Did Shaq really carry Kobe

[LuCKy_JuNiOr]

in their 3-peat run? I have said he did a number of times, only to be called a Kobe "hater."

Here are the stats to prove I am not hating, only telling the truth.




1999-2000 Finals


Shaq scored 43/40/33/36/35/41. He shot 96-157. He averaged 38 PPG and shot 61 % from the field.


Kobe scored 14/2/28/8/26. He shot 33-90. He averaged 15.6 PPG and shot 37% from the field.

Advantage- Shaq. He didn't score below 33 in any of the games and Kobe scored below 10 twice. He also didn't have a 30 point game and shot poorly from the field.


2000-2001 Finals

Shaq scored 44/28/30/34/29. He shot 63-110. He averaged 33 PPG and shot 57% from the field.

Kobe scored 15/31/32/19/26. He shot 44-106. He averaged 24.6 PPG and shot 42% from the field.

Advantage- Shaq. In this series Shaq didn't score below 28 and averaged 9 more points a game. He also shot 15% better from the field. Kobe had 3 games where he was under Shaq's low for the series and scored less than 20 in two games as well.

2001-2002 Finals

Shaq scored 36/40/34/34. He shot 50-84. He averaged 36 PPG and shot 60% from the field.

Kobe scored 22/24/36/25. He shot 36-70. He averaged 26.8 PPG and shot 51% from the field.

Advantage- Shaq. In this 4 game series Shaq once again averaged 9 more points a game and shot 9% better from the field. He didn't score below 34 in this series, while Kobe only had one 30 point game.



Overall advantage- Shaq. The numbers don't lie in these 3 championship series. Shaq averaged a total of 35.7 PPG during the Three-peat. He only scored under 30 two times in 15 games, that's phenominal.

Kobe averaged only 22.3 PPG. That's 13.4 PPG less than Shaq averaged. He scored over 30 only 3 times in 14 games. While being held to under 20 in 5 of those games.


Shaq carried Kobe and the Lakers. The stats prove it.

[Darkthug]

Good work.

[Heretik32]

Mhh.. IHMO they complemeted each other, no real "carrying" being done. Perfect fit for that season.

[mjbulls23]

But how can you argue proof? There is only one proof, only one set of stats. These are them, you can't argue against it.

not stating my opinion, just saying how I predict the thread will end up


but if you want my opinion, yes Shaq was the main reason they won, but KB was also very important to those teams, so I wouldn't use the word "carried"

[BIGSHOT]

The WCF were the true Finals for the Lakers.BTW how do those numbers prove Shaq "carried" Kobe? Looks to me like a dominant 1 st option having a dominant series. It's not like Kobe was avg 14 PPG or something. BTW 99-00 Kobe was not a superstar yet.

[LuCKy_JuNiOr]

The WCF were the true Finals for the Lakers.BTW how do those numbers prove Shaq "carried" Kobe? Looks to me like a dominant 1 st option having a dominant series. It's not like Kobe was avg 14 PPG or something. BTW 99-00 Kobe was not a superstar yet.

He averaged 13 points more a game than Kobe throughout the Three-peat.

And I didn't even include the rebounds. Kobe only shot 85 less times than Shaq did, and he could have easily had 50+ shots if he had played the 2nd and 3rd game in the first Finals series.

So I don't really see how the first option excuse works there.

[LuCKy_JuNiOr]

I just want to add, that I am not "hating" on Kobe what-so-ever. He is obviously a top player in this league and has been for a while now. I am just simply looking at the stats and making my personal opinion on what I honestly believe.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Replace Shaq with anyone else from that era then you wouldn't have seen Kobe getting one ring even with Phil Jackson...

[ihatetimthomas]

Shaq was the main reason they won. Yes that is true. But no one man can win it by himself. I dont care about the stats. No Kobe=No titles. Plain and simple. You can argue all you want that Shaq "carried" him but thats just not true. Both were needed to 3-peat. This is just another Kobe hating thread. We all know Shaq was the main guy on the Lakers, but Kobe was needed to win. I know they dont win shyt w/o Shaq. Shaq was at his prime and so dominate that no one could handle him. He was their MVP and was the focal point. But theres no reason to say he carried Kobe bc Kobe played well and hit big shots. They won it together. End Thread

[DuMa]

Shaq was the most dominant during the 3peat. only after around 2003 did Kobe's ego come into play and started the rift.

[mjbulls23]

LuCKy_JuNiOr

do you mind me asking who your favorite team/player is?

[Ryansrams]

FG% has nothing to do with he is a 7ft 340pound guy that just dunks and shoots 3 ft hooks. Since when is a center and a 2 guard suppose to be compared on FG%. I guess you can say Kobe carried Bynum to the top of FG% in the league until he got hurt. Kobe haters are so damn cute

[LuCKy_JuNiOr]

do you mind me asking who your favorite team/player is?

Suns and Nash. KJ is my all-time favorite though.

I really wasn't a Sun fan until I moved down to Vegas about 14 years ago.

Closest team around and I make that yearly trip to PHX to watch them and the DBacks play every year now.

[BIGSHOT]

somebody post their PPS and FGA per game for the latter 2 Finals.and TS% and eFG% to take into account kobes 25%+ adv at the line.

[kingsfan]

End thread...