Christmas Day 2004: Shaq vs. Kobe, Part 1

After an ugly split, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal met as opponents on Christmas Day in 2004.

The Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal duo may go down as the greatest to have played NBA basketball. Arguably, no one could spark the dominance when both players locked into the game. An undeniable chemistry was highlighted by two unconventional paths to the top of the NBA.

Shaq possessed the physical profile of lab-created athlete. O’Neal was a towering 7-footer with the power of about 10 men. Despite such a huge stature, he could still move as swiftly as a guard in his earlier years, and even handled the basketball a little bit. Adding to his monstrous size, Shaq was a true kid at heart offering playful moments throughout his career.

The path to the NBA came after his junior season at Louisiana State University, when he was drafted by the Orlando Magic upon departure. After a great run in Orlando, Shaq landed a mega-deal with the Lakers during the 1996 summer.

Kobe Bryant was the young kid looking to play a man’s game. The 17-year-old left suburban Philadelphia’s Lower Merion High School excited, but apprehensive about his fit in the NBA. After catching the eye of Lakers’ manager Jerry West during the 1996 NBA Draft, a big draft day trade brought Bryant to the bright lights of Hollywood.

Bryant’s skill set was well-rounded, even as a young teenager. His skills combined with a serious demeanor uncommon for young prospects. The intrigue that he created gave the franchise hope that they could combine his talents with Shaq’s dominance to become a force for the ages. Little did the Lakers know that their assessment was right on point.

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Eight straight playoff appearances, four NBA Finals trips, and three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-02 were the result of the Shaq-Kobe duo. They sat at the top of the NBA world for a number of years. Shaq continued to be a devastating force and Kobe was turning into the league’s most dynamic wing player since Michael Jordan was coming into fruition.

It was an absolutely beautiful thing for the Lakers.

A turn for the worst occurred at the end of the duo’s last run to the Finals. Bryant’s rape allegations, losing to an underdog Detroit Pistons team, and the decision to extend Shaq beyond the 2004 season were the head of the team’s issues.

It was an extremely ugly divorce as both players brought the Los Angeles Lakers plenty of great times. Public feuds and alleged infidelity revelations were at the center of the players’ separation. To the fans, it was no surprise when the two met for the first time as opponents on Christmas Day in 2005 that the game would be the buzz of the season.

Shaq was the head honcho in Miami, with a young Dwyane Wade and company, while Kobe led a ragtag bunch featuring Lamar Odom and Chucky Atkins. The tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The game was about as close as a fan would desire with Shaq and Kobe put on a show against each of their matchups.

As if it was almost scripted, Bryant even fouled O’Neal out to end his game in the fourth quarter.

Shaq even offered up his reasoning for challenging Kobe at the rim in an ESPN postgame interview:

"When asked about his departure from the game, his answer was simple: “No layups, no dunks.” He added that this principle applied to any opponent who entered the lane, “especially him,” an icy reference to Bryant. Still, Bryant refused to acknowledge the media circus surrounding the game."

Bryant followed up with a soundbite of his own:

"“I expected him to just come out here and play,” he said. “I knew there was a lot of talk about the brick wall, and all that. But I think that was kind of just to hype the game.”"

In typical Kobe Bryant fashion, he led the Lakers into overtime down by two with a little less than four seconds left and a chance to seal the victory. Bryant was unable to can the game-winning three-pointer as he finished with 42 points on the day. O’Neal would complete the game with 24 points.

Shaq got the better end of the stick, eventually winning a championship over the Dallas Mavericks. Bryant’s Lakers struggled and his image faltered. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade and Kobe only made the All-NBA third team in his first season with Shaq away. Times had changed drastically.

Within a few years, Bryant was back at the top of the basketball world, and Shaq was putting an end to a historic and illustrious career. The Lakers captured two back-to-back titles and Kobe got back to his legendary status. During his resurgence, Bryant and O’Neal got back into each other’s good graces, putting their feuds behind them.

This year, the two did a podcast together reminiscing on their old dominance and regrets about their head-butting. Many fans wonder what could’ve been if the Lakers could have kept the two together. With Bryant’s emergence, he could’ve become the outright leader and superstar he was always capable of being.

Shaq may have more than just the four titles that he was able to gather in his career.

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Regardless of the “what ifs,” both players have enjoyed a plethora of basketball success. While Shaq’s journey has come and gone, Kobe’s is just ending. Just as most tenured players, the love and hate received along the way can make for a beautiful story. Looking at the Shaq-Kobe dynamic in a scope, not many stories can be as beautiful as theirs.