[TV static drones]
[bright tone]
[ball bounces]
[soft music]
- It's the ultimate
teamwork game.
Some teams are beautiful
to watch
so well coordinated.
Everyone seems to be
on the same page.
Some guy
can just throw a pass,
and you know the other guy
is gonna be there.
And it's like
a melding of the minds.
♪
A lot of it has to do
with respective players
on the team.
A lot of it has to do
with an offense.
But most of the time,
it's some special player
that makes that all work.
♪
Almost seem like a ballet,
to be honest with you.
The coordination,
the beauty of these
incredible athletes
flying through the air,
doing things that people
How did he do that?
And people think
they see plays like that
every once in a while,
something that
they haven't seen before.
♪
Those kind of players do it
all the time.
[clicks tongue]
My goodness, I get excited
just sitting here
and talking about it.
♪
- When you talk
about the best in basketball,
it's 50 names
that you can say.
Really, 50 names you can say.
From your father's era
to your grandfather's era
to my era to my kids' era.
But when you talk
about the most dominant,
there's only two
in all these eras
Wilt Chamberlain
and Shaquille O'Neal.
And that's what people
never understood about me.
I don't want to be the best.
Forget all that best.
I want you to fear me.
I want you to be scared.
I want you to be so scared,
other 28 teams,
that you go to the commissioner
and you get the rules changed.
I always thought
it was quite interesting
that in the summertime,
you get 27 teams
trying to figure out
how to stop one man.
- You know the new rules.
The zone is no longer banned.
- So, before, you had to be
in a certain area,
and then when
the ball was passed,
then a double could come.
But now with the new rules,
you can just put
two guys on you.
Put a guy in front.
You can put a guy in back.
You can put a guy
on the side of me.
When I want to do something,
I'm gonna get it done,
'cause I know
I had to dominate to win.
I don't want to be
the guy that goes,
"Oh, he went to LSU,
the first pick,
but he didn't do nothing"
I don't want that.
I want, "Went to LSU,
first pick,
NBA champion, Hall of Fame."
That's dominance.
- He was so good,
it was almost boring to him,
and when Shaq wanted to play,
it was over.
We were gonna win.
But he didn't always
want to play.
- No. Shaq didn't like
to practice,
but I made exceptions for Shaq.
Shaq, I kind of told, you know,
"Really take it easy.
"This has been a long season.
"You put a lot
of minutes on the floor.
"Your body
needs to really heal
"and come back in September
and start getting ready
for the year."
And he didhe came back
about September 28the
and started getting ready
for the year
instead of September 1st.
- Since I'm playing
against these bums in the NBA,
I'm not working out
in the summer.
For what? For who?
I'll get in shape
when I get in shape.
It's impossible for me
to Hack-A-Shaq,
double team, triple team,
play 38 minutes a game,
and then work out
in the summer.
I'm gonna wear myself out.
You need to recoup and rest.
So I will rest.
The good thing about having
the weight when I play,
it was extra meat,
extra cushion
for the brutality that
I was getting ready to face.
I got 395.
When you little fleas
would fly, man,
I didn't even feel it.
Get off of me, little flea.
♪
- There had been friction
before I got there,
so it had to be remedied.
Shaq wanted to be
his big brother,
and Kobe said,
"I don't need a brother."
They were gonna be
separate and different
right off the start.
Kobe said, "I'm not interested
in spinner hubcaps or girls
"or whatever's going on there.
I'm interested in basketball."
♪
- Kobe wanted to play at times
from the outside in.
Shaq always felt inside out.
- I think that Kobe felt like
Shaq's mere presence
and dominance by default
slowed down his presence
and dominance.
So, in 2001, I think
you started to see
where Kobe wanted more.
And Shaq had to be real, like,
taking a step back from 2000.
He wasn't
in the same condition,
trying to manage his body.
He had knickknacks
and bumps and bruises
as far as injuries,
so he couldn't be
that same guy.
- The Shaq in Orlando,
he's 285, 290.
The Shaq with the Lakers
was plus-300.
We all knew that.
So, when Shaq had an injury,
we know it had something
to do with his weight.
That's when Kobe would get
frustrated and said,
"Big Fella, I need you.
You no help to us hurt.
Come into camp in shape."
And that's where the bickering.
Never about money.
Never about shots.
It was about him being in shape
and being available
for the team.
- Kobe never did anything
on the down-low.
Everything he said, he said
publicly and took claim for it.
And his frustration, he'd
talk about it on the record
and say, "If I think
he's out of shape,
I'm gonna say
he's out of shape."
