Lol, how many times as that argument been debunked? I mean damn, how’s the weather in 2005 breh? Shaq demanded $30 mil from the team owner in a preseason game which he wasn’t going to get but willingly went to Miami for 10 mil less. Kobe was gonna leave if Shaq came back because he’d sacrificed his game for years to an ungrateful, always out of shape, sensitive ego having nikka that refused to play defense unless Love bowed to him and gave him the rock.
Plus the Finals MVPs argument is incredibly disingenuous. Shaq’s matchups in the finals were all absolutely terrible and the East in general was a much weaker conference. In comparison, Kobe’s presence was moreso felt during the most difficult stretches of the playoff campaign. Of course you probably weren’t watching those games so you ran with that dusty old talking point. Guess KD could just plug in JJ Redikk instead of Steph and he’ll be just fine right? He got all the Finals MVPs, just stick any shooter next to him and it’s the same result.
It’s crazy, Kobe was arguably the best player in the league by 2001 but nikkaz that wasn’t even born yet gon give me this same kinda propaganda from the media that also told us that LeBron’s only comparison is Jordan as if it isn’t laughable to leapfrog him over other ATGs including Kobe. Y’all sheep ass nikkaz ain’t shyt.