Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were a sensational duo during their time in the NBA. Both players arrived in LA at the same time and were able to win three consecutive NBA championships and reach four NBA Finals during their eight-year stint together. But their dynamic had to be carefully crafted, according to Gilbert Arenas.
During an interview with VladTV, Gilbert Arenas was talking about the Kyrie Irving situation in Dallas. He compared Mavs owner Mark Cuban to late Lakers owner Jerry Buss. He also revealed that Jerry Buss told Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers squad that they would not haze and bother Kobe Bryant.
“Mark Cuban is like Jerry Buss when he had the Lakers. Magic Johnson is his guy, Kobe is his guy. People don’t realize. When Kobe got drafted, Jerry Buss told Shaq and the Lakers ‘he’s off limits, you cannot haze him. There’s no rookie hazing him. F*ck off’… That’s the type of future they seen in him, protecting him all the time”.
(From 1:52 Mark)
Jerry Buss and GM Jerry West clearly saw a lot in Kobe Bryant, as they traded for him on draft night in 1996. Investing in Kobe as a youngster was a gamble, as he was coming right from high school. But Bryant paid off that investment very quickly, becoming an All-Star by 1998, and winning an NBA championship by 2000.
Kobe Bryant And Shaquille O’Neal Dominated The NBA
Kobe and Shaq were a fearsome duo, as they led the Lakers to incredible success during their tenure. With both players, it was their incredible desire to win at all costs that made them so great. And combining their incredible play with their solid mentalities allowed them to dominate the rest of the league with ease.
The duo would fall out with each other by 2004, with Shaq choosing to depart and play with Dwyane Wade in Miami. Dwyane Wade revealed that Shaq’s relationship with Kobe was so bad that he couldn’t let Kobe win a championship without him before he won without Kobe. This fueled Shaq’s run to the 2006 NBA championship with Miami.
Kobe would lead the Lakers to two more NBA championships, earning Finals MVP plaudits in the process, and establishing himself as the greatest Los Angeles Laker in history. Shaq and Kobe would mend their relationship later in their career, and forge a solid bond.
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