- You got to have thick skin,
'cause when you grow up
with a drill sergeant,
you have thick skin.
That's why every day
I try to look up
and say, "Thank you, Sarge."
You can't hurt my feelings
with what you say
and what you write.
But I am humanI'm gonna get
pissed off about it.
- You can compartmentalize
those things,
which people that are great
almost at anything
have an ability
to compartmentalize
what they're feeling
at a certain time
in order to complete
this project.
- I've learned
from an early age
to take criticism
during the motivation.
And I had to develop
that method
'cause I wasn't allowed
to fight all the time.
So I had to develop ways
of just compart
compartwhat's the word?
- Compartmentalize.
- Yes.
I had to develop ways
of compartmentalizing things.
- And we had some
master compartmentalizers.
- Even with the Kobe thing,
I would say stuff,
and he would say stuff.
And it was perfect,
'cause everything
every time you watch the game,
you worry about
what's going on between us,
but you didn't even know what
we was doing on the inside,
and that's why
we we're able to
[snapping fingers]
- The defending champs
playing their best basketball
of the season.
They won their last eight.
- The success that
the team had continued
regardless of what's going on
between Shaq and Kobe.
- And the Lakers cannot play
better than this.
- We were just on a mission.
Like, we were just hot.
Everybody was healthy.
We was playing well.
And everybody knew their role.
Throw it in to Shaq,
Kobe going to get his shots,
and when we kick it to y'all,
y'all do what y'all do.
But, like, everyone was just
great, and that was our goal.
- Winning one is difficult.
Then to win back-to-back,
that's even harder
because everybody
is gunning for you.
Everybody made trades
that summer to beat you,
to beat the champ.
[triumphant music]
♪
- Shaq with the rebound. Oh!
- And the Lakers have swept
the Portland Trail Blazers
in the first round.
♪
- O'Neal gets it deep again.
O'Neal powering in.
A dominating performance
from Shaquille O'Neal.
- Isolated by his side,
elevates, shoots.
Count the bucket,
and he's fouled.
And he tells the crowd
to hush.
♪
- And a rebound battle
on the floor.
Finally grabbed by O'Neal,
and he slammed it in.
- Los Angeles Lakers
running the table
through
the first three rounds.
Their third-consecutive sweep,
as they defeat the Spurs
- I love titles.
I would love to be the first
team to go undefeated.
Wilt didn't do that.
Kareem didn't do that.
I just love titles.
- And so here we were
having handled everybody
in the playoffs so quickly,
we had this two-week window
of being off.
When you know that
a championship
is only four games away,
it's time to plan for being
a back-to-back champion.
We had way too much time off.
We got a little stale,
but it wasn't anybody
that was gonna beat us,
not that year.
- Too much to say.
- Shot clock turned off.
Final seconds, third quarter,
Iverson double-teamed,
hoists up the three.
[buzzer sounds]
Good! At the buzzer!
For the first time
in 18 years,
the Sixers are going
back to the NBA Finals.
- Hey, man, Philadelphia.
♪
- Final seconds.
Here's Snow, fired one.
[buzzer sounds]
And it won't got down.
- We knew we can win
before we came here.
That's the way we are.
You know, we play hard.
We came in here expecting
to win, you know?
Everybody already
counted us out.
We're not gonna act like
won it all right now
'cause we still have some
more business ahead of us.
You know, we just gonna
keep playing hard
and whatever happens happens.
- They win.
They win.
- We were rusty.
AI goeshe goes AI.
And they had their rhythm
from consistently playing
in the playoffs.
- We get in the locker room,
Phil Jackson tells us,
"Shut the f*ck up and listen."
So it was our locker room,
another locker room,
and then you could hear
their locker room.
And they're down there
partying.
He said, "Y'all out there
bullshitting.
"We could've went 16-0,
and y'all out there
f*cking around today."
We had to get refocused.
- And I remember being asked,
like, "Are you guys concerned?"
It was like, "Yeah, nah.
We're gonna win
the next four games."
[chuckles]
'Cause you just knew.
They're playing
over their heads right now,
and that's the worst
you're gonna see from us.
Yeah, this is just
a matter of time.
- Dikembe, you were in an
unbelievable battle down low.
How tough was it
against Shaq tonight?
- I think it was great.
I think I did
a great job all game.
I knew that my presence on
the floor was very important.
I'm glad that I was able
to stay there
and help my team win
this ball game.
- When I get mad, it's over.
I like Dikembe.
I like AI.
I don't really have
any animosity towards them,
so I don't have a source
of anger that I can play from.
Then Jerome comes in
early in the morning
before shootaround.
