SHAQ V KOBE

Years later… 

Who got the better of the deal?   

Miami or the Lakers? 

Shaquille O’Neal got an extra ring.  So obviously, this was an amazing deal for the Heat.  Period.  No questions asked.  But they already had Dwyane Wade in place (which of course, makes the argument even stronger for the Heat).   The Lakers got Lamar Odom…and Caron Butler… and Chucky Atkins and…err…Brian Grant…which later through separate moves, essentially morphed into Kwame Brown.   Talent-wise, no contest.  Shaq was the most dominant player in the league.   What did the Lakers get? Younger— a lot younger – and unfortunately they also got into some deep salary cap issues. But that was then. 

Let’s look at NOW. Let’s be honest, Shaq is barely holding on.  The Heat look old.  Odom looks like he might FINALLY have blossom into the player everyone always felt he could be.  The Lakers are finally playing as a team.   The Lakers dropped from a dynasty to the bottom tier…and now back up again.  How far up? We’re not sure yet.  But they are currently in first place, playoff-worthy (and probably bound)…and exciting again. But despite all of this—the real question lies in the following debate: Considering the Lakers were in an unenviable, awkward position a few years ago where Kobe Bryant and Shaq were not going to co-exist any longer…and the team HAD to trade one of their stars…did the Lakers trade the right guy? 

It’s not so easy is it?  If the Lakers got rid of Kobe – this might very well be the final season they would be competitive.  Shaq is looking more and more mortal every day, and as much as I personally respect him on the court, he is no longer dominant (good still, but not dominant).  They probably, however, would have competed for if not won at least one more title along the way.  Shaq was that dominant. But that didn’t happen. 

  Shaq will retire (relatively) shortly I imagine – and
Kobe, while recovering from a serious knee injury is still in his prime.  The Lakers, from what I understand,  have some salary cap flexibility coming in the off season and could be players in terms of adding a free agent – and theoretically could be in contention for at least one more title themselves.  Let’s break it down further.  In terms of box office – in terms of excitement – in terms of marketability (rape allegations aside…and which by the way, the positive mage of Kobe seems to be returning.  Case in point all the new endorsements he has signed and all the commercials) Kobe is the clear choice – he is a human highlight reel (sorry for stealing the ‘nick’ Dominique). 

In terms of the future: Like I said, the Plus goes to the Lakers here. Without trading Shaq, who knows who the Lakers would have on their current roster.  Sure wouldn’t be Odom, Kwame, Andrew Bynum (they wouldn’t had drafted that high if Shaq and Kobe were still winning titles)…and probably not Jordan Farmar, Maurice Evans etc etc. 

At the time, word on the street (Encinitas Blvd to be exact) was that Kobe was a cancer.  Selfish.  Terrible team player.  Hard to be around.  Ball hog.  Me me me me me etc etc etc 

Were these things true?    Who knows? But today? Look at him. His teammates seems to enjoy playing with him.  There’s no power struggle.  He passes (on occasion).  He’s smiling.  His teammates are smiling.  We no longer hear unidentified teammates mocking Kobe and management by saying Kobe is the “real General Manager”.  The Lakers are fun to watch again.  Odom is becoming consistent and stepping it up (which by the way, Kobe claims Odom making the All-star team would make him so happy he’d sign up for ‘Dancing with the Stars’.  Okay, not that happy – but you get the drift.). 
Kobe doesn’t need to score 50 points every night for the team to be successful – he’s getting his teammates involved more.   He has matured on and off the court. And — the Lakers are in first place! 

Miami? Let’s just say they’re 7-10.   In third place behind Orlando and ATLANTA!  (okay, tied with Atlanta.  But is that really any better?  I mean, no offense, but we’re talking ‘bout the Hawks here.) 

And Shaq is down – and counting.  Granted, it’s early and the regular season doesn’t mean all that much for Shaq-led teams (though this team is actually led by Wade)…or for most of the league for that matter (Man, trim the regular season!  It’s too freakin’ long).   For all we know, the Heat may still compete for another title this season.  But the writing is on the wall.   

The tides are changing.     One team is heading upwards (how high? Again, nobody truly knows).  And one team has already peaked and is starting is gradual descent downward. I will be the first to argue that I still think the Lakers messed things up by trading Shaq in the first place.   I understand there was a good chance Kobe would have walked had they done so…but breaking up the best duo probably in the history of the NBA (Yeah what? I said it!) was heart-breakin’.  It was sad.  Who knows how many more titles the Lakers would have won.  You can’t tell me they wouldn’t have won at least one more ring together – if not more!  You can’t tell me the Lakers wouldn’t have been able to swing a couple more Karl Malone / Gary Payton-esque free agent signings, where the players take very reduced salaries in order to have one last shot at a ring.  You can’t tell me that at the very least,
Los Angeles would have been seriously competing for titles every one of theses past few years.   

But they didn’t.  What they did was trade one of the best Centers to ever grace the hardwood.  What they did was trade the most dominant player in the game.  What they did was break Lakers fans’ heart all over Los Angeles. What they did was have to make one of the toughest decisions in NBA personnel history.  What they did, considering the circumstances, was make the right decision. 

And that my B-ball friends, breaks my heart. But the real tragedy was that Kobe, Shaq, Phil Jackson and Jerry Buss couldn’t just work it out as one big unhappy family. 

So….LA’s divorce was indeed Miami’s gain …even if Los Angeles did in fact make the right decision. 

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