Describe the Kobe/Shaq breakup...

[Malinhion]

...in 10 words or less.

[YFZblu]

Old news.

[Optimism Prime]

Both sides at fault; Kobe (apparently wrongly) cast as villain.

[ThreeYearPlan]

Kobe was better than Shaq, Shaq's ego hurt

[bballmaniac27]

Both were incredibly immature douchebags. Shaq deserves some blame too.

[dockingsched]

no one insults dr. buss without consequences.

[TruSkool]

kobe was budding and shaq wasnt done yet

[LascelleL]

Kobe wanted to become the leader while Shaq was still able to lead

[SOUP]

Kobe wanted to become the leader while Shaq was still able to lead

[LorenZo]

Jeaosy Immature Dramatic. It was shaqs team though..

[GswSucks4Ever]

Shaq wanted too much money. Kobe was a young hothead.

[D-31]

Kobe shot 38% in the Finals while Shaq shot 63%.

[Dajadeed]

Shaq stamped his ticket out. Alienated ownership and Kobe.

[BballFanAddict]

Ray Allen said it best:

"He's going to be very selfish," Allen told the media on Oct. 14, 2004. "And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he's going to jump out and say, 'I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.'"

In a lot of ways, Ray was right. In the brief interlude after Shaq left and before Pau Gasol arrived in Southern California, Kobe was one of the most selfish players in the game. He forced the entire offense to revolve around him. He alienated his teammates, even talented youngsters like Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. He quickly piled up scoring titles, but didn't win a thing.

[semi-sentient]

In a lot of ways, Ray was right. In the brief interlude after Shaq left and before Pau Gasol arrived in Southern California, Kobe was one of the most selfish players in the game. He forced the entire offense to revolve around him. He alienated his teammates, even talented youngsters like Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. He quickly piled up scoring titles, but didn't win a thing.

That is complete BS. When did Kobe force the entire offense to revolve around him? He was the #1 option and the offense should have been built around his strengths, and considering the lack of a true 2nd option it's no surprise that he shot as much as he did. Besides that, he averaged 18.1 FGA that season, which is the lowest average he's had since the 1st championship run. Additionally, Kobe was had his highest assist average with Odom and Caron, and he was on pace to average close to 7 assists before they switched back to the triangle mid-season.

Saying that he alienated Odom and Butler is flat out lying. There's no question that Kobe was selfish to a degree, but those quotes are taking it way too far.

[andrewww]

In a lot of ways, Ray was right. In the brief interlude after Shaq left and before Pau Gasol arrived in Southern California, Kobe was one of the most selfish players in the game. He forced the entire offense to revolve around him. He alienated his teammates, even talented youngsters like Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. He quickly piled up scoring titles, but didn't win a thing.

That is complete BS. When did Kobe force the entire offense to revolve around him? He was the #1 option and the offense should have been built around his strengths, and considering the lack of a true 2nd option it's no surprise that he shot as much as he did. Besides that, he averaged 18.1 FGA that season, which is the lowest average he's had since the 1st championship run. Additionally, Kobe was had his highest assist average with Odom and Caron, and he was on pace to average close to 7 assists before they switched back to the triangle mid-season.

Saying that he alienated Odom and Butler is flat out lying. There's no question that Kobe was selfish to a degree, but those quotes are taking it way too far.

+1. and phil himself said it... we need kobe to put up those numbers for us this year. why? the team flat out wasnt good enough.

[dub81]

Karl Malone, Phil and Shaq bothed said that Kobe at the time was selfish. Shaq would not stand for it and asked to be traded.

[RTM]

Detroit destroyed LA, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

(That's 10 )

[Vincent 666]

In a lot of ways, Ray was right. In the brief interlude after Shaq left and before Pau Gasol arrived in Southern California, Kobe was one of the most selfish players in the game. He forced the entire offense to revolve around him. He alienated his teammates, even talented youngsters like Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. He quickly piled up scoring titles, but didn't win a thing.

Kobe taking Smush Parker, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Kwame Brown, Brian Cook to 1 defensive rebound from the 2nd round is a positive moment in Kobes career....not a negative one.

[Vincent 666]

Lakers had enough of Shaqs immaturity.