"Did you hear
what Dikembe said?"
I'm eating cereal,
Frosted Flakes.
No, what'd he say?
- Hey, listen, Mutombo said
he gonna play you one-on-one.
- That that is
a sign of disrespect.
- They disrespecting you.
- I'm like,
"He didn't say that."
- This the report
he gave to the paper.
- So now I read it.
[imitating Dikembe] "I'm the
defensive player of the year.
"We don't double-team.
"I'm going to play him
one-on-one.
He's an okay player."
[normal voice]
Now I'm pissed off.
[crunching]
I'm busting your a*s tonight.
[announcer
speaks indistinctly]
♪
- Big ovation for the Lakers.
♪
- Pretty well here
in this first period.
- Able to get
terrific position.
- And he just powers himself
through Mutombo
for his sixth foul.
- Well, it is a pressure game
for the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Rebound down to O'Neal.
O'Neal going up,
and he slams the ball.
- A facial served up
on Mutombo.
- That series was a difficult
series for Dikembe,
but I admire his attempt.
- Wow, Shaquille O'Neal with
a ferocious right-hand jam.
- Shaq underneath,
another slam dunk!
- Shaq
[whistle blows]
Moves, baseline, shoots.
Score it,
O'Neal makes a power move.
♪
- Whole lot
of Shaquille O'Neal.
That's all it was
whole lot of Shaquille O'Neal.
- Two consecutive MVPs.
Congratulations,
Shaquille O'Neal,
the 2001 Finals.
♪
- Only thing that was
going through my mind
was the method that
my father always taught.
- I love you, boy.
I love you.
- He told me to look at it
while the moment is here
and then take it off and start
focusing on the next moment.
In this world we live in,
nobody cares
about what you did yesterday.
They only care about
what you do tomorrow.
♪
- Understanding Phil
over the years,
you could tell that the Sarge
ran the house
with a pretty firm arm.
- One thing I will always have
is discipline.
Got the military discipline
from Sergeant Phillip Harrison,
and I got the law enforcement
discipline from Michael Parish
and Jerome Crawford.
And when you put
those two together,
nothing can go wrong.
As a kid, I used to
"What do you want to do
when you grow up?"
A basketball player,
a rapper, a cop.
- Yeah, he has a passion
for law enforcement.
- When I was coming up,
we had neighborhood policing.
Put certain cops
in certain neighborhoods,
and they would know everybody.
The thing
about Uncle Mike and Jerome,
they used to go in the
projects, no g*ns, no nothing,
and get ultimate respect.
Now that I exhibit
certain leadership qualities
within the community,
I relate to people.
I know what to do.
I'm gonna go
to the police academy.
- You know, I was
on the street for a long time
out there in Newark,
and I know what
the streets bring, you know?
I never encouraged him
to do it.
I wouldn't encourage him
to do it,
but that's the passion he has.
You know, he wants
to be involved.
- I'm gonna show them that,
hey, I'm serious about
this law-enforcement thing.
And I was working for
the Los Angeles Port Police.
I did what all the guys did.
I did patrol,
became a detective,
made arrests, did interviews,
all that stuff.
- She he's going
into the police academy.
He's making believe
he's a cop,
and he came in one morning,
and he started frisking me
like I was a criminal.
- And Shaq was always
around there
trying to play police
with Gary Vitti.
You know,
"Get up against the wall."
- Okay, it was cute.
It was funny.
Everybody got a kick out of it,
but now he continued to do it.
So, like, every morning now
I'm getting beat up.
- You know, and then
for a while, you know,
it was funny to Vitti,
but after a while, you know,
man, come on, man,
you know, enough's enough.
- And did he tell you
about the little boxing match
we had one time?
- And there was one morning,
I'd kind of had it.
It's not funny anymore.
I was busy, and I told him,
I said,
"Don't start with me today.
I'm busy, okay?"
"What?
Get up against the wall."
I said, "I'm not kidding.
I'm busy, all right?"
And I started walking away,
and he grabbed me
and shoved me
up against the wall.
And he reached around
the front of me,
and so I bit him.
And he turned around
and looked at everybody
in the training room,
and he yelled,
"He's resisting arrest."
- He put his hands up
like he wanted to fight.
- And he went to wind up
to punch me,
and I saw it coming,
so I turned.
And he hit me right
in the back of my pelvis.
- Boom! So he falls.
[imitates groaning]
- Yeah, I thought
he k*lled the guy.
I'm like, "Come on, man."
Vitti in there, he moaning and
groaning and grabbing his side.
I'm like, "Oh, Lord,
we in trouble."
