The Los Angeles Lakers developed a dynasty in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Veteran center Shaquille O'Neal and young guard Kobe Bryant led the way, as LA emerged as the best team in the NBA, winning three consecutive championships from 1999-2002. Although Kobe had already established himself as a star in the NBA, former player Gilbert Arenas believes Bryant was the "sidekick" in his first three championships as Shaq led the Lakers.
"3 of his championships [Kobe] was the sidekick... Shaq was the dominant force."
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 18, 2024
Is Gil trippin' for saying Kobe was Robin to Shaq's Batman during the Lakers dynasty 🤔 pic.twitter.com/nhCkdJRClE
"I said something that irritated the sh*t out of Kobe fans even though I'm a Kobe fan," Arenas said on Gil's Arena. "When I said three of his championships he was the sidekick. Everyone's like, 'he was never a sidekick!' He was only 21, 22 and 23. Those championships, Shaq was the dominant force."
Arenas' comments led to debate on the show. However, does Arenas make a valid point here?
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's impact during Lakers' championship runs
Kobe is the player the Lakers wanted taking the clutch shots down the stretch of games. He played with a fearless mentality, and was not afraid of the big moment. With that being said, Shaq's stats from the NBA Finals are difficult to ignore.
O'Neal won the NBA Finals MVP in all three seasons from 1999-2002. He averaged 30.7 points and 15.4 rebounds per game in the 1999-2000 NBA playoffs. Bryant, meanwhile, recorded 21.1 points per outing.
Kobe took a step forward in the 2000-2001 playoffs, though, averaging 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Shaq still finished with 30.4 points and 15.4 rebounds per outing, however. In the 2001-2002 postseason, O'Neal averaged 28.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while Bryant averaged 26.6 points per outing.
Arenas' "sidekick" comment could arguably be applied to the 1999-2000 postseason. In 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, though, Shaq and Kobe both led the way. O'Neal's statistics stand out but Bryant's ability to connect on clutch shots while averaging just a couple of points less than Shaq suggests it was a true team effort between the duo.
Regardless of Arenas' stance on the matter, Kobe would end up winning five total championships, as he added two more following O'Neal's departure from the Lakers. Shaq earned one more championship with the Miami Heat, finishing his NBA career with four total NBA Finals victories.
Both players enjoyed truly legendary NBA careers. They are also both two of the greatest Lakers of all-time.