“He’s Kobe and I’m Shaq”: Anthony Davis Reacts to Comparisons With Legendary Lakers Duo

Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are getting better with each passing game. Both players racked up more than 30.0 points in Game 2 to become the first pair of Laker teammates to achieve the feat since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal did it in 2002. Following the game, Davis reflected on the effort and weighed in on the Kobe-Shaq comparison. 

Anthony Davis put on a masterclass in Game 2 to strengthen his grip on winning the Finals MVP award. The 27-year-old got 32.0 points and went 15-20 with his shooting. His performance was backed by LeBron James, who recorded yet another 30.0 point game in the Playoffs. 

These two are combining two break several records, reminiscent of how Shaq and Kobe used to do it. After the Game 2 victory, Anthony Davis was asked to identify elements from Shaq and Kobe’s game which might be present in their current displays. 

Lakers star Anthony Davis reflects on the legendary pairing of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal

Kobe and Shaq took control of the league in the early 2000s. They guided the Lakers to accomplishing the three-peat, a rare achievement in history. “Those two guys are obviously special. They are a duo that’s special together. They are the best duo we’ve seen,” Davis said. 

“Multiple championships. They both were so dominant. I know they had a little sit-down and they were talking about they were arguing because they both wanted to be so dominant, they both wanted to be great and they both wanted to win, and that’s why they jelled together outside of everything else that you might have heard that they were going through,” he added. 

The AD dived in on how the camaraderie between them on the court worked wonders. “But you know, those two guys were selfless. They both had a competitive spirit with themselves to will their teams to win.”

“I think me and Bron are the same way,” Davis mentioned. “We are two guys who want to win no matter the circumstance. We both want to make sure that we do whatever it takes to help our team win. When you have two guys that are selfless …”

So who are Kobe and Shaq in the current team?

This is the first year that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing together as teammates. Their pairing has been wonderful to watch, as they’ve dominated right from Day 1. It is indeed a joy for the Laker faithful to witness such a dominant duo playing for their team.

James and Davis are proving to be the reincarnation of the Kobe-Shaq era. One can never forget the amount of destruction they brought to the league. Likewise, AD and Bron are totally dominant, but there’s one question that lingers on our minds. 

Who is Shaq and who is Kobe in the LeBron-AD relationship? Here’s what AD has to say about it: “He’s Kobe because he handles the ball, and I’m Shaq because I play in the post.” Well, Davis has kept it pretty straight forward and fans would certainly agree with him too. 

With a 2-0 lead in their hands, the Lakers are the mighty favorites to clinch the 2020 championship. Davis is cementing himself as a big-game player, and we hope to be seeing more from this duo in the coming years!