- [imitates groaning, chuckles]
So Uncle Jerome didn't want me
to get in trouble.
Uncle Jerome closed the door.
"Man, what'd I tell you
about putting your hands on"
So we
[laughs]
So we in there trying
to console Gary
so he don't tell on us.
Gary's on the table
[panting]
- I had to get two injections
from Dr. Lombardo,
our team physician, to walk.
- [panting]
He's, like, in tears.
So, like, me and Jerome are,
"Okay, okay."
But one thing about Gary,
he never ratted me out.
- He was colorful.
He was playful.
You wanted him to love you
'cause he's full of love.
He's full of it.
Yeah, until he's not.
♪
- The motivation to stay
on top is to prove legacy.
You wanted to be legendary.
You want to be remembered
as a dynasty.
You want to be remembered
as someone that dominated
for an era,
and that was the drive
in season three for us.
Now we're being hunted.
Now people want
to take us out.
♪
- The two-time defending
NBA champions
are headed once again
for the Western Conference
Final series.
Standing ovation
for the Lakers.
♪
- The battles
against the Sacramento Kings
were probably the toughest
battles of my career,
and I don't even know why.
- But we had this
up-and-coming team
from Northern California.
You had the Lakers
down in Southern California.
One team that had
no tradition at all.
One team that had
all the tradition.
Phil Jackson kind of
inciting their fans,
calling them farmers
and just talking about them
bringing cowbells to the game.
Shaq calling them
both: The Sacramento Queens.
- So there was
this rivalry brewing.
[indistinct chanting]
- They were together.
They had C Webb.
They had Vlade.
They had Stojakovic.
They had a couple tough guys.
And they had the belief.
And they really believed
they can beat us.
♪
- Know thy self.
Know thy enemy.
1,000 battles,
1,000 victories.
- It's the dream matchup.
Western Conference Final
game one, best of seven.
- Defender, shake and bake.
- O'Neal just dumps it in.
A little extra pushing
and shoving and talking.
- Offensive foul,
mental breakdown.
- O'Neal gets his own rebound.
[whistle blows]
- And one. Shaquille O'Neal.
[buzzer sounds]
- And they take game one.
- Your Sacramento Kings!
At center, number 21,
Vlade Divac!
At forward, number four,
Chris Webber!
- They game by four.
Webber
Christie, wide open for three.
That's it.
The Kings have won.
- Give to Shaq, slam.
- Here's Bibby
on a quick release.
- Christie does a 360 turn,
throws it up, no, slam dunk.
- Final seconds.
Here's George.
[buzzer sounds]
And the Kings win it,
103-90.
- Engage people
with what they expect.
It settles them
into predictable patterns
while you wait for
the extraordinary moment
that which
they cannot anticipate.
- Horry for the win.
Yes!
♪
- It's just lucky shot.
That's all.
You don't need to have
a skills, you know,
in that kind of situation.
- Final seconds
- Just throw it,
and if it goes in, it goes in.
[cheers and applause]
- In the midst of chaos,
there is also opportunity.
- In six
Lakers hoping to take it back
to Sacramento
for a game seven.
[whistle blows]
And a foul.
Webber's called
for the offensive foul.
That's number five on Webber.
- 88-85.
[whistle blows]
Laker foul.
- That was clearly a foul
against Fisher
that did not get called
- Vlade Divac and a foul.
- That's not a foul.
I'm sorry.
- What is happening here?
An elbow right in the chops.
- Could've been
an offensive foul.
A big break for the Lakers.
- The worst officiated game.
- There were
so many blown calls.
- The worst officiated contest
in professional basketball.
- That game got
a lot of attention.
[whistle blows]
There's some plays in there
that you'd like to have back,
but that's every game
that I've every refereed.
- There's good calls.
There's bad calls.
They go both ways.
And usually
in a seven-game series,
the best team wins.
- It will be game number seven
of this Western Conference
Final series.
The winner advances
to the NBA Final.
Five seconds
O'Neal putting it over Webber.
Not able to hit.
The tip is missed.
♪
- O'Neal ties it at 106.
Shaq, and he is fouled
by Webber.
Lakers recapture the lead
with 1:20 left in overtime.
Gets it out to Christie
for three.
Way off!
And Rick Adelman
and the Sacramento Kings
are headed in the direction
of a heartbreaking defeat.
- You know, we were fortunate
that we were able
to flip a switch at times
and get to a level that other
teams just couldn't get to,
but the Kings
almost ended that run.
- Vlade said that
we don't have ♪
Home court advantage,
we won't win ♪
- What?
