Kobe Bryant was worth $600 million but deeply regretted not going undefeated in 2002 NBA playoffs with Shaquille O’Neal

Kobe Bryant was worth $600 million but had a massive regret about the 2022 NBA playoffs with Shaquille O’Neal

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal may be the most dominant pairing in NBA history, and they almost went undefeated on one playoff run.

The two played together for the Lakers from 1996-2004, and they won three titles together from 2000-2003. They were unstoppable. Shaq was in the prime of his career, dominating at the center position as nobody had ever seen before.

Kobe was an up-and-coming star, but his potential seemed limitless. While playing with Shaq, he showed he was a true star, averaging well over 20 points per game once he started going in his career.

He was an integral part of the Lakers’ title runs, but he was always considered to be second fiddle behind Shaq at the time. Shaquille O’Neal was the one winning MVPs and Final MVPs, he was clearly top dog. However, that dynamic got a bit messed up in the Lakers last year, and things went downhill.

However, for the time they were together, there was nobody in the league who could stop them.

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Kobe Bryant deeply regretted not finishing undefeated playoff run with Shaquille O’Neal

Kobe Bryant played in the NBA for a long time before he retired. To be precise, he played for the Lakers for 20 long and hard-fought seasons.

During his playing days, Kobe accumulated a great deal of money. Saving that money along with some wise business deals post-retirement helped him accumulate a massive net worth of $600 million.

Kobe was interviewed once about his favorite title with Shaq, and to nobody’s surprise, he chose the second title in 2002. What made that year so special?

Well, the Lakers held the best record in NBA history in those playoffs. They went 15-1 (at that time the first round was only three games), dominating every opponent they played.

However, they endured one loss in the Finals. That came at the hands of a massive 47-point explosion by Allen Iverson where he famously stepped over Tyronn Lue. Kobe regretted losing that one game, knowing the Lakers should have swept the 76ers like they were supposed to.

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Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers NBA Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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