The Los Angeles Lakers knew it would only be a matter of time before Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal figured out how to get on the same page. That happened in 2000, the same year the Purple and Gold won their 12th NBA crown.
Shaq came up with the best nickname for him and Kobe
Looking back to that season, things didn't go off well. Kobe Bryant missed the start of the season because of a hand injury sustained during a preseason game. Hence, Shaq had to hold up the fort until Kobe was ready to play again.
Bryant eventually returned and showed new vigor. He improved in all statistical categories, which gave the Lakers a serious edge over the opposing teams. With Kobe's vastly improved play, O'Neal could not hide his fascination, so he devised a nickname for them.
" We're 'the Combo,"' O'Neal said via the New York Times . "One-two punch. If one of us doesn't get you, the other will," the 7-foot-1 behemoth added.
With Shaq and Kobe leading the way, the Lakers were able to rack up 67 regular-season wins. O'Neal would win the Most Valuable Player award, while Bryant made the All-NBA Second Team. But the sweetest of it all was the Lakers finally winning an NBA title over the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Kobe started to rise in stardom
It was a breakthrough for the Lakers , notably Bryant. The 13th overall pick of the 1996 Draft was still adjusting, learning that it took more than highlight plays to be part of something big.
" It has to do with me figuring out what my teammates want from me and where they were on the floor. I don't feel like a completely different player, but I will say this: I've been able to hold back a lot from my game," Bryant shared in the same NYT article.
Aside from being a breakout season for the Lakers, some felt it was Kobe's coming-of-age season. In the eyes of former Pacers guard Mark Jackson, the Lakers would not have won the NBA crown if Kobe had not stepped up in Game 4 of that final.
"They don't win the championship if Kobe Bryant doesn't take over Game 4 in Indiana. Shaq fouls out, we go into overtime, and Kobe Bryant basically says, give me the basketball, get out my way, and takes over the game," Jackson said on "The Mark Jackson Show."
That Game 4 performance proved that the Lakers remained competitive even if Kobe and/or Shaq were either out or held down. Although Bryant played behind O'Neal at the time, the result was three straight titles.
After reaching their peak, the Lakers had to retool once more. O'Neal's performance was declining and his feud with Bryant only worsened things. Shaq left, and Kobe stayed with the Lakers, hoping to assert himself as a team leader capable of winning a title.
It was a new challenge for the 6-foot-6 superstar, who knew he had to push himself more if the Lakers were to win more titles. The sacrifice and hard work would be worth it, as Kobe and the Purple and Gold would win the 2009 and 2010 crowns, bringing their NBA championship count to 17.
Related: Shaquille O'Neal goes over how he and Kobe Bryant made it work: "I had to sacrifice and say, 'You know what, go on, young fella, you take it'"
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