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“Got one more ring than Shaquille O’Neal now”: When Kobe Bryant mocked Shaq for having only 4 rings after winning the 2010 Finals

Advait Jajodia
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Right after winning his 5th NBA Championship defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant was asked how much did winning those finals meant to him. The Black Mamba jokingly stated how he now had “one more” than Shaquille O’Neal.

Back in 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers ended their 57-win campaign emerging victorious. After a difficult and tedious 9-months long season, the Lakers ended up winning their franchise’s 16th NBA Championship, and Kobe Bryant won his 5th title while lifting his second Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy.

In a fairly easy route to the Finals, LAL eliminated a young OKC team 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs, swept the Utah Jazz 4-0 in the Conference Semis, and handed Phoenix a 4-2 series defeat to enter the 2010 NBA Finals. Unlike the rest of their postseason matchups Kobe Bryant and co. played a tiring 7-game series against a tough Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led-Boston Celtics team.

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Kobe Bryant amusingly disclosed what winning the 2010 Finals meant to him.

After losing Game 5 and going down 3-2 many fans and analysts believed that the finals have already seen a winner. But with the “never giving up” attitude the Mamba had instilled in his team, the Lakers bounced back and ended up winning Game 6 & 7, to win the 2010 title.

Putting up 28.6 points, 8 rebounds and 3.9 assists on an efficient 40.5/31.9/88.3 shooting split, Kobe Bryant was rightfully awarded the Finals MVP. And during his postgame interview, the Mamba was asked:

Can you speak in terms of what this means to you individually? We know what it means as a team, but what about individually for you?

Bean jokingly took shots at his former Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal while answering the question.

“Just got one more than Shaq. (Laughter). You can take that to the bank. You know how I am. I don’t forget anything.”

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Right after being called the “greatest Laker” for winning his 5th title by Shaq, Kobe went on to hilariously mock The Diesel for having only 4 rings. Clearly, Bryant, being the competitive freak he was, was keeping score and didn’t hesitate to let the whole world know.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,450+ articles.

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