Debunking the "Shaq Carried Kobe" Myth: A Closer Look at Kobe's Impact in the Lakers' 3 Peat
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2017
- I had to do this video eventually, and it's something that's been coming up recently, so here it is.
There's stats, quotes from Phil Jackson himself, and a glimpse at both the regular season and playoffs success that Kobe and Shaq put together. This was the most dominant one-two punch of all time, and they learned how to play together even though they weren't best friends off the court. Shaq dominated the paint, and Kobe dominated the perimeter and got Shaq the ball when it sometimes looked impossible to do so. Phil Jackson called Kobe Bryant a better playmaker than Michael Jordan during these years.
As Kobe was first emerging in 2000 and getting around 22-23 points per game for most of the year, that was the only year where Shaq's production can be said to outweigh Kobe's consistently. But after their first championship, Kobe elevated his game to an even higher level and the rest is history.
2001 (keep in mind, Kobe was 22)
1st round: Kobe 25 ppg Shaq 27 ppg
2nd round: Kobe 35 ppg Shaq 33 ppg
3rd round: Kobe 33 ppg Shaq 27 ppg
2002
1st round: Kobe 26 ppg Shaq 25.7 ppg
2nd round: Kobe 26 ppg Shaq 21 ppg
3rd round: Kobe 30 ppg Shaq 27 ppg
If you think I'm not a fan of Shaq or just ignoring his impact, think again! I was a Shaq fan before I became a Kobe fan, which happened during the 3Peat. I even made a video about Shaq recently, which you can check out here: • Shaquille O'Neal: The ...
But I understand how winning games is different from winning championships, and both of these players needed each other to do that. The argument is not about who was Finals MVP, because Shaq was clearly finals MVP in 2000, and had a pretty good 60/40 or 55/45 edge against Kobe in 2001-2002. But playoffs MVP, if the award existed? That might have been Kobe in 2001 and a wash in 2002.
I tried to keep it short because believe me, there's plenty of other points to add and talk about, but hopefully I covered most of it.
Other notes:
-Portland game 7 in 2000
-Kobe's defense on the perimeter
-Clutch scoring and closing out games when Hack a Shaq limited O'Neal
-Players would play illegal defense on Kobe or injure him (Jalen Rose in 2000, Bruce Bowen in 2002)...why bother if Kobe's not much of a factor?
-Kobe's teammates/coach comparing him to MJ during the 3Peat because of his dominance on both ends.
Enjoy! - Sport
I don't know why I'm surprised about some of the comments, but I am. I thought I did a good enough job in the video to explain the point that we make when we defend Kobe in the "Shaq carried" claim. People are still regurgitating the finals stats, which means they either didn't watch the video or don't understand the point of it at all. No one who understands each player's impact is disputing Shaq's dominance in the finals. This video is proving that Kobe was needed to get to the finals where Shaq got to destroy his weaker defenders, hence his inflated stats compared to the earlier rounds. It's extremely likely that without Kobe's extraordinary play, the Lakers lose vs. Portland in 2000 (down 15 in the 4th) and the Spurs in 2001/02 (Tim Duncan put up 29 points and 17 rebounds per game vs. LAL in 2002), so the fact that some people are still just citing Finals stats suggests they don't understand the point of the Playoffs having 4 rounds. Was Shaq really so dominant in the Western Conference from 01 to 02 that he didn't need Kobe (33/7/7 in 2001 vs. Spurs) vs. that #1 defense Spurs team with young Tim Duncan? Duncan might have 7 or 8 rings without Kobe doing his part in taking the Spurs out for so many years in the 2000s. But no..Shaq won finals MVP so he was carrying.
You right but you can't explain it to them, top 5 : 1.Jordan
2. Kobe
3. Kareem
4. Magic
5. Ducan
6. Shaq
7. Bird
8. LeBron
9. Pippen
10. Russell
Jordan # One sports player of all time not just basketball
RahulPresentsKobe common people are just too stupid to understand facts. They'd rather indulge themselves in their fallacy.
+Paul Cornelius don't forget Wilt!
RahulPresentsKobe lol shaq did not carry kobe. Clearly kobe prove that during and after the fact. When Shaq wasn't on the court kobe stepped up in the playoffs and scored and led the teams to win especially when Shaq fouled out . Let's just put it this way. The lakers lost from 1996-1999 with Shaq. If Kobe wasn't a factor why did the lakers lose? Because Shaq needed help. Kobes help. A good example is Kyrie Irving is not at level to carry the cavs and it's a fact. He can't win without lebron on the court, he couldn't win regular season games this season without lebron on the court. Kobe since 2000 proved that he could win without Shaq
RahulPresentsKobe
you did a great job.
Man Shaq said it himself, "Some nights I'll pull Kobe to the side and let him know, hey man, I need you to drop 40 tonight. And he'll always get it done."
oscar zambrano Hahaha 😂
oscar zambrano come to the table with more than that if you’re going to try and shit on a legend. Shaq wasn’t being humble he was spitting facts.
@@simonbelmont548 Ok then, let me show you kobe's numbers in the 3 peat, from ages 21-23
First year: 21.1 ppg 4.4 apg 4.5 rpg 1.5 spg 1.5 bpg
Second year: 29.4 ppg 6.1 apg 7.3 rpg 1.6 spg 0.8 bpg
Third year: 26.6 ppg 4.6 apg 5.8 rpg 1.4 spg 0.9 bpg
But yeah kobe was totally carried
DNC 8 Hes a Lebron fan. Do you expect him to be smart? I wouldn’t expect anything less but him being a complete fucking moron.
