When Kobe Bryant took over from Shaquille O'Neal and cleaned up the glass in a critical game 4 - "He is like a pogo stick"

Shaquille O'Neal and the late Kobe Bryant were two of the best NBA players of all-time. There is no doubt about that. They spent eight years together (1996-2004) and dominated the league, leading the LA Lakers to three-straight NBA championships (2000-2002).

Their tumultuous relationship on and off the court affected the team. Their legacy could have further extended if the star duo could have gotten on the same page.

During 2001 NBA playoffs, the Lakers took on their rivals, the Sacramento Kings, in the Western Conference semi-finals. Unable to agree for most of the season on which of them should be the Lakers' lead executioner, the two stars finally decided to divide the duties evenly.

In the series against Sacramento, O'Neal and Bryant were simply unstoppable. O'Neal battered Sacramento big men Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard en route to 44 points and 21 rebounds in Game 1, followed by 43 and 20 in Game 2.

These numbers made him the first player in league history to reach the 40-point, 20-rebound mark in back-to-back playoff games. His defensive presence was also part of the reason that Kings power forward Chris Webber was largely ineffective inside.

When the series shifted to Sacramento, Kobe Bryant took over for the 17-time NBA champions.

Kobe Bryant knew Game 4 vs the Sacramento Kings was his time

Utah Jazz v Los Angeles Lakers

Bryant finished with 36 points in the Lakers' 103-81 victory in Game 3 and played even better in the series-clinching Game 4.

With Shaquille O'Neal (25 points, 10 boards in Game 4) in foul trouble and out of the game in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant closed out the series with a 48-point, 16-rebound game.

Following the sweep, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal became the third pair of teammates to average more than 30 points apiece in a series.

"People are always saying we can't coexist, but Shaq and I know what we're capable of accomplishing together," Bryant said after Game 4. "There's no way we're going to lose sight of that."

Kobe Bryant, one of the few NBA superstars with a polished midrange game, went to the foul line 19 times in both Game 3 and Game 4, as the Kings couldn't stop him.

In Games 3 and 4, he looked like he was playing with a chip on his shoulder, ready to take over and lead the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals.

"You could see in his eyes that he was ready for that moment," said Lakers point guard Derek Fisher. "He knew that it was his time."

In Game 4, Kobe Bryant played all 48 minutes and scored 15 points in the fourth quarter. Before that, he had helped the Lakers with nine offensive rebounds in the first three quarters.

"He's such a quick jumper. He's like a pogo stick," said Sacramento's Doug Christie, who was assigned to guard Bryant most of the game. "He just found ways to beat us today, and that's the mark of a great player."

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers

After the end of the series, Kings coach Rick Adelman had high praise for the Lakers, who had won 15 straight games, seven of them in the playoffs, and their star duo.

"I just got finished getting hammered by them, so I'd say the Lakers. They have two great players playing at the top of their games, and if you get the slightest bit preoccupied with stopping one, the other will make you pay dearly for it," Adelman said.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal went all the way in 2001 and claimed their second-straight title. They won a third one in 2002, but came up short in their quest for a fourth championship in a row in 2003.

A year later, after losing to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal left the team and joined the Miami Heat. They would go on to win the 2006 NBA championship.

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant stayed with the Lakers for the remainder of his career, winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.