Kobe or Shaq?

Monday night the Los Angeles Lakers did something that they haven’t done since the traded away Shaquille O’Neal, they beat the big fella. Kobe Bryant scored 37 points in the Lakers 100 – 92 win over the Miami Heat, but that wasn’t the big story.

The big story was the few incidents that occurred before tip-off. As Bryant was doing his pre-game stretches he was approached by Shaq and congratulated on the birth of his daughter and the impending birth of their second child. The two hugged briefly and shared a few words as the team captains came out to meet with the game officials and once more before tip-off.

"It made me feel good," Bryant said, adding he was surprised at O'Neal's gesture. "We've been through so many wars together. Now, just be able to move on, try to do the best for this team, wish him the best in South Beach.
"I had orders from the great Bill Russell," O'Neal said. "Me and him were talking in Seattle the other day, and he was telling me how rivalries should be. I asked him if he ever disliked anybody he played against, and he told me, `No, never,' and he told that I should shake Kobe Bryant's hand and let bygones be bygones and bury the hatchet.
That hatchet seems to be buried now but only time will tell, I’m not holding my breath and I’m not buying it. Here’s why.

The Detroit Pistons are winning at a near record pace. As of today their record stands at 30-5 but they have not been the story this season. Phil Jackson and Pat Reilly are both back on the NBA sidelines coaching but they have not been the story this season. The Kobe/Shaq feud has been receiving headlines and storylines. If the feud ends then so does the publicity that comes with it. One thing that both of these guys like is the limelight.

The other thing is that these guys really don’t like each other. There is genuine animosity between the two and even though the hatchet was buried on Martin Luther King Jr. Day it will be dug up by Memorial Day. Something will be said or taken out of context and the two will be at it again and that’s the way it should be.

If Kobe and Shaq are going to live in peace then they should do it on the same team. They aren’t on the same team and I think you can say that their inability to get along had a lot to do with that. Some people say the fault is with Shaq and others say it is all Kobe’s fault. Some will say that Shaq was the guy the Lakers should have rebuilt with and others would say that LA made the right choice with Kobe.

What about you? Who do you take and why? Do you think the feud is really over? Leave your thoughts in the comments box and be sure to make your vote in this week’s opinion poll.