“Sleepless nights” – Kobe Bryant’s unhealthy obsession to win NBA title without Shaquille O’Neal revealed by former teammate 

Kobe Bryant's relentless pursuit of NBA titles without Shaquille O'Neal, revealing sleepless nights and a competitive spirit that drove him to prove his worth.

“Sleepless nights” – Kobe Bryant’s unhealthy obsession to win NBA title without Shaquille O’Neal revealed by former teammate 

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal (courtesy - Imago)

Trevor Ariza, former Los Angeles Lakers forward, said that Kobe Bryant had sleepless nights when Shaquille O’Neal had moved out of the Lakers squad. Bryant won three of his five championships with O’Neal (2000,2001, and 2002).

During the 2008-09 and the 2009-10 seasons, with O’Neal not around, Bryant had to take control of the situation. Bryant led the Lakers to glory by beating the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2009 and 2010 respectively. He was awarded NBA Finals MVP on two occasions.

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When asked how demanding Bryant was while trying to win a ring without O’Neal? Ariza stated,

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It drove him f**kig sleepless nights, I could probably say that. He wanted to prove that he was who he thought he was.

Bryant, who did not win a Finals MVP during the Lakers’ first three titles with O’Neal on the roster, clearly wanted to prove that he could lead the franchise to a title even without having Shaq on the team. Shaq already won his fourth championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, after his tenure with the Lakers ended. Even though O’Neal and Bryant were teammates, there was a competitive spirit between the two of them.

The Lakers did not win any championship title after O’Neal left the team for several seasons. In addition, it was a lost cause as the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since O’Neal departed in the 2004-05 season. The Lakers managed to reach the NBA finals in the 2007-08 season; however, they lost to the Celtics.  The next two seasons, however, saw a positive turn in L.A.’s destiny.

Did Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal Reach Peak Dominance Together?

In 2009, Ariza celebrated a title with Bryant and his Lakers and fans were optimistic about what the team could do in the following seasons. Bryant’s contribution, without a doubt, raised the team to newer levels. The other significant contributors included Ariza, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Lamar Odom. 

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant
Kobe and Shaq (via CBSports)

Despite O’Neal’s four championships as a player, Bryant ultimately outscored him with five. Nonetheless, it’s possible that the two were more dominant when they played together than when they weren’t.

Throughout his time with the Lakers, Bryant was selected to 18 All-Star teams and took home two scoring championships. The Hall of Famer shot 44.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from outside the arc, averaging 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game.

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