One of most dominant duos in NBA history was the tandem of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Combined, the Duo was nearly unstoppable. In the early 2000s, Bryant and O’Neal won three consecutive championships, forging an unforgettable dynasty that will forever be remembered in Lakers history. There was rarely a way to stop the Lakers in their heyday.
While they were amassed with a variety of talented players, the Lakers sole relied on Bryant and O’Neal to deliver titles and they did. O’Neal is often regarded as the most dominant center in league history. His sheer size and power was enough to ravage opponents in the paint, allowing O’Neal to post gaudy numbers every year.
Bryant, on the other hand, was the Lakers assassin. His unmatched scoring prowess and late game heroics made him a Lakers icon. Though, as O’Neal got older and less efficient, Bryant got better and morphed into a superstar, which didn’t sit well with O’Neal.
Long story short, Bryant and O’Neal would have a falling out and O’Neal would eventually leave the Lakers. O’Neal won his final championship with the Miami Heat and Bryant won two more with the Lakers.
What made their fall from grace so noteworthy was that Bryant and O’Neal’s disgust with one another became incredibly personal. However, the two have since reconciled and are now close friends. In fact, Bryant reminisced about his favorite moments with the legendary big man.
It is now clear that both former players are now fond of each other. That’s a great thing considering that they have put their hate for one another in the past and moved on.
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