NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant had been one spectacular duo back in their days. Their pairing stood out in the entire league and the duo would go on to cement their legacy in the LA Lakers iconic threepeat between 2000 to 2002.
Shaquille O’Neal often insisted that the NBA would never witness another pairing as iconic as the Shaq-Kobe duo. However, as the Dmian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks paves the iconic pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo with Big Game Dame, even Shaq himself seems to endorse it.
Shaq predicts Lillard-Giannis future in line with Kobe-Shaq duo
Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks is really shaking the atmosphere of the NBA at the moment. Analysts like Stephen Smith, and Charles Barkley have voiced that Damian and Giannis’ pairing could mean the Bucks team are about to dominate the league in the years to come.
Recently, Shaquille O’Neal shared a video of Shaq-Kobe pairing in his Instagram stories, with the caption, “Dame and Giannis this szn:” The video showed highlights of himself combining with Kobe Bryant in different NBA games. They were tagged ‘the best duo in the league.’
Shaq paired with Kobe at the Lakers over the period of eight years was at that time one of the best duos in the NBA. The pair dominated the league throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s. They won back-to-back to back NBA championships between 2000-2002. Evidently, Shaq O’Neal is predicting Giannis and Damian could very well replicate their tenure at the top of the NBA in the coming seasons.
Lakers legend labelled his partnership with Kobe as the “most dominant duo ever created”
In the NBA, there have been many famous pairs on the court. Each duo had its unique skills and dominated the league in different time frames. However, only a few have succeeded in winning the ultimate prize, an NBA title. One of the greatest duos in NBA history was Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, who played together for the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s.
They are widely regarded as one of the best duos ever, and Shaquille O’Neal had also stated that they were indeed the greatest. He mentioned that he would challenge them against any duo in the history of the NBA, and honestly, it’s tough to dispute his claim. Both players played crucial roles during one of the most dominant periods in Lakers history. Their three consecutive championships were the last time any team achieved such a feat, and they complemented each other exceptionally well.
O’Neal provided the power that drove the team, while Bryant added the finesse that brought it all together. When they initially teamed up, O’Neal was already an established star player, so they had to learn how to play alongside each other. While Shaquille O’Neal’s statement sparks debate, it’s undeniably challenging to match what he and Bryant accomplished. Now Damian and Giannis would wish to replicate what Shaq and Kobe achieved in the league in the near future.