Simon Belmont this dude literally made a video de bunking all of the myths he was carried. Leave it to a dumb ass Lebron fan to ignore facts. Literally posting on the same video saying he was carried AS its being debunked. Haha dumb.
Most people hate to give Kobe his credit because of the LeBron Debates.
christian henry it's pathetic to and sad ..... the haters don't realize that kobe has eliminated more 50 win teams in playoff history than any other player... LeBron is dead last on the list lol.. why doesn't LeBron fans ever realize that LeBron has had the advantage of playing against a weak jv eastern conference... the least challenge LeBron has was the big 3 celtics....
christian henry pathetic lebron stans. Leswept
christian henry u are right
Yup. Let's not forget Lebron played against weak eastern conference teams.
Lmao chill kobes only got one some what impressive finals mvp.warriors and spurs better than any finals team kobes faced.kobe is overrated 🚮injury prone that got swept in 2011,2012 and 2013 playoffs
I watched Kobe's WHOLE career and he was a beast. People need to really go back to the footage and WATCH those games. Don't just watch a couple of highlights and act like you are a top analyst. Keep your mouth shut if you really do not watch and understand basketball. Kobe did not get carried by shaq. They complimented each other because Shaq was an inside threat and Kobe was an inside and outside threat. He can hurt you multiple ways..including the foul line which was Shaq's WEAKNESS.
Same here. You HAVE to watch the full games and not just go by the stats to see his impact, even though his stats were amazing. And the same goes for Shaq or any other true great.
Facts 💯 some people just don't know basketball they just watch highlights
I understand what your saying but I actually watch those games and Imma just be honest Kobe saved Shaq in a whole bunch of playoff series 💯, people don’t look at the Playoff brackets from the first round. The spurs were cooking Shaq with all due respect and it’s Kobe that saved him. The kings was cooking Shaq so was Pacers but Kobe came in and saved the series 💯 I’m gonna say it again and Idc who gets offended Kobe would of won rings without Shaq, Shaq wouldn’t win rings without Kobe 🤫🤫🤫 Shaq won a ring with Dwayne while Kobe won more 💯 Its just people look at Highlights, if Kobe wasn’t on that Lakers team I honestly believe they wouldn’t even have not been a playoff team or made it past the semifinals 💯
@@duronbryant5921 100%
They helped each other.
Jeffrey Dumaplin Exactly
Jeffrey Dumaplin he never said Kobe didn't need Shaqs help
Jeffrey Dumaplin #facts
Jeffrey Dumaplin you said it best , it's as simple as that. They helped each other , no carrying.
The purpose of the video was to debunk the narrative that Kobe was a scrub and those 3 were "Shaq's rings".
Kobe at 21-22-23 was already considered one of the BEST players in the league.
itssandrew #facts
itssandrew Kobe at 18 has more skill and basketball iq than lebron now.
Anmol S dumbfuck no fucking way. hes NEVER had the iq of Lebron
Anmol S that's just wrong man
bernt barbera at 18 he didn't have the IQ of LeBron, but never? c'mon man.
People just don't understand. And thank you for enlightening them!
Mikaél Rence idk about them but basketball is a team game. Arent they supposed to help each other??
Not saying Kobe isn't great, just want to provide additional stats that the CZcamsr left out for Kobe.
2000 Finals: Lakers 4-2 over the Pacers
Kobe - 15.6pts 4.6reb 4.2ast 1.0stl 1.4blk
Shaq - 38.0pts 16.7reb 2.3ast 1.0stl 2.7blk
2001 Finals: Lakers 4-1 over the 76ers
Kobe - 24.6pts 7.8reb 5.8ast 1.4stl 1.4blk
Shaq - 33.0pts 15.8reb 4.8ast 0.4stl 3.4blk
2002 Finals: Lakers 4-0 over the Nets
Kobe - 26.8pts 5.8reb 5.3ast 1.5stl 0.8blk
Shaq - 36.3pts 12.3reb 3.8ast 0.5stl 2.8blk
2004 Finals: Pistons 4-1 over the Lakers
Kobe - 22.6pts 2.8reb 4.4ast 1.8stl 0.6blk
Shaq - 26.6pts 10.8reb 1.6ast 0.4stl 0.6blk
Actually, he specifically mentions the Finals and says they don't tell the full story. Which is correct. Look at the numbers for the entire playoff run or key series. That was the whole point of this video. Guess you didn't watch the video?
David Naughtin of course 😂😂😂 u failed to mention that during those finals shaq went against Matt Geiger, rik smits and jarron Collins...meanwhile Kobe has iverson, kidd, billups and Reggie miller to go against. look how shaqs numbers dipped vs Ben Wallace. I wonder why u didn't mention that?
Mikaél Rence shaq was finals MVP 3x shaq was number 1 option without shaq Kobe would have 2 rings 💍
I knew this and I didn't need a video to prove it. I watched Kobe Bryant systematically destroy San Antonio in that 2001 run and Sean Elliot said Kobe is just like Michael Jordan he's unstoppable. Duncan and Robinson were getting dunked on by Kobe and his jumper was on point. That 45 point with 10 rebounds was in San Antonio and set the tempo for the lakers to sweep the Spurs. Are you kidding me, the lakers swept the Spurs in the wcf. Kobe was unstoppable.
M Th so you saw Kobe go up against the great Derek Anderson or the legendary Antonio Daniels or the hall of famer Devin Brown when facing the spurs right? lol just pure comedy.
