Let's settle these debates once and for all: Best player on the '01 Lakers & '11 Heat

[kenuffff]

It's true. Kobe never got double teamed ever. Look it up.

he wasn't getting that many in 01. seriously if you even entertain the idea of kobe you're a moron, shaq had a game in the finals where it was 28 points/20 rebounds and like 8 assist and close to 10 blocks. i'd have to look up the exact game/numbers.

[HOoopCityJones]

Imagine even one person putting up stats like that against two 55+ win teams in the playoffs.... let alone TWO players, these days. This will never happen again.

This is why I say Shaq and Kobe are the greatest duo of All-time.

God tier numbers.

[tpols]

he wasn't getting that many in 01. seriously if you even entertain the idea of kobe you're a moron, shaq had a game in the finals where it was 28 points/20 rebounds and like 8 assist and close to 10 blocks. i'd have to look up the exact game/numbers.

And Kobe had a 48/16 game to close a series and a 45/10 game to open the next.. you wanna talk individual games? lol..

[miles berg]

Shaq for sure, dude was dominant unlike anything we had seen at center since Hakeem in the early to mid 90s. Probably even better.

2011 was Dirk. Why are we talking about the 2nd best team?

[J Shuttlesworth]

Shaq - RS: 28.7/12.7/3.4
PO- 30.4/15.4/3.1

Kobe - RS: 28.5/5.9/5.0 FG: 48.9%
PO: 29.4/7.3/6.1 FG: 48.5%

LeBron - RS: 26.7/7.5/7 55%
PO: 23.7/8.5/6.9 FG:46%

Wade: RS: 25.5/6.4/4.6 53% FG
PO: 24.5/7.1/4.4 48% FG

Shaq/LeBron have the overall better years, but the gap isn't huge

[Stringer Bell]

Shaq and Lebron.

Even after his choke job in the finals, Lebron was chosen on that ESPN ranking as the #1 player in the NBA. Not too many people disagreed.

[ArbitraryWater]

Kobe's defensively > Shaq in the 01 playoffs, and so what if Kobe can't rebound like prime Shaq.. That's like saying Shaq couldn't provide Kobes assist..

Kobe averaged 1 less point through the playoffs.. Led the team in assist, averaged 2 steals, a block & dropped Jordan esque numbers in the semis and WCF and had a damn good finals after his only off game of the entire playoffs.

Shaq had never beat Duncan w/o an elite Kobe beside him. Kobe absolutely dominated at times and made Shaq (a guy who some people call the MDE) look like a clear 2nd option for stretches.

That 01 Lakers team had 2 of the greatest players ever dominating at the same time for an entire playoff stretch.