Ranking Kobe Bryant's 5 best LA Lakers teammates

#3 Robert Horry

Robert Horry pictured at First Entertainment x Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis Partnership Launch Event, March 4 in Los Angeles

After playing with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the early 90s, Robert Horry transitioned into a role player and joined Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers in the early 2000s. The forward turned out to be a solid rotation piece for head coach Phil Jackson, with whom he had already worked as a Bulls player.

His experience and versatility helped Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers in the playoffs, and he was vital to the team winning three NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Horry, who won seven titles in total during his NBA career, earned the nickname 'Big Shot Rob' for his clutch shooting performances in the postseason.

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#2 Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol's Foundation Presents 'Pasos' in Madrid

After tasting success early in his career, Kobe Bryant went through a frustrating phase in the mid-2000s.

There was a point when he threatened to leave the LA Lakers, but the management responded by adding Spanish power forward Pau Gasol in 2008 to help the Black Mamba reach the NBA Finals again.

The Gasol move turned out to be a masterstroke, as the LA Lakers reached the finals the same year the Spaniard arrived. They lost to the Boston Celtics' big 4 but managed to reach the finals in 2009 and 2010, which they won in emphatic fashion.

Kobe Bryant's chemistry flourished with Gasol both on and off the court, and the Spaniard is Bryant's children's godfather.

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#1 Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal pictured at WarnerMedia Upfront 2019 awards

Arguably the greatest center of all time, Shaquille O'Neal was the most dominant player for at least three of the seasons he spent with the LA Lakers. He won the MVP award in 2000 and secured the Finals MVP title all three times the LA Lakers won the Championship.

Along with Kobe Bryant, Shaq was a part of the most fearsome NBA duo in the league's history. The tandem ensured the Los Angeles-based team three-peat to go into the history books as one of the greatest teams of all time.

O'Neal fell out with Kobe Bryant in 2004 following the latter's accusation that he failed to keep himself in shape, which led to the former joining the Miami Heat. However, the two reconciled and remained friends until Bryant's tragic demise last year.