- Vlade, are you stupid? ♪
I'll tell you time again ♪
You need to go where
they know your name ♪
[laughter]
- You know,
that's the type of effort
and commitment
I was looking for.
Our guys, I thought,
played extremely hard.
You know, we competed.
You guys were treated to seeing
three of the best players
in the world play tonight.
You know, unfortunately,
they had two of them.
You know, Shaq was being Shaq.
He's so strong,
and he's so big,
and he just pushes guys
under the basket.
You know, you're throwing it
into him,
and it's not even a dribble
it's just a dunk.
♪
He's that strong.
We don't have
anybody like that.
You know, not only us.
It's 28 other teams that
don't have anybody like that.
You know, anybody we put
on him is a mismatch.
♪
Whatever you do, you change
the rules to try to stop him,
it's not gonna stop him.
You know, when he wants to
take over a basketball game,
with his strength
and his size
and his athleticism and as
agile as he is for that big,
there's nothing you can do.
- This series
has reached the point
where the outcome is
not even in the discussion.
- Shaq tells me,
you had very poignant message
to him before the game
what was it you said?
- That this is
where it all started.
We began here in New Jersey,
Newark, New Jersey,
and all our family
and friends are here.
It'd be a great honor to end
it all right here, right now.
- Did you tell him this
was the most important game
that he would ever play
because of that?
- He already know that.
He already know
He told me that,
the most important game.
Everybody understand
that this is
for Newark, New Jersey,
all our family and friends.
- Fisher, picked up on the
switch.
Bryant. Oh!
Kobe Bryant soaring!
♪
- O'Neal.
A facial!
- Shaq is very agile.
He's athletic.
He's the most dominant guy
in the league.
Thank you.
- The Los Angeles Lakers
have made it
three-straight
NBA championships.
In the four-game sweep
♪
- I love you, boy.
I love you.
- I love you.
- [indistinct speech]
- Shaq, to win the MVP
for the third time,
becoming only the third man
in history
and only the second to win it
three-straight years
what does that accomplishment
represent to you?
- Well, I'd like to thank my
teammates for looking for me,
having faith in me,
having confidence in me,
and just getting me the ball.
I told them
once playoffs start,
I was gonna pick my game up
I told them,
if we make it to the Finals,
I wasn't gonna let them down.
And I just told them
to get me the ball.
I just want to thank
Phil Jackson
for bringing the best
out of me.
- Man, it was weird
to watch him go to L.A.
and to win championships.
I really felt like
we had that same talent,
and we would've been able
to mold the team around
Shaq and myself.
I was happy for him,
but I was like,
"Man, it should've been me."
But the business always gets
in the way of loyalty
and chemistry,
'cause they'll say you're
gonna do what's best for you.
I have to do
what's best for me.
♪
- You know,
Shaq was a big-bone guy.
His skeleton was big.
It could handle
a lot of that weight
to a point.
And the more weight
that you have on your body,
the harder it is, because
in terms of ground force,
it's about four times
body weight.
So, if Shaq is 300 pounds
and he was more than
300 pounds
every step
that he's hitting the floor
is about 1,200 pounds of force
on his frame.
And it hurt,
and I know it hurt.
- All my injuries
are freak injuries.
I never pulled a hamstring
or never had knee, an ACL, MCL,
none of that.
In Orlando,
boom, breaks this thumb.
In LA, I bust a capsule
in my kneeout six weeks.
The hand again, turf toe,
couple finger injuries,
hip arthritis.
Oh, and one time,
in the game, I scored,
and I did the Merton Hanks.
[vocalizes]
And I tore a stomach muscle.
I was out for eight weeks.
But I had a solution
pain K*llers.
I just like to feel loose
before the game.
So, one time, I was having
pains, and I took it.
And I was like, "Oh,"
and I had a good game,
so that was my ritual.
Like, I wasn't even thinking
anything about it.
They say take one,
but I'm a big guy.
My mentality is,
well, two will be good.
It would always mess
my stomach up if I didn't eat,
so I'd have to eat a big meal.
And then take them,
and when I wake up,
boy, I'd be looser than a mug.
What I mean
by messing my stomach up
I'd have to take a sh*t.
- [laughs]
- [laughs]
- [laughs]
- That's Uncle Jerome,
in case y'all
No, seriously,
I would have to sh*t.
- I'm glad he couldn't fit
in the bathrooms in the buses
or, really, on planes
[laughs]
'Cause had he been able
to fit in those places,
those would've been
different rides.
He did what he had to do
to be on the court.
