Jan 21, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 96-80. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
1. Kobe Bryant
No surprise here. After losing to the Pistons in the 2004 Finals, the Kobe-Shaq feud had reached an all-time high, and there was no doubt that one of the two had to go. Jerry Buss had a decision to make. Either go with the most dominant center in the NBA who led the way for three straight titles, or think of the future and put the franchise in the hands of the 26 year old mega-star Kobe Bryant. Looking back at it, there is no question that Kupchak made the right decision.
After a few years of rebuilding, Kupchak gave Bryant the supporting cast to win a championship, and Bryant gladly led the way to three straight finals appearances. It is hard to bring up how Bryant measures against all time Lakers greats because a solid portion of those totals came when he was part of one of the best dynamic duos in NBA history with Shaq.
Since 2004, Kobe has accomplished more than anybody in the NBA. He has earned two Finals MVP awards, one regular season MVP, eight All-NBA first team selections, two scoring titles, six All-NBA defensive first team selections, and eleven All-Star appearances. Over the past eleven seasons, Bryant has been the Lakers go-to scorer, primary ball handler, and best perimeter defender.
Things couldn’t have worked out more perfectly for Bryant over the course of his career. Playing with Shaq while he was still just a kid in the NBA allowed him to gain championship experience without too much pressure and right as Kobe started to enter his prime, he was given the keys to the kingdom.