Shaquille O’Neal recently hinted at an alternative NBA timeline for him and Kobe Bryant. During his latest appearance on ‘Power 106 Los Angeles’, Shaq pointed to the 2000 Western Conference Finals win as the pivotal moment in their chapters. The 52-year-old believed the Los Angeles Lakers would have broken up the duo if they had lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Advertisement
After all, with the series tied at 3-3, Game 7 unfolded an intense clash at the Staples Center. During the closing stage, Bryant shouldered responsibility for facilitating the outcome-deciding play. With slightly over 42 seconds left, he threw an alley-oop to Shaq, and the latter dunked the basketball to give the hosts a six-point lead. The sequence ensured an 89-84 victory for the home side, kickstarting their three-peat era.
Reminiscing about the moment, the Big Aristotle declared,
“I was at support all day and then kinda threw the motherf***er up too high. I was like, ‘Oh, s**t’. So I had to go get it because if we don’t f***ing win this game, they’ll probably break us up and we probably never have that three-in-a-row run”.
Hence, this moment of brilliance shifted the narrative around Shaq and Kobe. Since teaming up in 1996, the duo failed to win a championship in their initial three campaigns. Consequently, this fourth season resulted in a ‘do-or-die’ situation for the former MVPs.
Amidst the concerns over their capabilities, they stuck together to bring the championship to the City of Angels after 12 years. The remarkable achievement laid the foundation for the eventual three-peat (2000-2002) in the following years. As a result, they emerged as one the greatest duos in NBA history cementing their legacies over time.
An unforgettable moment in the memory of Shaquille O’Neal
During the interview, Shaq openly stated his fondness for the memory. The 15x All-Star claimed the instance to be “the best Laker moment of all time”. After all, the win carried immense significance for the New Jersey-born personally, as one of his children, Shareef O’Neal, demanded the victory.
Diesel revealed the intricate details during his appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ in 2019, stating, “He comes to me and he says, ‘Daddy, win’. That’s the first thing he ever said to me…Kobe throws me the great lob, I catch it down and I was like [pointing towards Shareef], ‘I won baby'”.
In June last year, he further shed light on the iconic lob while outlining the impact of Bryant in the play. Reflecting on the moment following the demise of the latter seemingly made him emotional. Thus, he expressed his desire even to trade the precious memory to get the Black Mamba back.
This showcased the bond the duo had developed over the years. Amidst the disagreements, immense mutual respect was between them, adding volume to their uniqueness.
