2. Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant 

Team 

Los Angeles Lakers 

Years Together 

1996 - 2004 

Playoff Appearances 

8 

Conference Finals Record 

4-1 

Finals Record 

3-1 

Combined All Stars 

14

Shaq and Kobe are my favorite duo of all time , I've told the story before I'm sure but the Magic and Shaq and Penny are what got me into basketball but with Penny getting hurt and everything in Orlando I followed Shaq to LA to root for him and ended up discovering Kobe after a few years of watching and he inevitably became my favorite basketball player ever.

They became the dominant team they did in no time and this is the most I've ever loved watching basketball. Shaq's dominance in the post , Kobe emerging as a superstar and bringing the swag and perimeter iso - along with the defense was all spectacular. They have the perfect set of complimentary pieces that allowed these two to really shine and win three titles.

Having said all that they still couldn't crack the Top 2 for me - I had them at three. Had they been able to get along and appreciate the fact that they were unstoppable together they could have risen to possibly even the top spot.

I also had Shaq and Kobe ranked #3. As great as they were, they weren't even the greatest Laker duo. Magic and Kareem has that on lock.

I rated Malone and Stockton high at #3 because of how dominant they were in the west. Never missed the playoffs, and they were the only team that gave Jordan’s Bulls a challenge in the finals.

I was never nervous about the Bulls losing until that second finals series against the Jazz. I actually thought they would pull it off.

I put Shaq and Kobe at #2 because I liked them a lot. Were they the 2nd best duo ever? No. But they were my favourites next to a certain obvious #1

I had Shaq & Kobe at #3 for winning a bunch of championships.

I was drifting away from the NBA by the time Shaq & Kobe started winning those championships (the only one I really remember watching was the sweep of NJ) but it's not like I was living under a rock. I know they're great even if I haven't seen much of their prime.

Had no idea they were together so early on either. I always thought Shaq came to LA when Kobe was already on the cusp of superstardom. Something like 98 or 99. Not 1996 when Kobe was still a teenage rookie.

I had Malone and Stockton at 3. Their longevity, consistency and being the face of a franchise nudged them ahead.

Shaq and Kobe were at 4, they got me back into Lakers basketball but like Baker that wasn't until around 1999. Had I done a little more research I would have put them at 3, I didn't realize it was 8 seasons.

I had Malone/Stockton 3 and Kobe/Shaq 1. So my 2 will finish 1. I am very happy with the top 3.

The Kobe/Shaq story is so HOLLYWOOD that it makes it more epic. Crazy funny too considering I was a huge Kings fanboy when they had Stojakovic, Divac and all these Eastern European motherfuckers doing their thing. But I hated Kobe and Shaq, but as I grew older I loved them solo and respected what they were able to do together.

1.Jordan/Pippen
2.Magic/Kareem
3.Shaq/Kobe
4.Bird/McHale
5.Lebron/DWade
6.Steph/Klay
7.Isiah/Dumars
8.Stockton/Malone
9.Kareem/Robertson
10.Frazier/Monroe

Had to throw some love to the old school with Frazier/Monroe and Kareem/Robertson

Now I'm usually the first person to harp about recency bias, but The Splash Brothers got absolutely hosed in this thing. They won 3 rings together and changed the very paradigm of the game. You know why Lebron and Dollar Dame take 3 pointers from the parking lot? The Splash Brothers. They DEFINITELY deserved to make the list over a duo like Payton/Kemp.

I'll pull the trigger too.

1. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
2. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Karl Malone and John Stockton
4. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal
5. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker
6. Bob Cousy and Bill Russell
7. Larry Bird and Kevin McHale
8. Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars
9. Julius Irving and Moses Malone
10. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor

Steph/Klay deserve recognition, but how the game is played became a big detriment through no fault of their own. With good defense a thing of the past it just turns me off of anything associated with this era.

I had to get Elgin Baylor on this list somehow, my favorite old schooler to watch.

1. Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen
2. Karl Malone & John Stockton
3. Bill Russell & Bob Cousy
4. Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Kobe Bryant & Shaquile O'Neal
6. David Robinson & Tim Duncan
7. Wilt Chamberlain & Jerry West
8. LeBron James & Dewayne Wade
9. Larry Bird & Kevin McHale
10. Tim Duncan & Tony Parker

1. Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen 

Team 

Chicago Bulls 

Years Together 

1987 - 1993 

1994 - 1998 

Playoff Appearances 

10 

Conference Finals Record 

6-2 

Finals Record 

6-0 

Combined All Stars 

16 

I admit that this is probably the first basketball duo most people think of but I still had them #2 behind Magic and Kareem. The fact is that I think this was more of a one sided duo than a ton of entries on this list - Scottie was great and perfect as a compliment to Jordan and #2 on this is isn't a slight. I just think when comparing the idea of *arguably* having two of the best five best players of all time , in their prime dominating a decade .. it made them a better duo to me.

Jordan might be the GOAT , but Scottie is a lot closer to the 100th best player of all time (still a great feat) than he is to the best player of all time. If that makes sense.

Taking nothing away from them, obviously the most successful duo in terms of championships of all time.

I had MJ/Pippen at 2 behind Shaq and Kobe but this was obviously the best duo of all time.

Apr 11, 2020 19:09:30 GMT KING KID said:

I had MJ/Pippen at 2 behind Shaq and Kobe but this was obviously the best duo of all time.

Disagreed. 



Also I had Shaq and Penny way too high on my list , but they are the duo that got me into basketball and Penny was my favorite player ever until injuries hit and Kobe came along. Still love and root for the Magic when the circumstances are right. I also think "This Magic Moment" is my favorite 30 for 30 ever - watch it way too much. Penny's probably still my second favorite , followed by Giannis and T-Mac. 

The GOAT and the greatest Jannetty in sports history were an easy choice for #1. Their Chicago Bulls are the greatest sports dynasty of my lifetime. I may have rooted against them every step of the way but I can recognize greatness even when it's not breaking my heart a few times a year. One of the easiest #1 choices in PW countdown history.

1. Jordan & Pippen
2. Shaq & Kobe
3. Malone & Stockton
4. Lowry & DeRozan
5. Magic & Kareem
6. Curry & Durant
7. Bird & McHale
8. Cousy & Russell
9. Robinson & Duncan
10. Payton & Kemp

Pretty standard list except the obvious Lowry & DeRozan.

Should be pretty obvious why I put them there. That pairing single-handedly made the Raptors what they are today, and I got to witness it first hand. Yes I understand the irony of them being split up in order for the Raptors to win a championship, but the work they did together still stands.

I nearly included DeRozan’s trade in my shocking sports moments list. Not only was it shocking that the Raps pulled the trigger on shipping out DeRozan, but the fact they got Kawhi in return was an absolute robbery. I guess it wouldn’t have been if the Raptors lost in round 2 and then Kawhi left for nothing, but guess what? That didn’t fuckin happen!

Anyway this was fun.