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The Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal feud was no secret. They knew it, the franchise knew it and the whole sports community knew about it. Regardless of their differences, the duo were able to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000-2002. While they had managed to put their differences aside on the court, the tension was still pretty much visible between the two NBA legends. And it did not go unnoticed by their head coach Phil Jackson.

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Jackson tried working with both the players to help them work together on the court. While it worked for a little while, their relationship would again go back to being bitter. Their continuous scuffles eventually led to Lakers trading Shaq to the Miami Heat.

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Former Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned down his thoughts on the Lakers’ three-peat and the bitter relationship of the team’s star players, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Furthermore, he stated the reason why he was reluctant on celebrating his former team’s historic win.

Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives his thoughts on the Kobe-Shaq feud

In his online blog, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reminded that in the history of the league, a three-peat has happened only five times. Therefore, winning three consecutive championships was of course worth celebrating. He applauded Kobe and Shaq’s on-court coordination during the three seasons which ultimately led the Lakers to the trophy.

Witnessing the back-to-back success of the team, it was probably obvious that fans would think the feud was finally over and that Lakers would yet again emerge victorious the next season as well. But apparently, Abdul-Jabbar knew that it was only a matter of time before the differences between Kobe and Shaq would be visible once again.

“For three seasons, Kobe and Shaq were in sync and able to propel the team to greatness. It must have felt to Lakers fans like this dynasty would last forever?or at least as long as the Celtics?,” wrote Abdul-Jabbar in his blog.

But the cracks were starting to show,” he added.

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USA Today via Reuters

Furthermore, he added that as much as he wanted to celebrate the Lakers’ success, he also sympathized with the Brooklyn Nets coach Byron Scott. Scott is the former Lakers teammate and close friend of Abdul-Jabbar. The duo had played together for seven seasons and had won three championships together. Abdul-Jabbar claimed that Scott wanted the Nets to win as their coach. However, he might have had to battle his mixed emotions for going against the team he once played for.

Watch This Story:?Shaquille O?Neal or Kareem Abdul Jabbar: Who Made More 3 Pointers Among the Lakers Legends?

Do you agree with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s reason regarding Shaq and Kobe’s beef? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Siyari Debbarma

895 Articles

Siyari Debbarma is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With over 700 articles under her belt, Siyari is an expert in providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the game. Her throwback article on Dennis Rodman's plea for help garnered more than 3.5 million page views, a testament to her skill as a writer and journalist. Siyari's expertise also extends to game coverage and lifestyle reporting on NBA players and their families. She brings a unique perspective to her articles, providing readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal lives of their favorite players. Her passion for basketball began when she started hooping in her senior year of school, and she has been a devoted fan of the game ever since. Although Siyari admires players irrespective of their teams, the Golden State Warriors hold a special place in her heart. She is a huge fan of iconic names such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, but her personal preferences have never swayed her from delivering detailed and impartial content to her readers. When she's not covering the latest NBA stories, Siyari indulges in her love of reading, with a particular fondness for books on history and culture. She also spends time with her adorable cats and dogs, who keep her company when she's away from the court.

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