Jul
14
A dynasty featuring three straight championship rings could not undo the irreconcilable differences, on-court jealousy and off-court bickering that dominated the marriage of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant during their highly successful yet highly tumultuous eight seasons together with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Four years ago today, Los Angeles owner Jerry Buss chose the young superstar in Bryant over the aging great O’Neal, as the Big Aristotle was dealt to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future first-round draft pick.
Coming off an embarrassing, shocking and rather humiliating loss to the underdog Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, Los Angeles apparently had enough of the Kobe-Shaq drama following a season that was supposed to be glorious – the Lakers had added two more future Hall-of-Famers in Karl Malone and Gary Payton in pursuit of a fourth title in five seasons– but ended acrimonious.
Also purged in the process was L.A. Head Coach Phil Jackson, who would later write a book titled “The Last Season” in which he would rip Bryant and scoff at the superstar’s lack of maturity.
Of course, it wouldn’t be “The Last Season” in L.A. for Jackson, who would do the totally Hollywood thing, take the money and make amends with Kobe when coming back to the Lakers prior to the 2005-2006 season.
As for Kobe, the trade that ultimately made him the go-to guy of the Lakers proved costly in terms of winning; without Shaq, the Lakers would not make the playoffs in 2005 and then be knocked out of the first round in both 2006 and 2007.
Until Kobe learned to share with and accept his teammates this season – and until L.A. General Manager Mitch Kupchak got him an inside presence in Pau Gasol – the Lakers would return to this year’s NBA Finals and Bryant would win his first league MVP.
As for Shaq — who clearly is a shadow of his former self at this point in his career – he can ultimately hold his 2006 championship ring with the Miami Heat over the head of Bryant, as he recently did in his now-famous rap basically shouting that Bryant wasn’t anything without him after the Celtics six-game victory over the Lakers.
Oh how some divorces just won’t die.
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