The Lakers are hoping to return back to prominence after two seasons that saw them end up with a lottery pick. This franchised is accustomed to competing for championships and anything less is considered a failure.
-== Top 10 Lakers Draft Picks of All-Time ==-
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant combined to win three straight titles and it felt like they could have won way more. Unfortunately, the two superstars could not coexist and the Lakers were forced to trade O’Neal to the Miami Heat.
Both Kobe and Shaq would go on to win championships without each other, but there is no question they formed one of the best duos in NBA history. Shaq shared that sentiment by saying they were the best one-two punch this league has ever seen. Even after all the turmoil, Shaq said he wouldn’t change his relationship with Kobe on the debut episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq. (via: For The Win)
"“I probably told him I was going to kill him, and I’m sure everyday people say all the time ‘oh my God he didn’t send me the email I’m going to kill him.’ We had a special relationship, a relationship that I wouldn’t change. In my mind we’re the most controversial, the most enigmatic, greatest one-two punch the NBA will ever see. You know a lot of the things that went on were designed by me. Out of the 500 articles that were probably printed, I probably meant it in 10 of them.So, did I say I was going to kill him? Yeah. Did I really want to kill him? No. Would I change how our relationship went? No. Never.”"
It’s bittersweet to hear Shaq talk about Kobe in such a positive manner. You hoped they figured things out and reconciled back in the day while they were still teammates, but it never happened. Now, that Shaq is older he is probably realizing the potential that was squandered because two big egos could not get it together.
Their team that won the title in 2000-01 is arguably the most dominant playoff team of all time. If it wasn’t for the heroics of Allen Iverson in Game 1, the Lakers could have been 15-0 that year, the perfect post-season.
We will never see a duo like Shaq and Kobe ever again and it’s a shame we weren’t treated to more parades down Figueroa with these two at the helm.