Kobe 'Always' Reminds Shaq About Two Championships Without Him

[RealGM Wiretap]

Kobe Bryant has won two championships without Shaquille O'Neal while O'Neal won one title without Bryant. Now, Bryant always lets O'Neal know about the difference whenever he can.

"I always remind him every time I see him," Bryant said. "I saw him after the All-Star Game and said, 'How you doing, 'Four'?' He said, 'Oh, you [expletive].' [Our relationship is] really good now. We have such a mutual respect for each other."

Bryant believes separating himself from O'Neal after the 2003-04 season was "inevitable." After O'Neal's departure to the Miami Heat, Bryant admits he became obsessive over winning championships without his old big man.

When asked if he ended up being the one to leave the Los Angeles Lakers instead of O'Neal, Bryant said: "I would have went some place else and won more championships," Bryant said. "That's how driven I was. I was just that obsessed about winning without him. Everything was about that. I was obsessive about it and there was nothing that was going to get in my way."

Via Marc J. Spears/Yahoo! Sports

[teamwillow]

Shaq should kindly remind Kobe who the best player on the Lakers was when they won their titles, and who won ALL 3 of the FINALS MVP'S when Kobe won his 3peat rings.

[vic]

but he had Pau and Bynum, 2 7 footers to replace him.
Not much to brag about.
I'd just say "it took two all-stars to replace me"

[Fellow72]

This dude still isn't humble. Shaq was the man on Lakers. He could have got those 3 championships with a variety of other players instead of kobe. Vince Carter, Tmac, Allen Iverson, Manu Ginobili, Grant Hill, Latrell Sprewell, and Wade in first year.

Kobe on the otherhand would have never gotten any of those 3 championships if he didn't cry himself to the lakers. If Kobe went to the hornets like he was supposed to, he may have never won any championships.

In my books, Shaq won 4-3 championships on his own, if you want to include the one with wade, where wade did equal or arguably more work than shaq did. Kobe has only won two championships on his own. After shaq left, Lakers had one of the worst seasons they had in decades, and they were led by Kobe Bryant.

[leeprettyp]

smh... You guys took this article and ran the wrong way with it IMO. Its about Kobe's will and drive to win championship even without Shaq as a teammate. But overtime the once torn relationship between the two greats became respect and admiration for each other. Remember Shaq made that rap about, "Kobe cant do it without me" after the 2008 finals lost to the Celtics. I love both of these guys as a Laker fan. Very happy they can put the past behind them and appreciate the successful run that they had together. Today is your day Shaq, very happy were retiring the big mans jersey at Staples

[JasonDaPsycho]

I know I'm a Suns fan and I do have a bias. Either case, he would not have won the last two championships if it wasn't for the twin towers in Gasol and Bynum. It never felt like he led his team, but rather it's the FO which gave him plenty of great pieces to make it happen. Even then, he's expecting everyone to play around him instead of reinventing himself to maximize every player's efficiency.

[leeprettyp]

I know I'm a Suns fan and I do have a bias. Either case, he would not have won the last two championships if it wasn't for the twin towers in Gasol and Bynum. It never felt like he led his team, but rather it's the FO which gave him plenty of great pieces to make it happen. Even then, he's expecting everyone to play around him instead of reinventing himself to maximize every player's efficiency.

So I assume by your logic. Every elite player who won championships didnt have help from other great players?

[magicburt]

What he should be talking about is how many championships the two of them would have had together if he didn't act like a whiny don't avoid swear filterand run him out of town.