Yes. there is no doubt that the players you named are not hall of fame defenders, but the truth is that Kobe and the rest of the Lakers shut down the 3 point attack of the Spurs. He still averaged 33 ppg. Kobe also averaged 25 ppg against Steve Smith/ Scotty Pippen and averaged 35 ppg against Doug Christie ( who that year was a NBA second team All-Defensive team). If you don't like Kobe that is ok, but at least be objective and respect the fact that he was a key part in the success that the Lakers' enjoyed for those 3 years.
imsljr420 they still had Duncan and Robinson two of the greatest bigs of all time lol those names alone at the rim is a scary thought and Kobe dunking on them left and right.. there's a lot of teams with players that will never make a name for them selves that's a weird argument, so lebron and Jordan never faced team(s) with unknown players? Lol..
William A Falcon and who were Duncan and Robinson concerned with? that's right Shaq. giving Kobe clear paths to the rim. if they try to challenge Kobe he can just pass to Shaq for a dunk.
James C they weren't hall of fame offensive players either which meant Kobe could relax on defense. same with Doug Christie. how many points did he AVERAGED? like 5?
I just like pissing off his fans. I know he was a huge help to the Lakers.
Totally agree. Another way to look at it. In 2015 Andre Iguodala got the finals MVP, but it is crazy to think that Iguodala carried Steph
Kobe and Shaq carried the Lakers
Flip X that's a true statement right there
Yes, *end of story*
That's it! Finally, someone spat out the fact.
and shaq didnt win a championship with penny
no but he won a championship with Dwayne Wade.
and dwayne wade carried him in those finals, multiple 40 point games and finals mvp
Ashley Evans Shaq didn't even average 14 in the finals with wade he got carried
Ashley Evans kobe won two without shaq
edward keeler how long were Shaq and penny teammates for? oh like only 3 seasons? and who was their coach? 11 time champion coach Phil Jackson or a bum named Brian Hill?
Kobe without Shaq- 2 rings
Shaq without kobe -1 ring
Kobe won
Shaq is in his mid 30s kobe was in his prime 20ish
@@fancyhoops1132
You can flip that argument for the Lakers 3peat also
Plus Kobe was over 30 too in 2009 & 2010 championship runs
Kobe without shaq and had no other superstar goes and gets 2 more rings . Shaq however needed Dwayne wade a top 3 shooting guard superstar to get one with out kobe . Shaq never did it being the only superstar on his team . HUGE difference!
@@fancyhoops1132what about when Shaq was getting swept by Hakeem in the 90s? Shaq lacked that killer that Kobe had. That’s why Kobe won more. He was more motivated. Shaq said it himself.
No matter what the media says, kobe is highly respected among players. Top players like kawhii, paul george, kyrie irving, and isaiah thomas have gone to him for advice. Dwyane wade, carmelo anthony, russell westbrook, kevin durant, and demar derozan have all shown respect towards kobe. even in 2009 lebron gave an interview and said kobe was the greatest player right now.
Garnett also said Kobe is the best in the world in 2010..and Garnett is someone who talked shit to like 99% of the league. But he would never disrespect Kobe. That says a lot
+RahulPresentsKobe Would MJ let Shaq dominate the finals like Kobe did?
+RahulPresentsKobe Why should Kobe have three finals mvps?
I like how you put it: they both were great in what they were doing, nobody carried nobody here, they carried the team. Highlighting Kobe’s contribution without spitting on Shaq’s legacy, keep it positive, man.
Shaq's best days was playing with Kobe. Let's list all Kobe's teammates during their c'ship years, they all PEAK while playing with him. Kobe didn't make them better by sharing the ball, he elevated them to the highest level simply by being Mamba. Kobe carried them, not the other way around.
He won MVP with Kobe. And he's not the only one. Like I said almost all Kobe's teammates were better when they play with him including Gasol, Bynum, Odom, Fisher, Farmar, including their current coach Luke Walton. There's more way to make teammates play better than just pass the ball. Kobe pushed and made them rise to the occasion.
anyone who says Shaq carried Kobe MUST watch this video! They don't win without each other
King Day Kobe is lynchpinned in needing big men to clean up his mess so he can go on and pretend to be Jordan.
Shaq losing in the 90s is equivalent to Jordan losing in the 80s. There was simply too much to overcome. Kobe was simply lucky. You could switch out Kobe for Reggie Miller, and Shaq still gets 3 rings and 3 Finals MVPs. Definitely would loved to watch Kobe struggle and win nothing in a shithole like Indiana, Cleveland, Utah or Atlanta lol
Without Shaq, Kobe missed the playoffs and was 1st round bait until Gasol was aquired to compliment Bynum and Odom to fill in that huge hole that Shaq's departure created 🤣🤣🤣
gen harmer andrew Bynum played no minutes in the 2008 playoffs and kobe went to the finals lls
gen harmer 2008-2010 playoffs Kobe avg 30 points 5.5 assists 5.5 rebounds 46% shooting. Stop with the hate. Kobe owned the west when he had one compliment peace.
gen harmer 2001 playoffs kobe avg 29 points 7 rebounds 6 assists and lead Lakers in win shares. 2002 he avg 27 points 6 rebounds 6 assists 51% shooting that's mvp numbers honestly but shaq feasted on trash ass nets center
gen harmer in the west with Kwame brown and smush parker In starting line up? Niggas be hating on kobe. Nigga had Devin George, chris mihm jesus christ that talent in the west u will lose in the first round.
