They got to the Finals in Shaq’s 3rd season (Penny’s second). The next year, they won 60+ games and got back to the conference finals, but ran into the 72-10 Bulls. Then Shaq left. Pretty sure had they stayed together they would’ve eventually won.
So he made the Conference Finals or Finals 3/5 seasons? Is that supposed to be a knock on him lol?
All this means is that Kobe was the sidekick he needed to help put him over the top like a Pippen/Kyrie.
Shaq played with Penny ain't win shiit. Went to a 50 win Laker team and kept them on the treadmill. Wins 3 rings with Kobe. Decides his fat ass doesnt need to get in shape. Gets traded to Miami gets dragged to a title bt D. Wade, but we supposed to believe he was really him? FOH Shaq is overrated,
Say bruh, don’t let your love of Kobe destroy your credibility.
Let’s talk washed, fat, slovenly, morbidly obese Shaq. His numbers didn’t decline until his final year in LA, mind you he was 31. Will get to that later. 21 and 10. But still first team nba. Finals: 27 and 11 vs Detroit. He showed up. What did Kobe do?
22ppg on 37% and 17% from 3
The fukk outta here. But Shaq is the one gets the blame. Oh and don’t talk that ‘eye test’ bullshyt either. He was jackin for beats it looked just as bad as it was on paper
Then Shaq goes to Miami. Fat, slovenly, morbidly obese Shaq is second in MVP voting. At age 32. Second year in Miami, age 33 Shaq wins a chip. Again, first team NBA. Age 34 Shaq falls off a cliff and that’s that
So the question begs….how on earth were y’all expecting Shaq to age?!? It’s disingenuous to act like a 7’1 350 lb man who relied on power is gon stay “in shape” cut up and svelt into his 30s. Age 32 Wilt was averaging 20 a game. Tim Duncan never made first team nba after 30. David Robinson the pinnacle of in shape was a permanent complementary player after 32.
How on earth did we let this narrative that Shaq just blew whole career get this far. Oh that’s right, bc Kobe fans HAVE to discount Shaq in order for these inflated Kobe narratives to even begin to make sense
Shaq mailed it in after the first chip...Ray Allen nor T-Mac would have threepeated with Shaq
Everyone thinks Finals Shaq was the Shaq that was on full display during the entirety of the 3peat
99-00 was a dominant season from Shaq, he came in out of shape the next 3 yrs...and Kobe was the one that made sure the lakers could contend until Shaq got in shape
If Shaq had Kobe's mentality, they really could've won 5 or 6
02-03 Kobe was still hungry after the 3peat and Shaq fat azz mailed it even more that summer...we potentially could've 4peated if Shaq simply took hoopin serious and watched his diet
Shaq played with Penny ain't win shiit. Went to a 50 win Laker team and kept them on the treadmill. Wins 3 rings with Kobe. Decides his fat ass doesnt need to get in shape. Gets traded to Miami gets dragged to a title bt D. Wade, but we supposed to believe he was really him? FOH Shaq is overrated,
I feel like Shaq was dominant but, I don't think it's right he got to play with Kobe -- take advantage of the fact that Kobe could put up almost 30 a night (which is unheard of for your secondary guy to do), then act like he was the HNIC.
I understand it wasn't Shaq pushing this narrative 100% as the media played a major part but, still.
Im just saying, I don't think Shaq could do what Kobe did (going to multiple finals w/o a top 75 guy). The comparison for that would be what Hakeem did in the 90s, being the focal point of their offense/defense and having a bunch of guys who were skilled but role players (Maxwell, Horry, Kenny). Hakeem got Clyde in 95 but, in 94 he did the heavy lifting. Shaq never did that
Kobe is the 2020s Pac because these stories and hot takes will never end. Shĩt we are STILL getting new Pac stories that have us after all these years.
(1) Shaq and Kobe barely won 2 of those 3 as is; down 15 in the 4th of gm7 vs POR and needing Shaw/Horry to save them... Divac bats the ball in any other direction and LAL is down 3-1 vs SAC. It's like a misconception that all 3 title runs were replicas of '01. So while Shaq and another top 5 player would still be heavy favorites, it wouldn't be a gurantee. and that kinda goes to my second point...
(2) why is it a flex to say you would win the same amount if you swapped one top 5 player in the league with another top 5 player?
Nygga, you supposed to win
It's not like they were going against a Duncan and Vince Carter '01 Spurs team, or a Divac, Webber, Paul Pierce, Bibby '02 Kings.
Shaq would still have the clear talent advantage. KG would still have Troy Hudson
And (3) - Bonus: TMac had his chances with my squad in '05 (vs DAL) and most egregiously '07 (vs UTA w/ home court) and couldn't get shyt done, so whoopty whoo you didn't have Shaq, you did have Yao, the short pudgy light skin nygga had Carlos Boozer, yet he beat your team and took his to the WCFs. "Sidekick ring culture" aside, as a #1 option in his mid-20s he couldn't stay healthy nor get shyt done when he was healthy (with equal or advantageous rosters). He'd have still found a way to be disgruntled in 2025 even if he did have 1-2 titles with Shaq, probably complainin about he'd be more than just a side kick if he had a chance to be a #1 option before the injuries
So he made the Conference Finals or Finals 3/5 seasons? Is that supposed to be a knock on him lol?
All this means is that Kobe was the sidekick he needed to help put him over the top like a Pippen/Kyrie.
(1) Shaq and Kobe barely won 2 of those 3 as is; down 15 in the 4th of gm7 vs POR and needing Shaw/Horry to save them... Divac bats the ball in any other direction and LAL is down 3-1 vs SAC. It's like a misconception that all 3 title runs were replicas of '01. So while Shaq and another top 5 player would still be heavy favorites, it wouldn't be a gurantee. and that kinda goes to my second point...
(2) why is it a flex to say you would win the same amount if you swapped one top 5 player in the league with another top 5 player?
Nygga, you supposed to win
It's not like they were going against a Duncan and Vince Carter '01 Spurs team, or a Divac, Webber, Paul Pierce, Bibby '02 Kings.
Shaq would still have the clear talent advantage. KG would still have Troy Hudson
And (3) - Bonus: TMac had his chances with my squad in '05 (vs DAL) and most egregiously '07 (vs UTA w/ home court) and couldn't get shyt done, so whoopty whoo you didn't have Shaq, you did have Yao, the short pudgy light skin nygga had Carlos Boozer, yet he beat your team and took his to the WCFs. "Sidekick ring culture" aside, as a #1 option in his mid-20s he couldn't stay healthy nor get shyt done when he was healthy (with equal or advantageous rosters). He'd have still found a way to be disgruntled in 2025 even if he did have 1-2 titles with Shaq, probably complainin about he'd be more than just a side kick if he had a chance to be a #1 option before the injuries
How did Shaw and Horry save them against Portland? It was Kobe who outplayed everybody including Shaq that game. The two biggest moments of the 2000 playoffs it was Kobe coming through these are just the facts people keep trying to erase.
This is terrible for your point. For one it’s blind ring counting, but also its proof that a great deal of Kobe’s legacy vs Shaq’s is built on marketing and ‘feel’, bc of course Kobe was far more articulate, PR savvy, sharp, witty, etc than Shaq
5> 4….tf does that even mean when I gave you 3? As if Shaq couldn’t have crushed the buildings by posting shyt like this ….
Or this….
Or this…
36 and 12. Ffs. Yea I would try to erase him from memory too
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