Refusing to Throw Shaquille O’Neal Under the Bus, Kobe Bryant Displayed ‘Mamba Mentality’ After Losing to the Spurs in 2003: “I’ll Push Myself to Exhaustion”

In the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Lakers were coming off of three back-to-back NBA championships, the first ‘three-peat’ since the Bulls’ 1998 feat. With Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant still playing together, many wondered if the team could go for four in a row. However, during the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Lakers fell to the rising San Antonio Spurs. Bryant was understandably frustrated and devastated with the result at the time. Yet, as he was questioned about the loss right after the buzzer, he refused to blame Shaq for the mishap.

During the 2002 NBA offseason, O’Neal’s foot injury had worsened. Despite this, he only decided to undergo surgery late in the offseason, leading him to miss quite a bit of the 2002-03 campaign. Many believed this could’ve thrown the Lakers off, as they did not get enough reps with their superstar center in the picture. However, Bryant refused to use it as a crutch, despite being given the chance to.

Kobe Bryant held each Laker, including himself, accountable for their fall against the Spurs

The 2002-03 NBA regular season was perhaps the first time many started to see Kobe Bryant as more than just Shaquille O’Neal’s #2. He played in all 82 games, as opposed to Shaq’s 67, and really came into his own. He averaged 30 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game during that season.

However, despite brimming with confidence by the time the playoffs came around, Kobe and the Lakers lost to the Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Stopped by reporter Jim Gray immediately after the conclusion of the series, Kobe was asked about his thoughts on the loss, and if Shaq’s injury had anything to do with it. He responded with the following, as seen in the YouTube video below.

“I just hate losing. Tough loss… Get ready for the offseason. Next season for us starts right now. 

[Was the reason for the loss Shaq’s foot injury?] Nah, I mean, we have a million excuses that we could go to. Fact of the matter is, we’re not going to make any. They played better than we did in the series. We had an opportunity to win… Didn’t go for us.

[On how much harder he’d work in the offseason] I’ll push myself to exhaustion!”

Especially considering that the Lakers allowed the Spurs to go on a 44-18 run to close out game six, it was possible for a young Kobe to lash out and blame his teammates for the debacle. However, Bryant displayed his ‘Mamba Mentality’ and handled the situation with the maturity of a veteran.

That being said, the Lakers’ front office was already plotting some major changes at the time.

The 2003-04 LA Lakers campaign

The Lakers went on to almost immediately bring on reinforcements in Gary Payton and Karl Malone. As a result of it, the franchise won 56 games, finishing the ’03-’04 regular season as the second seed.

Come playoff time, the side looked good too, as they marched their way to the NBA Finals. However, it is here that they would see a disappointing end to their journey.

Their opponents, the Detroit Pistons, did not have a standout star. However, the franchise was a team above all else, with every single member sacrificing for the cause. For all their star power, that wasn’t something the Lakers could replicate. They eventually bowed out in just five games.