murksiderock
Superstar
I guess I take the hypothetical as, if someone were in place of Shaq at that time, meaning 2000, 2001, 2002.Dirk is better than Pau so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Kobe could get 3 with him. It’s all hypothetical anyway
Kobe wasn't ready to lead a team to a championship in the early 00s, we know this because after Shaq left it took 4 years to get back to The Finals, 5 years to win a title. So if Kobe wasn't ready to lead a team to a title at that time, you can't replace the best player in The League with an inferior player and get the same results.
Dirk was also unready to lead a team to a championship in the early 00s. We know this to be true, because he didn't.
I think a pairing of early 00s Dirk + early 00s Kobe wins a championship, but 3? Those guys, at that stage of their careers, aren't winning 3 titles.
For the record, I believe that if you gave Shaq Vince or T-Mac instead of Kobe, those pairs also find a way to a title.
In no circumstance do I believe they win 3. Shaq and Kobe were the perfect duo for each other; replacing them with inferior players isn't gonna replicate their success----->only caveat being, replace Shaq with Duncan, a Duncan + Kobe duo is winning 3 rings, at least.
But as you said, its all hypothetical, so if you take the hypo to mean, Kobe and Dirk at any stage of their careers, thats fine.
So he almost won 3 straight with Pau but Dirk is a stretch?![]()