The Prince. And the King. Separated. The Golden Child stays in Los Angeles with the prospect of having a franchise built around him. The Big Aristotle looks to revitalize his already cemented status as one of the game's most dominant players in his return to South Beach.
They were the dynamic duo. Batman and Superman. The greatest 1-2 punch the league had ever seen. But that's history.
The divorce was brought about by greed (i.e. the Diesel's unreasonable pay-me-the-maximum-extension-on-my-contract demand), unyielding egos (e.g. Bryant refusing to defer to O'neal in game 4 of the Finals in which Shaq ate the Pistons alive), and a tunnel-visioned owner named Buss who decided to hold on to Kobe no matter the cost.
There was also a conflict of personalities. Kobe disdained Shaq because of his childish need for attention. Shaq (and the rest of the team) despised Kobe for being selfish and unsocial.
I'm not a big fan of either Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'neal. But I acknowledge their supreme status as the top two players in the NBA.
Too bad they're not together anymore. The curtain has fallen on their brief dynasty.
