Kobe on the one question he always wanted to ask Vlade Divac: "Why the hell you slapped the ball like that?"

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal talked about their good old days during a 2018 one-on-one interview for 'Players Only.' Among the topics they enjoyed reminiscing about was their three-year championship run from 2000 to 2002.

Particularly, the Lakers' dynamic duo talked about their rivalry with the Sacramento Kings and that unforgettable game where Robert Horry sank a buzzer-beating game-winner to keep the Lakers' three-peat hopes alive.

"You remember playing against the Queens?" asked Kobe.

"I remember the Game 4," replied Shaq. "I didn't want to be 'Hack-a-Shaq'-ed…so I shot the ball so quick because I didn't want to go to the line. So I chucked it real quick, right? I missed, I get it back, Vlade taps it out of my hand, Robert's at the top of the key, he shoots it and it goes in."

It was like a bounce pass

Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals was a crucial point of the Lakers' dynasty run. With the Kings up 2-1 in the series, the game was a must-win for the Purple and Gold. Unfortunately for them, Sacramento wouldn't go away.

With the Lakers down two in the closing seconds, Phil Jackson designed a play for Kobe to drive to the basket with the hopes of sending the game to OT, but Bryant missed a driving floater. Shaq got the offensive board but hurriedly attempted a putback that missed. O'Neal got it again, but Vlade Divac tapped the ball into Horry's waiting hands.

"I never asked Vlade this," added Kobe. "Now I wish… I thought to ask him this. I never asked him why the hell you slapped the ball away like that? If you're gonna slap it, slap it up and out, right? Put it up in the air. Like he smacked it out like it was a bounce pass."

Webber called it a lucky play

During the post-game interviews, a salty Divac called Horry's game-winner a 'lucky shot.' Vlade claimed it didn't need any skill or anything; he just chucked it up, and if it goes it, it goes in. But Divac's teammate Chris Webber had another interpretation of that iconic playoff moment.

"Horry shooting it wasn't lucky," C-Webb said . "That's a big shot. I have to give him credit. That's a big-time player, but that was a lucky play."

Lucky play or lucky shot, it was an unfortunate turn of events for the Kings. Had Vlade tapped it up as Kobe said, Sacramento could have won it all that year, considering the Lakers swept the Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals. But as history turned out, the Serbian ended up delivering a perfect pass to 'Big Shot Rob' who added another piece to his greatest hits tour.

Related: "Basically, I made a good pass to Robert Horry" - Vlade Divac recalls his late-game tap that led to 'Big Shot Rob's' buzzer-beater in Game 4 of the 2002 WCF