After their playing partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers ended in a feud, O'Neal seemed to have put as much distance as possible between the two by signing for the Miami Heat. But this week they have joined each other in celebration after becoming fathers just six minutes apart.

Bryant's wife, Vanessa, gave birth to the couple's second daughter six minutes before O'Neal's wife, Shaunie, gave birth to a girl early Monday. Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant was delivered a 2:03am on Monday morning in Orange County, and Mearah Sanna O'Neal followed at 2:09am in South Florida.

Bryant became a father for a second time, while Mearah was Shaquille's sixth child.

"The arrival of our new daughter Gianna early this morning is such an incredible blessing for me and my family," Bryant said in a statement released through his agent. "We are all full of beautiful emotions after such an incredible day."

O'Neal and Bryant won three championships together in Los Angeles but fell out before O'Neal left for Miami.

Fatherhood has brought them closer together, however. The pair exchanged congratulations on the impending birth of their new children - and shared a hug - at a recent game between the Lakers and the Heat in January.

Bryant is in the Team USA preliminary squad for the FIBA World Championship.

Article courtesy of www.fiba.com