Gilbert Arenas, known for his bold takes, has pushed the internet into a frenzy by calling Kobe Bryant a sidekick to Shaquille O’Neal when the two were spearheading the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty in the early 2000s. Despite criticism, the former Washington Wizards star doubled down on his belief, providing more context to support his point.
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“Three of his championships [Kobe] was the sidekick. Shaq was the dominant force… You’re not winning without a perfect number two. But don’t be mad that your star is a perfect number two,” he said on Gil’s Arena, before countering pushback from fellow panelists, Brandon Jennings and Nick Young.
"3 of his championships [Kobe] was the sidekick… Shaq was the dominant force."
Is Gil trippin' for saying Kobe was Robin to Shaq's Batman during the Lakers dynasty 🤔 pic.twitter.com/nhCkdJRClE
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 18, 2024
The 3x All-Star was not trying to diminish Bryant’s contributions, but was intending to provide perspective on the dynamic between the elite guard and the big man. When the two joined forces in Los Angeles, O’Neal was undoubtedly the better player of the two. He had already been a multiple-time All-Star, and was one of the best players in the league. O’Neal also went on to win his one and only MVP award with the Lakers.
Arenas used the Chicago Bulls dynasty as an example to defend his take, elaborating on the dynamic between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Regardless of how many points Pippen scored, Jordan was always the alpha on that team. During Jordan’s first retirement, the Bulls gave Pippen the reins. However, they weren’t able to get over the hump.
The same happened to Bryant. Once the Lakers traded Shaq to the Miami Heat, Kobe became the Batman of the team. However, he couldn’t win another championship by himself. It wasn’t until he got Pau Gasol as a teammate, that he won back-to-back championships.
According to Arenas,“That [Pau] was [Kobe’s] perfect number two.”
Looking back, a pattern emerges too — every successful NBA team had paired their superstar with a perfect sidekick.
Every NBA superstar needs a sidekick
LeBron James has had three sidekicks in the three franchises he won the championship with. With the Heat, he had Dwyane Wade, with the Cleveland Cavaliers it was Kyrie Irving, and currently, with the Lakers, it’s Anthony Davis.
Another prominent example is how Kevin Durant had to join Stephen Curry to make his championship dreams a reality. The defending 2024 champions Boston Celtics had Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Jordan’s perfect sidekick was Pippen.
Although many give Dirk Nowitzki the credit for the Dallas Mavericks’ championship, Jason Terry played the perfect second option to him. However, Terry never got the recognition he deserved because he never made an All-Star team.
Each star, indeed, had a sidekick, like Arenas pointed out. However, some sidekicks are better than others, and some, like Bryant, become legends in their own right.
