LeBron James and Anthony Davis have already made major contributions to their respective legacies with the Los Angeles Lakers, but franchise legend Shaquille O’Neal believes the legacy of their duo will never compare to the legacy of O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s duo.
“There will never be the next [Shaq and Kobe],” O’Neal said.
While the assertion may seem somewhat combative, O’Neal continued to make it clear that Lakers legacies are not meant to be chased or eclipsed. Instead, they are simply meant to be made and appreciated.
“We don’t need them to catch up to us,” O’Neal said. “Kobe and myself were not trying to catch Magic [Johnson] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. … Kobe and I, [our] legacy will never be duplicated. Or imitated.
“We don’t want to get into the situation where they can be the next us because there will never be a next us. Magic and Kareem can never be us. We could never be Magic and Kareem. And we can never be LeBron and AD.”
It’s a powerful sentiment on its own. It’s even more powerful when considering the fact that Bryant, the player who helped O’Neal form his own legacy in L.A., has now passed.
During their time together in L.A., Bryant and O’Neal formed one of the most dominant duos in NBA history. They won three titles together and created an endless list of highlights and headlines.
As for Davis and James, their story has just begun. In one season together, the two already have one title under their belt. Only time will tell how many more they are able to achieve in the years ahead.