And if he wasn't out
on the court,
it's because whatever it would
take for him to be out there
would've crossed a line that
he wasn't prepared to cross.
I know he could've stopped
on many occasions
to have gotten many more
surgeries than he did,
and I know he played
through injury.
- Listen, I was
under the most pressure,
but I can't let you see that.
But I'm still dealing with it.
So I'll always play hurt.
Always played hurt.
- 'Cause he's Superman.
That's the level
of vulnerability
that you don't want to share
with everybody, right?
'Cause he's expected
to be Superman
on the outside, right?
He's expected to be
superhuman.
And yet when he shows
the vulnerability
or he isn't at his best,
the only thing
that gets heaped on him
is the criticism.
♪
- So I'm playing.
I'm working out.
I got some pounds on me
'cause I'm eating
chicken tenders
and pizza and burger,
but I can work that off.
My toe is messing up.
I'm like
I always had bad toes anyway.
I'm like, but this
I can't bend it.
So now I go to the doctor, and
he said, "You need surgery."
So I call the Lakers.
I say, "Hey, I need
to get surgery."
- There's a reason
why the big toe is big.
That's the site that's handling
most of the load.
He did have
a significant big-toe issue.
Now, that doesn't sound like
a big deal, but it is.
- So, if I say
I'm gonna get toe surgery
at the beginning
of the season
We got 80 games.
I'm only gonna miss
10, 12 games, relax.
Y'all should be able
to hold it down,
but they didn't,
and people started talking.
But you know what's gonna
happen when you talk?
What's gonna happen
when you talk?
You're just gonna
feed the beast.
- When looking
for someone to blame
for the Lakers'
slow start this season,
September toe surgery has made
Shaquille O'Neal
the popular choice.
All-Star Weekend,
the Lakers big man
defended the timing
of his operation.
Shaq told
the "Chicago Sun-Times"
"Since I suffered the injury
on company time,
"why should I also be able
to get surgery
and do recovery
on company time?"
- When Shaq had had
the operation on his toe,
that put him back until
playing until December.
Kobe wanted to win
four in a row.
The Bulls had won
three in a row twice.
Celtics had won
three in a row one time.
And Kobe wanted
to be part of history,
and he held it against Shaq
that Shaq was not wanting
to compete.
- That didn't sit well
with Phil,
with my dad, with Kobe.
It just put us
behind the eight ball
when, you know, the Lakers were
at the top of the heap
and everybody wanted
to beat us.
And we needed everybody
on deck ready to go.
It didn't feel right.
- [laughs]
I'm sorry.
[laughs]
Um
I found outI found out
in the moment.
I thought it was
super hilarious
in the moment,
although I was super mad,
'cause it impacted all of us,
but I thought it was
actually accurate.
What he was communicating
was a request for feedback.
Do you value me?
Do you respect what I've done
so far to this point?
You're speaking to a player.
I'm gonna ride or die
with Shaq
on any team
at any point in time,
If I can get Shaq for ten games
before the playoffs start,
I'm happy.
Won three championships.
The man needed to take a break
and get his toe fixed.
- Phil Jackson's
got to call a time-out.
This has completely
fallen apart.
But the three-time
world champions
how are they ever gonna dig
themselves out of this hole?
- Six minutes.
Tony Parker takes a three,
and Willis slams it home!
- Look at that.
They're taking Shaq
out of this game.
- Oh, this thing's over.
- Now, do you see
all the banners?
There won't be a fourth one
hanging underneath that one.
♪
- Now, the decision to not
take care of it
in the off-season
okay, bad decision,
but
you know, he played
with injuries.
And maybe
just maybe, I
should've made
a bigger deal about that
in the press, in the media,
you know, go to bat for him,
cover him.
Guy's playing injured,
give him a break.
I didn't do that,
and so that's
why there's sort of this
dichotomy of love
[sniffles]
♪
Sorry.
[voice breaking]
That I have for him
because it wasn't easy for him
and he got blamed
for a lot of stuff.
Now, granted,
there were things
that I think
he could've done differently.
But he got blamed
for a lot of stuff.
And Kobe got blamed
for a lot of stuff.
But what about
all the rest of us?
It was a team.
It wasn't just two guys.
- I can say that Kobe and I
were the most enigmatic,
most controversial,
most dominant,
one-two punch ever created
in all of the game.
20 years ago,
that happened 20 years ago,
and you're still talking.
You know, a lot of people
like to talk about,
oh, this and that.
You don't know
what was going on.
I know what was going on
'cause I controlled it.
I knew exactly what I was doing
when I would leak stories
and this and that.