Kobe got more rings anyways so tell Shaq to carry that 💯😂😂😂
One more ring not rings
Zooted504 5 rings more than 4 rings am I right, he got more rings 💀
Who's got more finals MVPs? Who performed better on the biggest stage? Lol
Who averaged 15 ppg on 36% in the 2000 finals?
And whether Kobe has more rings has nothing to do with the fact that Shaq was the man when he was in LA.
br 1251 because he got hurt who carried shaq through all those western conference teams lol
People who say kobe was carried were either too young to watch or just haters
Facts
Nah it's facts Stats proved it u just don't want to hear facts u are a delusional fanboy that think they know it all Shaq was giving Kobe 36 ppg 13 rebounds in the 2002 finals 2000 finals: Shaq was giving Kobe 38 and 16 rebounds meanwhile Kobe only had 15 In the 2001 finals Shaq was giving Kobe 33 points 15 rebounds and 4.8 and people like you are discrediting Shaq and trying to act like Kobe was the best player on that team at the time Kobe was a second option on that team during the time stop it
@@deetheoriginal3117I guess you did'nt watch the video and just started commenting
I bet the people who say shaq carried Kobe are the same people who can't name the big men the Lakers faced in finals(w/o looking up) between 2000-02.(except 34 year old mutumbo).
be real. Shaq was the man. kobe was great, but not shaq. KB 24 was an assassin
J. Jilani he was the best inside player and rebounder, Kobe did everything else better including defense, and shaq feasted on sorry east big men. Ask yourself this why didn't he put those numbers up against Duncan, Robinson or Webber and divac?
rocket jumper there you go they was equally effective but due to shaq's matchup at his position he was able to dominate more and overall was better in the finals and the center of offense especially in 2000 where he was clearly better.
HAHA EXACTLY!
scoring was about the same in the finals? lol not it wasnt..
The greatest perimeter scorer the world has EVER seen.. kobe bean Bryant
thank you! im tried of "kobe got carried by shaq" bullshit.
Edmon Lacsa he was carried though
How long did it take Kobe to win a championship when Shaq left he had to get 2 7 footers to replace Shaq in order to get to the finals again
Mayan Empire the writing is on the wall in the Kobe and Shaq era who won finals mvp repeatedly Kobe nor Wade could have done what they did with out Shaq after Shaq left Wade never made it out of the first round of the playoffs until king James came you must of forgot Shaq had went to the finals before with Penny hardaway and the Orlando magic before Kobe and Wadein every scenario Shaq was supeman and they were a weak ass side kick no pun intended it's easy to look good when all the defenders are draped on shaq
Just watched dom2ks version on the topic and even tho he is my favorite CZcamsr, you've put up a much better case/vid
Thanks a lot!
Don2k is a Kobe hater
damn bro you spitting straight truth here. I'ma go ahead and forward your video to about 20 of my close Kobe haters
good, they need it in their lives
Damn there is still Kobe haters
I've never heard anyone say "Shaq carried Kobe."
It sounds like the verbal weaponry of a troll.
Only bronsexual fanboys will say kobe got carried by shaq.
Wow! Finally someone that actually watched that amazing run! Made a video! Love the video bro!! I became a Kobe fam the 1st time I saw him play in 99 after a friend of mine was telling me about him even when he was a bench player!
"Shaq carried Kobe" is the dumbest argument ever made
No it's a fact stats don't lie quit being such a fan boy and stop it
EXACTLY!!! How can you say Shaq was carrying Kobe when Kobe was dropping 50?
keep these videos coming people need to know who kobe was and how great he was. he is right there with Michael in my book
RogueMostWanted TV YUP that's RIGHT RogueMostWanted MY FAVORITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME KOBE BEAN BRYANT ALWAYS will BE haha
lol how is he right there with michael? hes below him in everything.
Nope
kobe is Shaq's sidekick
You book didn’t sell many copies, Kobe missed the playoffs without Shaq. Explain tgat
Been a Laker fan since the days of West et al. Kobe just doesn't get the respect because people didn't like his personality, but all they had to do was open their eyes to see what he did for the franchise and the easy buckets he created for Shaquille. Maybe over time their minds will open to the truth ...
kobe is the best bastketball player in the NBA...
Cielo Mamaril how is he the best if he’s retired
You could add LeBron or MJ to those Lakers teams and they would've been 1B and not getting Finals MVP either. Especially if they came after Shaq like Kobe did. The offense would definitely go through Shaq w/ Kobe, LeBron or Jordan.
Quit putting LeFlop in the same sentence as Kobe & MJ, it's just so damn disrespectful.
LeBron would of not did what Kobe did Kobe hot clutch ass shots to save them
Kobe > LePoop
Never knew Kobe was injured in the first finals
He was injured for two of the 3 finals
Jalen Rose injured Kobe on purpose by stepping under Kobe's ankle early first quarter game 2. Jalen admitted it. Most players would have been out for the series. Not the Black Mamba
Kobe was never carried by Shaq, he was the 2nd option on the team. Many times Kobe had to save the day or carry the team with Shaq there because of his inability to shoot in general and he can't hit free throws so anyone who doesn't know this needs to educate themselves
When you said that shaq carried kobe it simply means that jordan carried pippen or lebron carried wade or durant carried curry or jabbar carried magic which is nonsense. Those people that says shaq carried kobe is either a hater or do not know how to play basketball at all.
