25 Most Dynamic Duos in NBA History

#4 Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant

The turn of the millennium saw quite possibly the scariest duo in the league's history come into full flight. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal teamed up first in 1996, but Bryant, a teenager at the time was just finding his feet in the league. Although they made a trip to the Conference Finals in 1998, they were comfortably swept by Utah and they both knew that work had to be done to reach the pinnacle.

In the 1999-00 season, the Lakers hired Phill Jackson and saw an immediate change. The Lakers led by the dynamic duo of O'Neal and Bryant won three consecutive titles between 2000 and 2002. They seemed unstoppable and went 15-1 in the playoffs during their second championship victory in 2001.

After their three-peat, things went downhill for the duo. O'Neal had surgery the following year and the Lakers didn't make the Finals and although they did make the Finals in 2004, they were convincingly beaten by the Detroit Pistons and O'Neal was traded to Miami after contract issues and not to mention his deteriorating relationship with Bryant.

O'Neal and Bryant had huge individual success too. O'Neal won MVP in 2000 and won three consecutive Finals MVP awards as well. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star and was given leadership of the Lakers after O'Neal's departure.