I knew exactly
what I was doing,
'cause that's what I do,
'cause you're screaming
two namesKobe and Shaq.
♪
- They can't win
a championship with just Shaq,
and they're not gonna win it
without getting together.
- One really can't win
a championship
without the other.
- Doesn't a situation
like this
divide a team
in the locker room?
- Are these irreconcilable
differences between these two?
- You know, sometimes when
you look out at the landscape
in Los Angeles,
the sports landscape,
if the teams are really good
and really playing well,
it's almost like sometimes
you need something else
to drive the storyline
out there.
- They don't talk
about the game.
They talk about
the outcome of the game,
and then they become
critics of the game.
They don't know
if it's true or not.
They do it for conversation,
for people to come in
and listen.
- There started to be
this kind of cycle
of sports talk shows
and everybody had an angle
and a, you know, my sources
say this is what's going on.
- And while it's clear
they can play with each other,
it's also clear they're not
the best of friends.
- The media is complicit
in creating the divide.
They fed it.
It became something
that you had to hear about
constantly.
- I don't think
the media fueled it.
They each had
their hand in it.
Shaq, he was very media savvy.
He knew that if you get
on the good side of the press,
that can go a long way.
And Kobe never had
a lack of people
that would enable him
to get his story out.
- Are you and Kobe
totally cool now?
- Is there coolness
between you guys?
- Kobe, Shaq
how much still lingers?
- No.
- And speaking of fighting,
Shaq and Kobe
are feuding again.
Yeah, I guess
you heard about that.
Well, Phil Jackson said
he wanted
the team to get back to normal.
Now they are.
- We have this statement
"For the Want of a Nail."
"A shoe was lost,
and for the want of a shoe,
"a horse was lost.
"And for want of that horse,
a messenger was lost.
"And for the loss
of the messenger,
a w*r was lost."
- That season in '03, '04 was
about so much more than
basketball
and what we were gonna be able
to accomplish on the court.
- And Shaq was
in a preseason game
against Golden State Warriors.
- Early in the game,
Shaq dunks on Erick Dampier.
- Slam dunk.
- Dr. Buss
is sitting courtside,
and Shaq runs by
and looks at him directly
and says,
"You better pay me."
That kind of showed up
Dr. Buss.
- When it comes to that money,
I didn't grow up with money.
This is my only way
to get money.
You can only be young once,
so I'm taking advantage
of all those
money opportunities
that they giving away.
- The dynamics
between Shaquille and Kobe
were starting to be
exacerbated
and had been exacerbated
that year.
- People on the team
picked sides.
Management picked sides.
The fans picked sides.
Everybody picked sides.
If Kobe liked you,
there's a good chance
that Shaq
was not gonna like you.
And if you were Shaq's guy,
then Kobe didn't want to have
anything to do with you.
- Shaq looked at Phil as
somebody who was on his side.
We all were,
but it wasn't working.
- The split between the two
of them was greater than ever
due to multiple things
one of them being
Kobe's deposition.
- Los Angeles Lakers guard
Kobe Bryant
has been accused
of sexual as*ault.
- At times, we'd have, like,
you know, heated conversations,
but just a lot of arguing,
but, again, this is stuff
you do in real life.
But it's the R-word
that will never be dropped.
You can neverhe ain't
gonna disrespect me,
and I'm sure damn well
ain't gonna disrespect him.
One time he did, but I don't
need to talk about that.
I'll let you retrieve that
information from someone else.
It was only one incident, but
I don't want to talk about it.
- Kobe proposed that Shaq
had had incidents in his past
and had avoided them.
Kind of exposed Shaquille,
and Shaquille took offense.
- Part of the problems, Kobe,
go back to your court case,
where it was revealed
that you had suggested
that Shaquille O'Neal maybe
has paid off women
in the past.
- He was a little hurt
by that statement made by Kobe.
Some things you got to just
keep in your memory bank.
Just remember that.
Even though you may want to go
out there and ring his neck,
you can't do that.
It just won't go across right.
- Earlier in the program,
we told you about the latest
round of verbal sparring
between Shaquille O'Neal
and Kobe Bryant.
Our Jim Gray just got
off the phone with Kobe.
- As far as Shaquille O'Neal
saying that this was his team,
Kobe said, "It doesn't matter
whose team it is,
"nobody cares,
but since it is his team,
"no more coming into camp
fat and out of shape.
"And when your team is
relying on you for leadership
"on and off the court,
"no more blaming others
for the team's failure.
"Leaders don't beg
for a contract extension
"and negotiate some
$30-million-plus-per-year deal
"in the media when we have
two future Hall of Famers
"playing pretty much here
for free.
