On February 26th, 20041Beijing time, the Heat finally beat the Lakers by 104- 102 in overtime, and O 'Neal scored 24 points 1 1 rebound. Kobe Bryant scored 42 points, which was a personal season high, but failed to win.
Today's story actually begins in Honolulu Lu Lu, Hawaii. In October of 1996, Hawaiians bought all the tickets just to watch O 'Neal play on the court for the first time in a Lakers jersey. At that time, O 'Neill scored 24 points and 9 rebounds in just 26 minutes.
At that time, Kobe could only sit on the bench and watch the game. He needed more rest in wrist fracture. He can play in a few weeks, although there is a lot of pressure, there is nothing surprising about their cooperation in the first season. O 'Neill missed 3/kloc-0 games due to injury and became the center of the best third team in NBA. Kobe averaged 15 minutes per game and scored 7.6 points, making him the second rookie team.
Kobe's first season was not so good. The Lakers were swept by the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals. Kobe had a chance to make a final decision in the game, but he threw a airball. The game entered overtime, and Kobe Bryant, who was bent on performance, threw three more airball shots, and the Lakers' season was over. After the game, O 'Neill defended his rookie teammate.
O' Neill said, "I am not angry with these airball. He is the only player who has the confidence to shoot."
But this joke didn't last long, and the two players soon fell out.
Although they always pretend to have a good relationship, O 'Neill and Kobe's personalities simply don't get along. O 'Neill is outgoing, naughty, likes rap and acting. He likes challenging things, is willing to host banquets and thinks he is half superman. Kobe is introverted, likes to be alone, is serious, and is willing to wear headphones to listen to music. He is crazy about basketball, and he is only crazy about basketball.
O 'Neal has always wanted to protect Kobe and play the role of a big brother. But Kobe kept rejecting his kindness, and he didn't need protection.
Therefore, a war began.
Two men, two egos, but only one basketball.
They failed to win the championship in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
O 'Neal thinks the Lakers are his team, and he should get the ball at the basket. And Kobe also refused to be the second person. He has been a star in his life, and now he can't find any reason to give in to his big brother.
O' Neill said at the time, "Kobe has the best talent in the world, but you need to learn to play with other teammates who can score."
In 1999, O 'Neill and Kobe Bryant began a scuffle in the preseason. O 'Neill then criticized Kobe Bryant, saying that he had too much possession of the ball, and this criticism never stopped in the next few years. At that time, people kept saying that Kobe's time was coming, but O 'Neill had lost interest in all this.
O' Neill said, "I am a dominant big man, and there are not many such players in the league. If my team can't take advantage of this, then we haven't done our best. It's that simple. When I grab the position at the basket and he (Kobe) encounters double defense, he would rather shoot than give me the ball. "
Why not make peace?
Kobe seems to have been very confused about this issue.
When talking about O 'Neill, Kobe said: "This will not be a matter of character. I don't know O 'Neill that well. I don't have much time to get along with him. The problem should be on the court, but there's nothing I can do, you know what I mean? I played in the last game and played seriously. I hope to learn something from the game, whether it is passing or controlling the ball. I tried to do it, and that's all I can say. "
So this discord lasted for three seasons.
Holding an attitude of a bystander, Buckley said, "These players have the hope of becoming the next dynasty of the NBA. What they care about now is who is the boss. They make me sick. But if these players can play together, no one can beat them in the next five or six years. Kobe Bryant and O 'Neal are two of the five best players on the planet. All they have to do is win the championship. Instead of always saying,' I want to be the boss of the team, I want to be the boss of the team'. "
The relationship between the two is so bad that they don't even want to be massaged by the same trainer before the game.
be childish and ignorant
Phil Jackson wrote in his book, "Sometimes, the friction between the two of them is really childish." O 'Neal won't let Whitty bandage him because he has a good relationship with Kobe Bryant. Similarly, Kobe doesn't like Shafir. He belongs to O 'Neal. If a reporter stays in one of them's dressing rooms for too long, then the other is likely not to accept his interview. "
If anyone can keep the hostile elements on good terms for a while, it's Jackson.