I wish Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A Smith could get a hold of this video the ESPN network could get ahold of this video
truth is they already know this, they just need one person (Shannon) to play the idiot and keep talking down Kobe/MJ for ratings
man you did yo thang with dis video... you shed a lot of light on this conversation... Dope
Kobe knows how to win games, I remember Kobe saying "I don't care if I only score 2 points a game, as long as we win"
thank you for this video bro. only idiots really think Shaq carried Kobe Bryant
Only realists.
Realists? You mean kids who have only watched highlights and looked at stat sheets of the 2000-2003 Lakers playoff runs; otherwise they are just grown up idiots not realists.
Ovais A he didn't carry kobe but we can all agree shaq was the best player in NBA 2000-03.
well the idiots are still around...they are so pathetic
Alpha-Q-Up you fucktard, he only said that to be nice since he already proof he got more rings without Shaq. Where did you grow up watching NBA, on CZcams?
10:19 this is the shit Kobe had to deal with his whole career.
shaq needed kobe to get to the finals. the real competition was in the west andshaq would go up against other great big men in the so kobe was the guy in series against the spurs and kings that would take over. shaq dominated the nba finals because nobody could deal with him in the east thats why his number were so inflated. kobe mvp of the western conference playoffs & shaq mvp of finals
Bro in the 2002 finals Shaq was giving Kobe 36 points and 13 rebounds in the finals quit trying to make it seem like Kobe was the best player on that team bc he wasn't he was more of a second option to Shaq those years u trying to discredit Shaq so just stop it
Great explanation Rahul. Well spoken and solid points. Awesome job!
Amazing video man. I have this argument weekly and now I'm just going to send this video moving forward. You are appreciated!
Great video man! I'm always arguing with people who say Shaq carried kobe. They needed each other to win those championships.
all you have to do is compare the scoring averages between kobe and shaq when it came to going up against western teams with elite big men.
spoiler: kobe scored more
Spoiler- Kobe faced WEAK guards in the Western Conference. Also winning the West dosen't get you rings, winning THE FINALS does. And Shaq was the one that showed up.
+Xavier Vega Shaq was feasting weak big men in those finals. that is why they fed him the ball down low. The Western conference teams were better overall than the teams they faced in the finals.
+Xavier Vega Shaq was feasting on weak big men in the finals. They fed him the ball down low due to those obvious mismatches. The Western conference was and still is much better than the east.
LOL Tracy McGrady's best year were in ORLANDO, which is in the East. He was a shell of himself in Houston. Bowen and Ginobli weren't even on the Spurs in the 01 playoffs, which is the series Kobetards love to brag about the most
During the 3 peat seasons name one elite wing player in the West.
I'm not the one that mentioned Tracy McGrady when you know damn well his best years were in the East. Matter of fact during the entire 3 peat run just about all of the elite wings were in the East.
People just love to hate on Kobe..smh
Playoff Stats
Shaq:
2001 FG 56% PPG 30
2002 FG 55% PPG 30
2003 FG 52% PPG 28
Kobe:
2001 FG 44% PPG 21
2002 FG 46% PPG 29
2003 FG 43% PPG 26
Shaq didn't carry Kobe. They were 1-2 punch. Shaq was just the most dominant player that allowed Kobe to go 1 on 1 as Shaq gained all the attention no knock on Kobe. Kobe took advantage as he should have. Shaq was the Lebron and Kobe was the Kyrie to a certain level comparing now. Kyrie last year in the finals did his thing he wasn't carried just like Kobe did his thing in that 3peat he was not carried he was doing his thing. Shaq in those early 2000's was just an unnatural and incomparable force.
Shaq got double and even tripleteamed in the paint, lol.
Any asshole can look at stats, but anyone with a brain knows that Shaq just being on the floor freed up everyone else like crazy.
Shaq is the fucking cause of the zone defense, god damn, cause he was totally unplayable in a 1v1/man-coverage situation.
s0denone wasn't doing shit vs west teams when kobe carried his ass.
s0denone What about all those many times Shaq was hurt or in foul trouble? Which was a bunch of times.
Shaq was not a flawless player and Kobe was a fucking amazing 2nd player for sure dude! All I'm saying is don't get it confused who was #1 on those Laker teams.
s0denone I don't think anyone is arguing that Shaq in his prime was the #1 option. So what? Shaq had been the most dominant player in the league since his Rookie season and had nothing to show for it. Once Kobe became Kobe the Lakers started winning Championships. Kobe wasn't carried. They both needed each other. Kobe wouldnt had won 3 straight without Shaq the same way Shaq wouldnt had won 3 without Kobe.
Thank u for this. Kids will still blindly look at finals stats and regurgitate old ridiculous narratives to justify their bias against Kobe...but people who REALLY watched all those games know that was a dual effort. Kobe was gonna win multiple chips no matter where he ended up, he was too great a talent and had too much hunger not to. Take away those Shaq years and pair him with a C Webb or a Garnett and guarantee he gets at least two or three right there. Shaq was GREAT, I mean DOMINANT...but that was a 1-2 punch in every sense. They needed each other just like every great needs another teammate to keep defenses honest in order to become champs.
look at kobes series against SA with duncan entering his PRIME u had a young SA team that would topple the lakers run 2 years later but during the spring of 2001 kobe DOMINATED the western conference and NOBODY could hold that man
If anything Kobe carried shaq.Kobe did things that don't show up on the stat reel.Kobe played defense non stop while shaq played none.Kobe hit key shots in the 4th quarter shaq either was pulled from the 4th quarter in close games because of the hack a shaq sceme also in close games shaq put more burden on Kobe by missing key free throws.also Kobe would draw double sometimes triple teams allowing him to feed other players.
