Former Blazers Star Reveals How He is Glad to Be Part of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Legacy
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Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O’Neal, left, shares a laugh with Kobe Bryant on the bench during a pre?season game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim Thursday, October 23, 2003. (Photo by Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal formed the deadliest duo in the NBA since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. In a post-MJ NBA, the Lakers replaced the Bulls and won three consecutive NBA titles. The first of the trio came in 2000, which included a legendary series against the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2000 Western Conference Finals.
Brian Grant was a role-player on the 1999-2000 Portland Trail Blazers and was the unfortunate recipient of one of the most famous dunks in NBA Playoff history. It was game seven in a tense matchup between the two teams, but the deciding bucket came when Kobe threw a lob up for Shaq, who slammed it down over Grant. But Grant is happy to be a part of NBA history.
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“I saw Kobe just light up and throw that lob. And I turned my head and boom, he (Shaq) dunked it. They used to have a damn NBA commercial like that. Nobody’s in frame and here comes Kobe and then everybody comes in, the lob goes up, then everybody disappears. I’m like, at least I’ll be known for something.”
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal: The best duo in modern NBA history?
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Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were unstoppable in their prime. There is no debating that. While their reign of success ended after three titles, it was still magnificent to see them win those titles. After all, they went 16-1 in their 2001 NBA Title run. Their only loss came at the hands of Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in Game One of their Finals series.
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 12: Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate following Game Four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Shaq and Kobe went on to be a part of some incredible duos even after Shaq left LA. In fact, Shaq went and formed another powerful duo with a guard in Miami. He and Dwyane Wade would end up winning the 2006 NBA Championship, the first in Heat history and the fourth for Shaq’s career.
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Kobe would have to wait longer for his next co-star, but it came in the way of Pau Gasol. The pair would win two NBA titles together in 2009 and 2010, immortalizing Kobe’s legacy as one of the greatest players ever. But Kobe and Shaq together were unstoppable and the true definition of greatness.
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