The Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant due was one of the most effective co-star pairings in NBA history. During their time together on the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s, they managed to win 3 championships, and they have one of the only 3-peats in NBA history.
While their partnership on the court was great, there would be times where they disagreed off the court. Their beef is well-known among NBA fans. However, one can’t deny the results they produced on the court. Shaquille O’Neal once compared their relationship to the Beatles’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney, claiming that the singer duo “bumped heads all the time” but were still “one of the greatest acts of all-time”.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the court had a perfect relationship. Off the court, at times we’d butt heads. One of my professors did his thesis on the Beatles, and I read it. I never knew that John Lennon and Paul McCartney had problems.
They bumped heads all the time. But guess what? They’re one of the greatest acts of all time. The crazy thing about it is, we’d only go back at each other through the media. That’s what a lot of people don’t realize.
Kobe’s guy was Jim Gray, so he’d say something to Jim and Jim would say it on TV. My guy was Jim Hill. After we win the championship who jumps in my arm?… We always respected each other.
There is no question that Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant are iconic for many Los Angeles Lakers fans. They are both viewed as legends for the franchise, with many people wondering what would have happened if they were never separated. Shaquille O’Neal himself believes that they would have won 7 championships if he stayed in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently far from the success they enjoyed during the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant era. They currently have a losing record, even while having a lot of star power. It’s hard to imagine this team ever reaching the level of any team from the O’Neal-Bryant era, but perhaps they’ll be able to turn things around soon.