It’s easy to see that Shaq didn’t carry Kobe. I have watched the Lakers since the 70’s. Kobe is an extraordinary talent. I have watched all the Kobe & Shaq playoffs & Finals games. Both players should be credited for the Lakers success during their time.
Anyone who says Shaq carried Kobe is delusional. To the person who posted this video you did a great presentation.
As Laker fans we knew it wasn't happening without Kobe. Short term and long term. It's only the haters. Jordan is the GOAT. Kobe the best to ever do it.
Dom 2k and Mike Korzemba don't "invent" any "theory" they just capitalize on popular conversations that have existed for a decade now.
I enjoyed your video :) Keep it up!
King 🤴 James Danny Green 3s!
@@dudelitte7817 What?
Very good video...well researched and well presented. Good work, man.
So happy I found yo channel bruh keep up the work and spitting facts my dude.
bro, please make more kobe videos. im a big fan and he's my main man since i got into basketball in the early 2000s.
The real reason why shaq won all finals mvps is because he had the easier match up at the center position, Rick smiths, mutombo, and Todd McCollum seriously we're is the competition, the fact that anyone would say shaq carried kobe don't know shit about basketball 🙄
Thanks for the work you put into this it was absolutely fantastic.
Thank you for making this always appreciate ppl who talk basketball on straight facts and not just box scores and stats to weave a bs narrative.
that's why I never understood when people say Kobe is all for self...he could of averaged 40 in those Playoffs but Shaq had the weaker matchups so he could abuse everyone down in the paint...and not to mention Kobe was no force of nature he was like 6'6" 190 lbs at the time giving people numbers...Kobe should have 1 of the 3 MVP trophies
LOL.....name ONE 3 Peat Finals MVP Kobe should have had. I could use the laugh
Tone_Setter_Brown lol by your logic, Gasol should of won 2010 Finals MVP 😂😂😂
I think the Finals MVP should rate the whole playoffs all the way to the Finals. That would clear up who is the real MVP that got the team that Chip.
If Kobe got carried while AVG 27+
So dwade got carried in 12-13?
Steph curry got carried in all his 3 rings
Magic got carried in his 2 rings?
Tim Duncan got carried in his 2 rings?
Please answer this
Kobe was the second option on that team during that time he's like KD when he joined Steph
thank you so much for making this vid!
This why kobe the goat, never got the chance the run his own team from the start...could have won a ring if webber was his center at the time
That's what kobe hated to hear that he was being carried "when he was the one who was doing more and because of him in all close quarter games thanks to kobe they. Had and won all games.
Shaq was giving Kobe 36 points and 13 rebounds in the finals stop it people TRYNA discredit Shaq now like he wasn't the best player on that team during the time again I'm not taking away nothing from Kobe He's a legendary player but quit trying to make it seem like Kobe did it by himself and he was the best player on that team bc he wasn't so just stop✋🏾
Kobe had way too many iconic games in the 3 peat run for it to be even slightly plausible that Shaq carried him. Shaq was 1A and Kobe was 1B in the first two runs - Kobe was better in the final run as well.
Shaq also couldn't win without Kobe, minus the skeptical 06 title run with prime D Wade... meanwhile Kobe won with Gasol/Bynum, so I think that speaks volumes about who carried who.
3 Finals MVP's for Shaq says it all. The 3-Peat Lakers were SHAQ'S team.
This video forgot to mention that in 2000 Finals Game 1 Kobe held Reggie Miller to 1-16 shooting. He took their best player out of the series mentally out of the gate. That game 2 injury to take out Kobe was symbolic that Indiana knew Kobe was their biggest obstacle to the championship in that Series. Reggie. Miller says what Kobe did in game 1 haunts him to this day.
Kobe is best player sience Jordan. No one is even close... LBJ best player sience 2010... 2015 - Curry
agreed
Lol curry can’t win without KD being the better player on his team.. he’s about to lose again. Don’t ever put curry on lebrons level again. Just proved how dumb you are
@@brandonmyers5262 he won without kd lol but he ain't better than bron
bruce wayne yeah they won against Lebron and Mathew delevodova lmao. God you people are dumb.
You forgot to mention that in 00 when healthy he averaged 25 6 6 2 1 on 51% 39% 92% shooting and the Lakers were 926 but Shaq averaged 27 9 1 0 2 on 55% 0% 47% shooting
Thanks for explaining. People think it’s all about math and adding numbers and PPG but it’s clearly not like that for those that watch games. I heard someone else that said because Kareem’s stats weren’t as good with the lakers as they were with the Bucks, that Kareem was carried by magic and that wasn’t true. Kareem’s role changed as the lakers saw that playing a different style of basketball would be more efficient, which is transition offense. Kareem is a 7 foot center who was getting older, most centers aren’t fast enough already to be involved in fast break opportunities. However Kareem anchored the amazing inside defense which forced tougher shots. Kareem would either block or grab lots of rebounds that sparked the fast breaks in the first place. And when opponents were tougher and more athletic, Kareem scored a lot of points in the half court offense which he was given a decent amount of shots to. Those are things stats don’t show
Again, this video is so necessary 👏🏾
You are absolutely right
All I can say is THANK YOU. Ppl use the Shaq & Gasol excuses to build up LeBron.
