The Best Player of Los Angeles Lakers in the last 15 Years:

[robert_shaww]

2000: Shaquille O

[NBAplayoffs2001]

[QUOTE=robert_shaww]2000: Shaquille O

[navy]

[QUOTE=robert_shaww]2000: Shaquille O

[KobesFinger]

Water is wet

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Kobe has a way better case for 01 than 02...and you say you watched basketball that long. :oldlol:

01 and 02 finals complete dominance.

[T_L_P]

01 and 02 finals complete dominance.

I agree. I'd give Shaq every year with Kobe except 03, but I don't see any real case for Kobe in 02.

01 is neck and neck. 02 really isn't. 03 is Kobe. 04 is Shaq again.

[BoutPractice]

00-02 Shaq
03 Kobe
04 Shaq
05-13 Kobe
14 Gasol (but does it really matter in such a roster)

[Ne 1]

2000-2004- Shaquille O'Neal 2005-2013 Kobe Bryant 2014- Pau Gasol. Didn't even have to really think about it either. 2001-2004, Kobe was very close, but IMO wasn't clearly a better player than Shaq until '06.

[Rooster]

I agree. I'd give Shaq every year with Kobe except 03, but I don't see any real case for Kobe in 02.

01 is neck and neck. 02 really isn't. 03 is Kobe. 04 is Shaq again.

Kobe was the better player against your Spurs. That was the real NBA finals.

[Ne 1]

Kobe was the better player against your Spurs. That was the real NBA finals.
This "real finals" nonsense has to stop. If you want, you can argue that the 2000 WCFs and the 2002 WCFs was the "real finals" or the true championship deciding series, but in 2001 the Spurs got swept by 22 ppg on average vs the Lakers. The Spurs were also missing their 2nd leading scorer in Derek Anderson. While the actual Finals vs the Sixers turned out to be the Lakers most competitive series. Against Philly was the only series they were really challenged at all. Losing game 1 and homecourt advantage is significant, and then the Sixers were close to taking a 2-1 lead in game 3, but Horry hit a huge shot, and I believe Fisher did as well. It was unlikely for Philly to beat the Lakers, but they were giving themselves a chance unlike the other teams.

And Kobe was only clearly superior to Shaq out of 1 of the WCFs during the 3peat, which was the Spurs series. He was better during the '02 Spurs series as well, but that was the WCSF. Also with that said, even though the Blazers and the Kings were better teams than the Pacers and Nets, nothing is ever a a foregone conclusion. Almost everybody thought the Lakers were going to beat the Pistons in '04 and everybody thought the Heat were going to beat the Mavs in '11.

[Rooster]

This "real finals" nonsense has to stop. If you want, you can argue that the 2000 WCFs and the 2002 WCFs was the "real finals" or the true championship deciding series, but in 2001 the Spurs got swept by 22 ppg on average vs the Lakers. The Spurs were also missing their 2nd leading scorer in Derek Anderson. While the actual Finals vs the Sixers turned out to be the Lakers most competitive series. Against Philly was the only series they were really challenged at all. Losing game 1 and homecourt advantage is significant, and then the Sixers were close to taking a 2-1 lead in game 3, but Horry hit a huge shot, and I believe Fisher did as well. It was unlikely for Philly to beat the Lakers, but they were giving themselves a chance unlike the other teams.

And Kobe was only clearly superior to Shaq out of 1 of the WCFs during the 3peat, which was the Spurs series. He was better during the '02 Spurs series as well, but that was the WCSF. Also with that said, even though the Blazers and the Kings were better teams than the Pacers and Nets, nothing is ever a a foregone conclusion. Almost everybody thought the Lakers were going to beat the Pistons in '04 and everybody thought the Heat were going to beat the Mavs in '11.

Pistons were a surprised but I was more comfortable as a Laker fan in the NBA finals than Lakers going through the West. I always thought that if Lakers will come out, they will win it.

[AirFederer]

Ignore list

[MellowYellow]

14 is Jodie meeks easily

[no pun intended]

14 is Jodie meeks easily
This is really true.