Shaquille O’Neal‘s list of teammates features some of the greatest players in NBA history. However, the teammate who will most be associated with the four-time NBA champion is Kobe Bryant. Both players added more rings to their collections, but their partnership will forever be hailed as one of the best in the NBA’s history. O’Neal not only attests to that, but he believes that no duo matches up to him and Bryant. In a promotional video of 2K24, the Hall of Famer said:
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“Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal is the most dominant duo in 2K, on the internet, off the internet, outer space, amongst aliens, amongst earthlings. We are the most dominant one-two punch ever created.”
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O’Neal and Bryant teamed up in 1996. The center joined the Lakers as a free agent and signed a record-shattering seven-year, $121 million deal with the franchise. The Charlotte Hornets drafted the guard 13th overall in the 1996 draft and traded him to the Lakers for center Vlade Divac.
Bryant started only six games in his first two seasons with the franchise. In his third season, he started all 50 games in the lockout-shortened season. He helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference semi-finals. But they were eventually swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
However, in his second season as a starter, Bryant and O’Neal were unleashed. The duo established themselves as the most potent combo in the league. O’Neal won the MVP award and was the star of the show as the Lakers went on to win the first of their three-straight NBA titles.
Bryant and O’Neal earned comparisons to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The Chicago Bulls‘ iconic duo won two three-peats together. The Lakers superstars emulated the Bulls duo in leading their team to three straight titles, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since.
Looking back at all their achievements, it remains something akin to impossible to put any duo in NBA history over the Lakers legends. Even Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, despite all their titles together, were not quite as potent as O’Neal and Bryant. They may have broken up too soon due to off-the-court issues, but their time together on the court was something the likes of which fans will likely never get to see again.
Shaquille O’Neal has high hopes for Giannis Antetokounmpo – Damian Lillard duo
Shaquille O’Neal has no doubts about him and Kobe Bryant being the most dominant duo in NBA history. In a segment called ‘The Great Debate’ on TNT, the three-time NBA Finals MVP said:
“We are the most controversial, most enigmatic, most dominant one-two punch ever created… Never to be duplicated again.”
There will never be another duo like @SHAQ and Kobe pic.twitter.com/tLttEmtd5T
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 18, 2022
While O’Neal doesn’t believe anyone can replicate him and Bryant, he does like a current duo. On an Instagram story, O’Neal likened Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.
— NBAFan (@NBABigFan35) December 28, 2023
Kareem and Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to their maiden NBA title in the 1970-71 NBA season. They went 66-16 in the regular season and 12-2 in the playoffs to bring Milwaukee its first NBA champions. Antetokounmpo already added a second title to the city’s tally in 2021. He and Lillard are now looking to win the Bucks’ third title. Milwaukee is 23-8 and looking like one of the top contenders to win the NBA title.
O’Neal’s opinion on this matter has yet to be proven. So far, the Milwaukee Bucks do look very good with both Dame and Giannis. However, can they go on and win an NBA title together? Only that will justify any astronomic comparisons, such as this one.