They needed each other...they both won without each other so this is really no debate...they both great and are proven winners with and without each other
JORDAN + PIPPEN = KOBE
Thank you for this video that's what I've been telling other people when they say the Shack carry the whole team it was Shaq and Kobe the one-two punch but Kobe hold his own weight as well we need to send this to Shannon Sharpe and to Nick and to the rest of the ESPN. Never doubt greatest Kobe Bryant AKA black mamba
Kobe > Lebron, ask MJ/Pippen/Bird/Dr J/Iverson/Barkley/Shaq/TMac/Kerr/Kyrie/Olajawon/Arenas? M-A-M-B-A
To add a little more Kobe led the Lakers in win shares in the 2001 playoff run. Thank you for making this video!!!
well said. thank you for sharing the stats and facts
I don't think Shaq carried Kobe but Shaq was certainly better than Kobe at that time
shaq is a liability in closing minutes cause he can not hit free throws. where as kobe, one of the most, clutch player of all time and foul baiter. that's the big difference between the two
Shaq and Kobe was a one-two punch. The word “carry” does not even come into the equation. The fact that we’re even talking about it still to this day must mean that Shaq and Kobe “carried” the Lakers to those three titles TOGETHER. Both Shaq and Kobe have won and lost it all without each so they’re both fully capable of winning as the main guy, but basketball is a team sport and at the end of the day, no one wins alone.
Awesome video!
1/2 of Shaqs career points is to think Kobe Bryant for that
I'm sure Shaq had more affect to the game like rebounding blocks guarding the basket. And opening up shots for Kobe to take with his unbelievable game in the paint.
rahlou smith
kobe got shaq so many free dunks and kobe defended other teams best players iverson,kidd and reggie miller so shaq didnt have to guard nobody
Shaq guarded the basket, Which means nobody is coming to it. Shaq is the reason teams came up with a zone. He changed the game from every player playing one on one to helping each other, It's called the ZONE DEFENSIVE.
whatever D don't matter lmao. now shaq can sit there too. it can go both way. rules don't matter to greats. no one wants to guard outside, and kobe did that. it's a lot harder to guard other best players who can move a lot faster/quicker doing jumpers. they don't even like to drive in. most of time they pass or shoot 3s anyways. it only shows how little you know about basket. period. . . . period. . . lol
rahlou smith Kobe don't take kickout 3s. He takes jumpers. So it doesn't affect the defense guarding kobe that much. Kobe creates his own shot so it's still a one on one against kobe so Shaq didn't open up shots for kobe
Yes You are right but the rest of the team is in a zone for Shaq.
I a really appreciate the video bro. Ive been trying to say this for so long. R.i.p Kobe bean Bryant
Amazing job 🙏
This vid explains why Orlando didn't beat the Rockets in 95,.
Shaq can't dominate the Big Men of the WEST and Penny ain't no Kobe when it comes to TAKING OVER the GAME when SHAQ can't,..
Penny was just as good as Kobe before the injuries. When Shaq was injured in the beginning of the 95-96 season for 22 games (he injured his thumb), Penny took over the team. Orlando went 17-5 and Penny's stats in those 22 games were 27.0 points, 6.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1 block per game (Yes Penny was averaging 27.0ppg without Shaq). In the 95-96 season he made 1st team all-nba, was voted in the nba-all star, and was third in MVP voting only behind Michael Jordan and David Robinson. I would argue that by the 95-96 season Penny was one of the top 5 players in the league, in only his third year as a pro.
When Shaq left Orlando and going by how well Orlando did without Shaq in that short period of time, Penny was on the verge of being a superstar as in the best player in the league type of superstar or at least behind Michael...until the injuries happened.
Great video mate. But there is something I would like to discuss with you and I feel most people don't talk about it enough.
A lot of people tend to argue over the individual talent that Shaq played against in the finals, and you pointed out the competition of the big men the Lakers played in the western conference from 2000-2002. However... what Individual talent did Kobe exactly face?
Spurs, Kings, Blazers were the 3 teams they pretty much beat (beside PHX in 01 Semi) from 2000-2002 and the best player from each team was a big man. Duncan, Webber, Wallace. Now, when I look at the talent of these 3 teams from their guards... there really isn't a big "threat" if you will. Steve Smith is probably the best "offensive" talent that Kobe played against and the best defensive talent was Doug Christie or Bruce Bowen. But Smith wasn't really a "good" defender ( I kind of look at him as a lesser Paul Pierce... not taking anything away from him) and Christie and Bowen weren't that great on the offensive end either...
Could it be fair to argue that Kobe's numbers were significantly equal to Shaq's because he faced weaker competition at his position? While Shaq faced multiple all stars? Shit, Clifford Robinson for PHX was an all defensive 2nd team in 2000. So it makes since Shaq's number's dipped which you pointed out but you didn't talk about the talent Kobe was going against.
Basically, the best players that Kobe went up against from 2000-2002 were a 34-36 year old Scottie Pippen, a 31-33 year old Smith. Christie and Bowen were good defenders but their lack on the offensive side could potentially allow Kobe to even take a break since they also had Horry and Rick Fox to guard others like Bibby, Kidd, etc. and guys like Jason Williams, Christie, Kidd, and Bowen were pretty mediocre to bad Shooting percentage wise.
Anyways just my thoughts. Would love to have a discussion with you about it. Great job on the vid! I don't mean to try and bash Kobe but I just feel people don't really bring this up enough when talking about Shaq-Kobe.
You could say that the opposing teams didn't have scoring threats on the level of Kobe or McGrady or Jordan, which is true for most of them, but I also know that in the playoffs most teams don't try to put their best scorers on each other defensively. I haven't watched a lot of those series recently so I don't remember much about series like Phoenix 2000, Sacramento 2000, etc. But you could say that Kobe did get some easy games and no one could argue that.
