Lakers: Shaq Claims He Was the Key to Their Success, Not Kobe Bryant - All Lakers
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The early 2000’s Lakers were playing on another planet. With Shaq and Kobe Bryant leading the way, they won three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002. They were establishing a dynasty.
The argument has always been made that without Shaq, the Lakers would not have been as dominant. But it’s also been said that without Kobe, they also would not have had that level of success. Both can be true, as they formed one of the greatest powerhouse duos of all time.
But in talking about the current Lakers squad, Shaq had an interesting thing to say, He pointed to Anthony Davis not being the dominant guy as he can be as a reason for their failures, and compared it to himself.
“They [the current Lakers squad] just haven’t had the ability to turn on. Then the key is Mr. AD. For example, when we were winning, I was the key. If I don’t play well, I don’t dominate, we don’t win. And I don’t want people to think I’m taking shots, I’m never taking shots. Kobe was the man, we all know that. But the diesel don’t play well, we don’t have a shot.”
What he is saying can easily be taken out of context, but it was odd to hear from Shaq. He and Kobe obviously had their differences and feuded for many years. But saying that he was the key to the Lakers’ success might be a slight overstatement.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia in me, but there is nowhere near the level of success without either of them in the lineup.
“VC Stole All His Moves From Kobe”: Rare Image Of Kobe Bryant Using Vince Carter’s Signature Dunk Causes NBA Twitter Meltdown
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Published 01/23/2022, 12:28 AM EST
The dunk contest is one of the most exciting events of the All-Star weekend. Over the years, there have been many iconic dunkers. However, only a few can compare to a high flyer like Vince Carter. In 2000, he set the stage on fire after pulling off one of the best dunks in dunk contest history. But, Kobe Bryant did that dunk a couple of years before Vince.
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In 1997, the Mamba dunked the ball with his elbow deep. It was later that Vince took it to the big stage and made it his own.
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Similar to Vince, Kobe was a very athletic player. He could soar and pull off some of the most nasty dunks. While he may not have had iconic dunks on the big stage, off the court he was a trendsetter. So in 1997, he did the elbow dunk before Carter.
Kobe Bryant gave Vince his idea?
Both Carter and Bryant were known for their athletic ability. While Vice won the dunk contest in 2000, Bryant was no less. He took part in the 1997 NBA dunk contest and came out on top. Hence, these two were some of the best at the time. But Kobe never had quite a dunk like Vince in 200, or so we thought.
In 1997, Bryant was the at the Adidas Streetball challenge. This is where he did the unthinkable. An image of Kobe Bryant dunking the ball elbow deep emerged and fans were quick to hop onto it. They accused Carter of stealing his moves who did a similar dunk as a show stopper in 2000.
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While there is no clarity on where Carter got the idea, it was impressive regardless. These two stars were at the top of their game and competed countless times through their long NBA careers. They faced off a total of 31 times through their careers while Kobe coming out on top.
While going against each other, Bryant put up 23.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists against Vince while winning 20 games. Surprisingly, despite their long careers, these two stars never faced off even once in the playoffs. However, both these stars were serious offensive powerhouses and a showdown between these two would have been one to watch.
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DIVE DEEPER
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Who do you think would win a dunk contest between Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter? Let us know in the comments below.
“Who else but Kobe Bryant could do this??”: When the Black Mamba channeled his inner Larry Bird to switch hands mid-game after a rotator cuff injury
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Kobe Bryant was one of the best scorers of all time – he could do the job with either hand, much like Larry Bird.
Usually a right-handed shot maker, Kobe Bryant was a weapon for the Los Angeles Lakers when he played. But when he played the New Orleans in 2015, the Black Mamba tore his rotator cuff mid-game. He had a notorious reputation for playing through pain and injury, and this time was no different. After hurting his shoulder attempting a dunk in the third quarter, the game was done when he walked off.
After ice packing his shoulder, he made the decision to switch hands during the game. The only other person who actively was known for “saving” his preferred hand was Larry Bird of the Celtics. Famously known for switching hands to make sure he had his dominant hand ready for the Lakers. The rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers was at an all time high, and that gamble paid off.
While Kobe did not have a game like Larry did, taking only 2 shots after checking into the game in the 4th quarter. The game was effectively done and dusted by the time he came back in, but that did not deter him. The sheer force of his determination was enough to make everyone everyone sit up and watch. He made one, air balled the other. This did nothing to turn the game for the Lakers, but it was great to see a 36 year old put in the effort.
Also Read: “I was terrified Michael Jordan would dunk on me”: When a rookie Shaquille O’Neal faced the Bulls legend in back-to-back games
Who else could do this?? 🤣 https://t.co/UQprokyGJn — 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) January 21, 2022
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were down bad towards the mid 2010’s – for a while the looked like they were heading to be the new Knicks
Kobe and the Lakers were terrible in the mid 2010’s. They were effectively a lottery team, with a injured giant like Bryant. The team had players like Robert Sacre and Xavier henry, a stark contrast from the championship winning team just five years ago. Their last attempt to salvage their momentum was the poorly built 2012-13 “super team”.
