Originally Posted by
FrenchBlue23
Originally Posted by
seasoned vet
abovelegit1 wrote:
I never understood this point of view. The Shaq and Kobe Lakers lost to the Spurs, reloaded, and then lost to the Pistons, but somehow they would have won five straight titles had they stayed together? LOL @ putting a guy in his mid 20s in "check" as if he was a child at the time. What were they going to do, scold him and make him play nice?
They had to choose between the two players, and the FO made the right call, business-wise and basketball-wise.
- they had to choose because they didnt check Frobe early in his career. management had no business letting it get to that point. my man Del Haris was terrified of Frobe and refused to discipline him.
.....and im not saying those 5 years were in the bag but with a healthy Shaq and Kobe in their prime they would have gotten at least 2-3 of those titles.
Shaq was due for an extension, he was demanding it. Kobe was a free agent that same year.
People are still blaming Kobe for the feud? Shaq got off easy. If the Lakers had chosen Shaq over Kobe, what do you think people would say now??
I don't get how you "check" someone early in his career, when this is a business oriented league.
anyone who realisticly thinks the kobe shaq breakup was all on kobe has no clue what their talking about. shaq played his part in things as well, demanding an extension while coming into camp outta shape every year, and getting hurt on company time so missing games on company time so the lakers were underhanded early in 02-3 and started off crappy. kobe had his faults and played a role in the breakup but being realistic it was better for both sides.
regardless if him and kobe were getting along or not, shaqs numbers were declining and he lacked motivation, and in 03-04 they ran into a team that would've beat them regardless if malone was healthy and shaq got more touches, those games in detroit were all one sided and the pistons were peaking at that moment. with the lacking motivation part and the fact that they were a .4 fisher shot away from possibly getting knocked out in the 2nd round that year, that team probably would've regressed and got older had they stayed together, and got knocked out by san antonio or dallas the next few years in the 2nd round or conference finals.
long term wise the trade benifited both shaq and the lakers, shaq was motivated to prove LA wrong went to a team with a young future superstar in dwayne wade, and won a title in 2 seasons, so shaq and miami both got what they wanted from that trade even if it was short term and miami ended up trading shaq and being the worst team in the league in less then 4 years.
the Lakers were able to rebuild and start what was inevitable, had they held on to shaq longer they would've gotten less and less for him as the years went by, they traded him at the right time and while they didn't get full value for shaq as is the case in any superstar trade, they got decent pieces and within 4 years they were back in the finals and within 5 years they won a title. had they held onto shaq longer, it woulda delayed everything while it would be doubtful the shaq kobe duo would continue winning titles post 04.
