Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant Three-Peat

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Lore & Background

The 2000 Western Conference Finals provided a defining moment of O'Neal and Bryant's on-court success. The Lakers led the Portland Trail Blazers three games to one, then dropped Game 5 at home and Game 6 in Portland. In Game 7, the Blazers led by fifteen points early in the fourth quarter, putting the Lakers on the brink of elimination. The Lakers mounted a 25–4 rally to take the lead. The comeback culminated as Bryant drove the lane and threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal for a one-handed slam dunk; O'Neal ran upcourt with his mouth agape and both index fingers waving. Bryant extended his hand for a high five, but O'Neal in his celebration did not notice. The Lakers won 89–84, and the 13-point comeback after three quarters was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in a Game 7 at the time, though later comebacks have surpassed it. O'Neal had 18 points and 9 rebounds; Bryant had 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocked shots. The two players complimented each other on the alley-oop play after the game, and assistant coach Tex Winter thought they came to respect each other.

In Their Own Story

The Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in six games to win their first championship since 1988. They led the series 2–0 behind O'Neal's dominating presence. After O'Neal fouled out in overtime of Game 4, Jackson spread the floor and had Bryant take over the offense, leading the team to victory. Leading 110–109 with 1:32 remaining in Game 6, Jackson again spread the offense—even with O'Neal on the floor—and again allowed Bryant to take over; the Lakers won 116–111. In the ensuing celebration, Bryant was the first person to embrace O'Neal. The season was not without confrontation. In one team meeting, O'Neal said, "I have something to say. I think Kobe is playing too selfishly for us to win." Teammate Ron Harper helped mediate their differences. According to Jackson, "Kobe didn't have a selfish agenda; he just felt that the way he had been playing was the best way he could contribute. Gradually, he's seen there is a different way to contribute that incorporates more of the team." Winter said he was stunned to discover the level of hatred O'Neal expressed toward Bryant. "There was a lot of hatred in [O'Neal's] heart ... Kobe just took it and kept going." O'Neal regularly expressed to management that he did not believe the team could win a championship with Bryant.

Did You Know?

• O'Neal was the NBA Finals MVP in each of the Lakers' three consecutive championship victories (2000, 2001, 2002).
• The Lakers' 13-point comeback after three quarters in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in a Game 7 at the time, but not the largest after three quarters, and later come
• In the 2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7, Bryant threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal for a one-handed slam dunk; O'Neal ran upcourt with his mouth agape and both index fingers waving.
• During the 1999–2000 season, the Lakers amassed a 67–15 record, one of the best in league history.
• O'Neal led the league in scoring in 1999–2000, averaging 29.7 points per game, and won his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award.