- Shaq calls his partnership with Kobe Bryant the most dominant in league history
- O’Neal claims that his success with Kobe will never happen again
- Shaq joins other fans and players in celebrating Kobe Bryant For Mamba Day
When discussing the greatest duos in basketball history, you’d be remiss to not mention Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who won three straight titles together in the early 2000s. Based on their track record and all that they were able to accomplish, it’s hard for anyone to argue they don’t belong on the same tier as other co-stars like Magic and Kareem, Jordan and Pippen, and Stockton plus Malone.
During a chat on ‘The Great Debate’ last year, Shaquille O’Neal chimed in on the topic with some thoughts of his own, describing his run with Bryant as historically unmatched: “We are the most controversial, the most enigmatic, most dominant one-two punch ever created… never to be duplicated again.”
The Shaq and Kobe era began in 1996 when 24-year-old Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Lakers and joined Kobe for the first time. They enjoyed success almost right away and proved to be unstoppable with their combined dominance of the interior and perimeter.
After a few years of growing up from the young Kobe Bryant, the two would finally bring home their first title in 2000 and the rest is history.
Separately, both Kobe and O’Neal are considered among the top 10 players in NBA history and they both somehow managed to play together during the height of their powers.
Eventually, though, like all good things, the Kobe and Shaq Lakers came to an end as the result of a growing rift between the two stars. Had they stuck together for just a little while longer, they might have been able to win even more titles for the Lakers.
Of course, that wasn’t meant to be and the two would go their separate ways. Without Shaq, Kobe went on to establish his own kingdom in Los Angeles and grew into a generational legend when he won two more titles with Pau Gasol. His one-title lead over O’Neal was often a point of pride for Bryant when comparing his career next to his former teammate’s.
Meanwhile, O’Neal headed to Miami in 2004 and was able to win one more championship with Dwyane Wade at his side.
So while the two definitely proved they could thrive separately, they will always be known for what they were able to do together. As the best guard-big man combo in the last 20+ years, nobody has been able to top their amazing run.
Why Did Shaq And Kobe Split Up?
As great as the Lakers were with their star-studded duo, it was far from a perfect situation. Specifically, it was the difference in work ethic that broke the relationship between Kobe and the big fella and it’s an issue they were never able to fully resolve.
By the end of their time together, resentment was strong on both sides and there was a sense that they needed to prove they could win without the other.
Ultimately, Shaq just saw life differently than his superstar teammate and it meant they could never truly see eye-to-eye about the best approach to running a team and staying on top of the competitive food chain.
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