A few years before they were in the race to one-up each other in the NBA titles column, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were arguably the greatest duos in basketball. Just 2 years prior to Shaq signing a $101,000,000 deal with the Heat, they had completed a three-peat, which would be the NBA’s last 3-peat. Bryant paid homage to his idol Michael Jordan on the way to the iconic 3-peat, by wearing a #23 Bulls jersey before Game 4. His team was 3-0 up on the Nets.
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Kobe idolized Mike since he was a kid, growing up with the dreams of making it to the NBA one day. And after making it there in 1996, he made the most out of learning from Jordan whenever he got the chance. However, Shaq did not like him becoming another Jordan. O’Neal wanted him to be just Kobe Bryant.
When Shaquille O’Neal pleaded with Kobe Bryant to take his Michael Jordan jersey off
During the 2002 NBA Finals, when the Lakers were 3-0 up on the Nets, there was a chance for Kobe Bryant to pay the biggest homage to his idol with a 3-peat of his own. He did it by rocking a Michael Jordan Bulls jersey to the arena for Game 4. It was a treat for the fandom of both icons.
However, Shaq took exception to it. He suggested his “little brother” take off the jersey. But it was in a sense to tell the 24-year-old Bryant to become a player of his own and not the ‘next MJ’. He shared the same recently through his Twitter account.
The relationship they had until then allowed The Big Aristotle to do so. Both of them unselfishly helped each other and the team in reaching the heights that only 2 franchises (the Celtics and the Bulls) before them had reached. However, that year onwards, it all went downhill for the duo.
It wasn’t just Shaq who was looking for options in 2004
In his recent appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, former Lakers’ GM Jerry West opened up about how Kobe was also looking for options in 2004. The man who would go on to be a Laker for life was considering Memphis as one of his next possible destinations.
It was because the relationship between Shaq and Kobe had started souring after the 3-peat when both of them wanted to be the alpha of the team.
The Lakers decided on siding with the younger talent, who would be the future of the franchise. That resulted in them winning 2 more championships in the next 12 years with Kobe. Whereas, Shaq could win just 1 in his next 7 years in the league.