When that failed, the purple and gold had to go into full rebuild mode, and when a giant team like LA has to do that, one can only think of the Knicks and their attempts to get back to the top. For years the NY Knicks have tried to get back to the very top, but all they could muster is a lousy 1st round playoff appearance in the past 10 years.
Luckily, the free agency of LeBron James could not have come at a better time for the Lakers. While they had to trade off their young core, they got back to winning a championship. This season however seems to be repetition of the 2012 team based on how poorly the roster has been constructed. They have struggled a lot this year, failing to beat OKC twice, and almost never being more than a .550 team. They could very well even not make the playoffs, considering the way they are playing.
Also Read: “LeBron James wants Russell Westbrook off the Lakers!”: Trouble in La La Land as report claims the King has had enough of the Brodie
Kobe Bryant would not be happy with the team have been playing this season, especially with several underperforming players like Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan on the roster. His struggles back then are very much akin to what LeBron is going through now.
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Kobe Bryant Knew the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dwight Howard Experiment Was Headed Toward Disaster After a Single Phone Call
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Following back-to-back second-round exits, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers wanted to make a splash. Perhaps, they even needed to make a splash. With an aging Bryant still playing at a high level, the Lakers wondered what it would take to win their star his sixth championship. The answer was none other than Dwight Howard, the transcendent center of the Orlando Magic.
Howard’s arrival in LA made the Purple and Gold instant contenders. However, Kobe was skeptical of D12 even before the two All-Stars stepped on the floor together.
The Los Angeles Lakers envisioned Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard winning a championship together
In the summer of 2012, LA was two years removed from winning back-to-back titles. Worse yet, it had just watched the Miami Heat trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh win their first of two championships.
As you can expect, the mission to form a superteam of its own was on. And acquiring Howard was the way to make it happen.
At the time, Howard was a 26-year-old with six consecutive All-Star appearances. He was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner with an offensive arsenal capable of carrying a team, as he did in 2009 when his Magic lost in five games to Kobe’s Lakers. And best of all, he was demanding a trade out of Orlando.
After months of speculation and years of wishing, the Lakers secured the game’s best center. LA acquired Howard in a four-team deal involving the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. The most significant player the Purple and Gold lost was Andrew Bynum, who missed the entire 2012-13 season with the Sixers and played just 26 more games for the rest of his career.
Howard joined Bryant and Steve Nash, who signed with the Lakers a month earlier, to form a trio ready to win a title … or so we thought.
Kobe knew Howard wasn’t cut out for LA after a brief phone call
Heading into his 17th season, the 34-year-old Bryant was running out of time to secure at least one more championship. The Lakers tried to pair him with Chris Paul in 2011, but the deal was famously vetoed by commissioner David Stern. But Kobe now had two perennial All-Stars in Howard and Nash, who —along with Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace — could help him return to the mountain top.
But it wasn’t long before Kobe realized Howard wasn’t going to be the teammate to get him there.
Former NBA veteran and current ESPN personality Jalen Rose recently appeared on an episode of All the Smoke to discuss all things basketball. During the interview, Rose shared a story about a time he and Bryant were hanging out after the trade went down. Kobe received a call from Howard, his new teammate.
“So Kob’ take the call. I’m sitting there, and I might’ve heard some of the conversation. And I might’ve heard Dwight asking him about LA, some of the off-the-court things. Kobe got off the phone and said, ‘This s*** ain’t gon’ work.’ That’s exactly what he said. And this is before he even laced up with him one time. He said, ‘His head ain’t right. MoFo, I’m here to help you get championships. You’re asking me about producers?’” Jalen Rose
Rose’s story highlights a couple of interesting points. First, Kobe was the ultimate competitor whose sole focus was on championships (let’s be honest, we already knew that). Second, KB immediately knew Dwight wouldn’t work on the Lakers. And boy was he right.
Dwight Howard had a nightmare season and proved Kobe Bryant right
Given his ultra-competitive nature, Bryant would’ve loved to see Dwight prove him wrong and help deliver a ring. But soon after Howard suited up for his new team, everyone saw what Kobe saw months prior.
The superstar center struggled all season in developing chemistry with Bryant and other teammates. The disconnect, along with a torn labrum he managed to play through, led Howard to average 17.1 points, his lowest total since his second season in Orlando. He also averaged 3.0 turnovers and 3.8 personal fouls, the latter of which was a career high.
Despite getting off to a putrid 17-25 start and firing head coach Mike Brown, the Lakers had a big second half under new coach Mike D’Antoni to finish the year at 45-37. But the seven-seed Lakers were no match for the San Antonio Spurs, who swept LA in four. With Bryant out after tearing his Achilles nine days before the postseason, Howard averaged a team-high 17.0 points against San Antonio before getting ejected in the third quarter of Game 4.
After a poor performance on the court and feuds with Bryant off it, Howard left the Lakers in free agency in 2013 to sign with the Houston Rockets. Eventually, the big man returned to LA in 2019 — three years after Kobe’s retirement — and won his elusive ring as a role player rather than franchise star.
Even though Howard eventually redeemed himself in the eyes of Lakers fans, the failure of the 2012-13 season will live on forever. And while that season surprised many, Kobe was not one of them.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference.
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