Not every team the Lakers beat for 3 years was as great as in 2001 when they beat 3 50 win teams on the way to the finals, but I would say that many of the "good" teams at the time had more well-rounded offense and defensive lineups, especially the Kings and Spurs, and even the Blazers who had 5 10+ ppg starters. The Lakers had a one-two punch of 2 of the top 5 players but no other team really had anything like that in two players. So it would be less of a one-on-one (or two on two) between Kobe/Shaq and some star big + shooting guard, and more of Kobe and Shaq vs. a good team defense. Against the Spurs he faced Bowen who was probably the best perimeter defender in the NBA at the time, but of course there were also some players who wouldn't have a chance. At the same time, considering some of his best series came against teams like the Kings and Spurs, I don't know if he really stacked his numbers or took much advantage against the weak players as much as Shaq did in the finals. I think it was more accurate to say he elevated his game in the higher pressure series such as the Spurs, who were definitely capable of beating the Lakers thanks to Duncan and Popovich.
I also don't know if the reason Shaq's numbers dipped in the first 3 rounds vs. the finals is comparable to Kobe's numbers dipping in the finals vs. the first 3 rounds. It wasn't like the Lakers changed their gameplan to make Kobe the first option in the harder series; but you could easily tell they dumped it to Shaq all day in the finals vs. the weaker centers. So it's definitely a more complex situation when you want to compare both players' adjustments in the conference playoffs vs. the finals, if you understand what I'm getting at.
I have seen some plays against Phoenix in 2000 where Kobe played against Penny Hardaway, and I'm not sure if he ever had to guard Jason Kidd (probably not much if he did), but he didn't really have great numbers (Shaq averaged 30 and Kobe averaged 21 - this was Kobe's first real playoffs run so it was right at his averages). But for the most part, he didn't face any 'great' shooting guards. Also keep in mind it was still a big man's league. There's way more guard competition today than there was back then, as players like T-Mac, Vince, Redd, etc. were still young just like Kobe.
Even if you go back to Michael Jordan (who was an amazing defender) or look at LeBron today (a decent defender), you would see that Jordan's used more on offense and Pippen is used more to guard the opposing best perimeter scorer. So if you say that Kobe's able to take a break because of players like Bowen not being there for much offense, you're right. But I don't think it was anything that can be used as a knock on Kobe - it's seen quite often in the NBA. There were some regular season games (like when Kobe shut down T-Mac in the 4th) where Phil Jackson would even tell Kobe not to guard the other best player, because he didn't want him to have to work so hard on both ends.
This post ended up being kind of all over so I might not have responded to everything you wanted me to, but hopefully it makes sense. I don't disagree with you but I think there's a lot of factors in pretty much every playoffs run, so the 3peat is no exception. But I do think it's more accurate that Kobe elevated himself against the tougher teams, especially because Shaq would struggle against Duncan, and then helped him feast on the nobodies in the finals.
Brilliant Brillant damn post right here .... completely invalidates this videos entire premise ... bravo on pointing out this very astute basketball analysis
Hovig Demirdjian found the brainlet
My response to that was that playoff basketball was a grind it out slow paced battle. Making big plays in key moments is what won games not big stats. So the individual match ups weren't as big a factor as team basketball and coming up big in big moments. Kobe did that on the regular
Great video!
People will just never understand the greatness of Kobe Bean Bryant. The GOAT! Best player that ever stepped foot on the court. People just cant seem to grasp the commitment it takes to sit at home with my 3 Kobe jerseys on, in my bedroom, with no underwear arguing back and forth with people on the internet about how great this man truly was. He was a superhero. And im superfan. When will people learn and accept him for what he was?
shaq presence for the double team opens it up for anyone ima kobe fan i will say shaq made it easier for his development i don't think he would have been the hall of famer he is in Charlotte
Brandon Washington People forget kobe was bascially the point guard for those teams
With no kobe you can't make it to the finals. With no Shaq kobe could simply do more. In 02 he lead all players in playoff per and win shares. In 01 averaged 30. Then the next year 28 then the next 2 years he averaged more points in the playoffs than shaq
2020ICU How come Kobe was 1st round bait without a pair of seven footers in the paint ready to clean up his bricks?
His wingman was nearly 7ft tall in Odom 🤣🤣🤣
But sure, keep lying to yourself that Shaq needed this bum more than he needed Shaq
Shaq still took home all the Finals MVPs. Without quality big men, Kobe gets nothing.
gen harmer oh u mean when he hit a game winner and drop 50 in that same series? Oh the time when he played with Kwame brown, smush parker, chris mihm, devin George, luke Walton lls thats alot of trash to be competing in the western conference lol kobe haters pathetic
@Kevin Howard Same with Shaq. Without Kobe or Wade, he would have none.
@bojo perez Oh how like Shaq fouls out and Kobe was always there to save his ass?
He actually averaged more than Shaq in the West from 01 onwards. After 2000 that was it. Shaq would also repeatedly say Kobe was the best player in the game starting in 01.
I had to research this and kobebean was absolutely an assassin during the 2001 playoffs. shaq just could not be guarded during those title runs.
Thank you so much for this dissertation!
I think this teambwould beat the warriors. Nobody on GS could cover either of those guys
Great video and even greater ending! Ha ha! Ignore all the haters and naysayers, they're incompetent and hopeless.
Best combo of all time. Love Shaq love kobe.
People always will find a way to make something negative. Why can’t we all be happy as fans! The most important thing here is to realize that they both helped each other.
No not carried but shaq was unchecked no one can check him