The regret of the OK group: When O Neal was at his peak, Kobe was still very immature

On July 30, there are many great duos in the history of the NBA, but the "OK combination" - Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant - is undoubtedly the most dominant and topical pair. They teamed up to bring three consecutive championships to the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002), establishing the first dynasty of the new century. However, behind the glory of this pair, there is also a deep regret: when O'Neal was at its peak, Kobe was still a little immature; but when Kobe really rose, O'Neal had already begun to go downhill. This time misalignment made fans imagine what kind of legend they would create if the two of them had completely overlapped in their peak periods?

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###O'Neal's Peak: The Unstoppable "Sharks"

In 1996, O'Neal joined the Lakers as a free agent. At this time, he was one of the most destructive centers in the league. O'Neal, who is 2.16 meters tall and weighs nearly 150 kilograms, has almost no one in the inside with his unparalleled strength and agility. His back-to-back singles, violent dunks and terrifying dominance under the basket make his opponents daunt. In the 1999-2000 season, O'Neal averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, and was elected as the regular season MVP without any suspense. He led the Lakers to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the finals and won his first championship.

At this time, Kobe was just a 21-year-old young man. Although he is talented, his role in the team is more of O'Neal's deputy. Kobe's skills are already very good, but his game experience and decision-making abilities are not yet mature. At critical moments, the ball is often concentrated in O'Neal's hands, while Kobe needs to contribute to the team in defense and outside shooting. Although the two have worked together, Kobe obviously has not reached his peak.

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###Kobe's Growth: From a genius boy to a superstar

As time goes by, Kobe's technical and psychological qualities have improved rapidly. In the 2000-2001 season, he began to show his superstar potential, with averaging 28.5 points per game and saving the team several times in the playoffs. Especially in the 2001 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings, Kobe scored 48 points and 16 rebounds, almost defeating his opponent alone. At this time, Kobe is no longer a supporting role for O'Neal, but one of the Lakers' dual cores.

However, although O'Neal's dominance is still strong, the burden of age and weight begins to emerge. His movement speed dropped slightly and his injuries gradually increased. In the 2002-2003 season, the Lakers failed to complete four consecutive championships, and O'Neal's form declined significantly, with averaging points dropping to 27.5 points (although it is still at the top level, it is no longer as good as its peak). At the same time, Kobe continued to improve, averaging 30 points per game and began to assume more leadership responsibilities.

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###The outbreak and parting ways of conflicts

With Kobe's rise, the conflict between the two gradually became public. O'Neal hopes to continue to maintain his position as the leader of the team, while Kobe is eager to become the new leader of the Lakers. Frictions outside the court, media fueling the fire, and management's swing between the two eventually led to irreconcilable differences. In the 2004 Finals, the Lakers unexpectedly lost to the Detroit Pistons, becoming the last straw that broke the camels. After the season, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, and the OK combination officially disintegrated.

O'Neal quickly recovered his form at the Heat and joined forces with Dwyne Wade to win the 2006 championship, proving that he is still the top center in the league. After the Lakers experienced a brief trough, Kobe led the team to win two championships from 2008 to 2010 and was elected as the MVP in the Finals twice, completely establishing his historical position.

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###If the peak coincides: the regret of the unfulfilled imagination

OK combination is that they have never fought side by side in a completely peak state. O'Neal's peak period (1998-2002) and Kobe's peak period (2005-2013) are almost perfectly staggered. If Kobe from 2005 to 2007 could partner with O'Neal from 1999 to 2001, the Lakers might be able to create more brilliant achievements than three consecutive championships. At that time, Kobe's skills had reached a state of perfection and his psychological quality was extremely strong, while O'Neal still had the ability to destroy all insiders. Such a combination is probably difficult to compete with even the Chicago Bulls back then.

However, reality does not have if. The split of the OK combination is not only a conflict of personality and power, but also the most regrettable "missing" in basketball history. Their story reminds us that even the most talented duo in history requires the perfect cooperation of time, place, and people to achieve greatness. And their regrets have also become an eternal topic in NBA history.