"I need you"- Repentant Kobe Begs Shaq's Forgiveness

Miami-

Dozens of phone messages left by Lakers star Kobe Bryant for Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal at the team's headquarters reveal a despondent Kobe in the throws of a mental breakdown.

Heat officials described the messages as "disturbing."

The messages, all left between 3 and 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, seemed to be triggered by the Heat's series-clinching win against the New Jersey Nets the night before. The win means the Heat will reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year, while Kobe's Lakers, opening-round losers to the Phoenix Suns, have once again fallen short of post-season success.

O'Neal, referring to the events leading up to the future Hall of Fame center's departure from the Lakers prior to the 2004-05 NBA season, made it clear that he would not consider playing with Bryant ever again.

"No, Kobe, no," O'Neal told a crowd of reporters at a team workout Friday. "It's over. He made a decision and he has to live with it. We will never play basketball on the same team again."

O'Neal went on to call the messages "bizarre" and "a little creepy."

"If we weren't on opposite coasts, yes I would be concerned," O'Neal said.

Heat officials discovered the messages Wednesday morning and made them available to O'Neal Friday. As soon as the star center learned of the messages, he cancelled his morning shoot-around to hear them.

"We told him he didn't have to listen to them if he didn't want to," front office staff member Susan McPhee said. "But Shaq actually seemed to get a kick out of them."

A transcript of the messages has now been posted on O'Neal's personal website. In the messages, Bryant starts out innocently enough, telling O'Neal "It's been awhile" and that he just wanted to "catch up." But shortly thereafter the descent into madness begins its freefall as a distraught Kobe laments their time together in L.A. and pleads with O'Neal to come back to the team.

"I need you," Bryant pleads at one point. "I didn't realize how much until you were gone-- I know I made a mistake, and I want to make it right. I am just so sorry."

"I'm lost without you," Bryant sobs. "I am nothing. I don't know if I can sit through another playoffs watching you play with another team. It's wrong, just so wrong. You are everything to me. If I can't play ball with you, I don't want to even suit up."

"Come on," Bryant says on the last of 36 messages. "You can't deny what we had together. We could have had it all. There's still time. Just give me a call big guy."

Bryant could not be reached for comment, but NBA Commissioner David Stern said he is looking into the matter and "will help Kobe get whatever help he needs."