barbs publicly and privately over conditioning, coaching, shots, leadership, through whom the Lakers' now-scrapped triangle offense should have run and each one's willingness to "buy love." The final straw, though, was the breakup of the Lakers over last summer, a series of moves for which Shaq blames Bryant. Where things stand now: After initially denying any role in pushing former coach Phil Jackson and Shaq out the door, Bryant has said in recent interviews that he has regrets about how things unfolded and that he would have liked to have done some things differently. Specifically what, however, he conveniently hasn't specified. And while Bryant also said that there are times he wishes he still had Shaq at his side, Bryant has yet to speak with O'Neal since the trade. Funny, you'd think after spending 100-some days a year together each year for the past eight years, Bryant might have somehow picked up a phone number for Shaq somewhere along the way? Of course, after Shaq said that he would play a brick wall to Kobe's Corvette should the Lakers star drive the lane, a phone call probably wouldn't do the trick. Who gets the coal? Kobe. Lakers management may have put its faith in Kobe but the records put their faith in Shaq, who's taken every team he's been on to the playoffs since his second year in the league. Plus, Shaq would rather be a cop than verbally throw a teammate under a bus to avoid one.

Kobe vs. Phil Jackson

Kobe Bryant was anything but a compliant student by the time coach Phil Jackson decided to leave the Lakers. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images Background: Bryant chafed under Jackson's adherence to the triangle offense and the former Lakers coach's belief that the Lakers should revolve around Shaq. Jackson demonstrated an increasing lack of tolerance for Kobe's petulance toward his coaching philosophies and teammates on and off the floor, and cared little for Bryant's freelancing out of the triangle while looking for his own offense. Where things stand now: Jackson used a national book tour in the fall to publicly rip Bryant, accusing him of being selfish and of demanding that the Lakers trade O'Neal. The former Lakers coach also said his deteriorating relationship with Bryant was one of the reasons he decided to leave the Lakers after last season. Bryant has been relatively quiet on Jackson's comments, only offering a blanket statement in recent interviews that he didn't force anyone out of L.A. Who gets the coal: Kobe. Jackson's ego and his inability to remember the patience he showed toward another player who consistently free-lanced out of his offense when he coached the Bulls assuredly did not make him easy to play for. But Bryant failed to realize that the standard for greatness isn't the numbers; it's the rings. And if he had worked to keep Jackson and Shaq in L.A., surpassing Michael Jordan's six titles would have been a legitimate possibility. Not anymore.

Kobe vs. Karl Malone

Although Kobe Bryant has said he felt Karl Malone was like a brother to him, Malone's alleged comments sure didn't make it seem like he was his brother's keeper. Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE/Getty Images Background: According to Bryant, Malone recently hit on Kobe's wife, Vanessa, at a Lakers game, asking her for a hug before telling her that he was "hunting for little Mexican girls." Bryant also claimed that Malone's indecision regarding his return to the Lakers was unfair to the current Lakers, an opinion that drew the ire of the easily-ired Mailman. Where things stand now: Well, Kobe and his wife are still together, so it appears Malone's alleged charms were not too enticing. Malone's agent has denied the Mailman made the comments in the first place. No matter, it seems highly unlikely Kobe would accept playing with a guy he believes hit on his wife. Who gets the coal: Malone. As hypocritical as it was for Bryant to complain about someone trying to breakup his marriage after Kobe's exploits in Colorado, Malone (if the allegations are true - and he hasn't offered a blanket denial yet) crossed that fuzzy line that separates groupies from teammates' wives. Technically, cheating is cheating, but trying to hook-up with a friend's wife gets you into a different circle of hell, doesn't it?

Kobe vs. Ray Allen

Ray Allen didn't get the best of his individual matchup with Kobe Bryant, but his Sonics got the upper hand on the Lakers. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty Images Background: Seemingly trying to become the conscience of the NBA, Allen ripped Bryant prior to the season for acting selfishly and claimed that Kobe would demand a trade within a few years. Bryant said he would respond on the court. When Allen sat out an exhibition game against the Lakers after he made the comments, Bryant made a point of telling Allen on the sideline that he would see him again. Where things stand now: With all of the verbal sparring Kobe has been involved in with former teammates and coaches, Bryant has left this one to the court. In their only meeting of the season, Bryant scored 35 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out five assists. Allen's 26 points, five rebounds and five assists didn't quite match up but the Sonics' 108-93 win made up the difference. Who gets the coal: Allen. Allen may have voiced what many players, coaches and fans were thinking but there seems to be little reason to attack Bryant other than some old-fashioned playground piling-on. That and taking some shots at conference rival he has yet to best on the court. In other words, it was cheap. It also seems a bit unfair to rip someone when you make no secret that you want to play elsewhere unless you get a fat contract.

Kobe vs. The People of the State of Colorado

Kobe Bryant's 2003 encounter at a Vail-area lodge has forced him to make regular court appearances in Colorado. AP Background: Criminal and civil court cases indicate that Coloradans -- or, at least, those living in Eagle County -- didn't take too kindly to Bryant's alleged sexual assault of a Cordillera Lodge employee in the summer of 2003. Where things stand now: After a year of pleas, motions, evidentiary rulings, news leaks and private plane travel, the criminal case was dropped late last summer when Bryant's accuser decided not to testify in the felony case after details about her identity had been leaked on the Internet. The woman has since filed a civil lawsuit, requesting damages for pain and ridicule the woman says she has suffered since her encounter with Bryant. Bryant's attorneys have argued that the accuser was a willing participant. While the case will certainly draw more media attention and draw Kobe away from the team again, it won't lead to prison. Who gets the coal: Kobe. Do we really have to list all the people he's wronged in this? Taking guilt or innocence out of the equation, at base, Kobe cheated on his wife, whose affection it appeared he tried to buy back with a $4 million ring. He also brought such a torrent of media coverage on a young Colorado woman and his Lakers teammates that normal life became nigh impossible. And for a league struggling to sweep the Ruben Pattersons and Damon Stoudamires under the carpet, having a league icon, a supposed good guy, draw nonstop media coverage for such an unsavory affair, couldn't have been welcome.