If we're going to hijack this with Shaq talk... As a lifer Lakers fan, I can't stand Shaq. He could have showed his maturity and helped Kobe but instead he was a little bitch back stabber and did everything he could to show Kobe that he was the man and it was going to all be about Shaq. Kobe has always been about being ready to play if at all physically possible. Shaq would routinely come into camp out of shape and just plain lazy. Yeah he was big and virtually impossible to handle but he could have been SO much more.
He was embarrassed into taking free throw lessons and when they started to work, he quit that. Never mind that he was a total liability for half the fourth quarter of games because he could be counted on to miss half his attempts. Never mind that the opposing team could put a body on him and throw 6 fouls at him knowing only 6 points would come of them. Never mind that he made an enemy out of Penny, Kobe, and then Wade while acting like they were the problem while all along it was that bitch acting all affable while throwing his team mates under the bus.
Kobe proved that he didn't need Shaq. I just wish it would have happened sooner while Kobe was still a young man in number of games played.
If Shaq would have taken his head out of his ass, he could have been so much better AND won at least two more championships with the Lakers alone. freak him. He's dead to me.