"I don't need Shaq's advice
on how to play hurt.
"I don't miss 15 games
because of toe injury
"that everybody knows
"is not that serious
in the first place.
"If leaving the Lakers
at the end of the season
"is what I decide to do,
a major reason for that
"will be Shaq's childlike
selfishness and jealousy.
"He is not my 'big brother.'
"A big brother would've called
to lend support this summer.
"I heard absolutely
nothing from him.
"I spoke to Devean, Rick,
Mitch, Phil,
"and our owner, Jerry Buss,
and Shaq's own uncle.
"Uncle Jerome called and
left me a message three times,
"but yet nothing,
nothing at all from
my so-called big brother."
- Coming out
of the All-Star break,
I'll never forget Jim Gray
did an interview
with Dr. Buss in Phoenix.
- What do you make
of this ongoing soap opera?
This basically dominates
the sports pages,
not only in Los Angeles
but across the country.
- Well, I think that's
only fitting and proper.
I mean, the way I look at it,
there are no other sports
and no other franchises,
you know,
so we might as well
ride it out.
- He asked him, "What's
the future of the Lakers?"
He said,
"Let's take them one by one.
Let me ask you about Shaq,
Dr. Buss."
- During the off-season,
we have to talk and see
if he wants to stay here.
You know, we've got
an open offer on the table.
- From Shaq's point of view,
undervalued,
not what he wanted,
disrespectful for him.
What about Phil Jackson?
- There are times where I feel
that he definitely wants
to coach,
and there are times
when he seems
like he doesn't want to coach.
- What about Kobe Bryant?
- I believe he will be
a Laker for life.
- And in that moment, I knew
That we were done.
- If Kobe Bryant called you
on your cell phone right now,
What would you say to him?
- I don't have a cell phone.
Because people
that I'm connected with,
I'm connected with them.
All you got to do is think,
and I'll call you.
I don't have a cell phone.
- Now, granted, we got a second
half of the season to go,
and yet
we still kind of
fumbled our way
to the NBA Finals
against the Detroit Pistons.
- When you're at the top
for so long,
those little flaws
and ch*nk in your armor
that are underneath,
everybody gets to look up
at those for longer.
And so they start
figuring out ways
to tear you down
and break you a part.
- Gets inside, hits Shaq
a beautiful pass!
- And here comes Kobe.
Way outside
♪
- The scene now shifts east
to the Palace for three games.
- The Lakers
look discombobulated.
- Rock the house
and loving it here!
- The Palace is rocking.
The Lakers are reeling.
- Bro, they put a beating on us
in game three
that shook us
to our core, man.
- The Detroit Pistons hold
the Los Angeles Lakers
to under 70 points
for the first time
in NBA playoff history.
- And I remember thinking that
there was no way we were
gonna win that series.
♪
And we got embarrassed
like, embarrassed
for being so fragmented
and dysfunctional.
♪
- We lost to Detroit,
the last game.
We had, like, a team dinner,
and the owner
wasn't talking to me.
He was talking
to the other side.
He didn't say anything to me.
And I looked
at my wife, Shaunie,
and I looked at Uncle Jerome,
and I was like, "Uh-oh."
And the very next day
- You can't replace
a Shaquille O'Neal
period.
And that was never
our intention.
You know, we knew
what we had to do
to hopefully set this franchise
up for the next ten years,
and this move, as bold
as it was, was necessary.
We made what we considered
a very fair offer
that would continue
to make him
the highest-paid player
in the NBA,
and we just couldn't reach
an agreement.
And the understanding was,
if we can't reach an agreement,
then that there'll be a trade
during the off-season.
- Phil said to my dad,
"Jerry, you can't trade Shaq.
"He's the most dominant player
in the league.
Like, you can't give up
on him now."
- I've never seen
this trade work,
and I've been around
for Wilt Chamberlain's trade,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's trade,
and the teams that lose
these players don't recover.
It's an impossibility to match
the talent that's left.
- And my dad said,
"Well, I'm gonna trade him,
"and it shouldn't make
a difference to you
because
you're not coming back."
- Kobe's a free agent.
We don't have the right
to move him
and get something back
in return,
so there exists the possibility
that we'll get nothing.
There's no doubt
it's a bold move.
I mean, to say anything else,
you know, would not be telling
the truth.
But I can say
with no uncertainty
that it was a bold move.
- But now I'm pissed,
because I'm thinking,
"You can give me enough respect
to call me."
I'm a military child.
I'm used to moving
every four years.
So now I'm super pissed.
You got rid of my guy,
Now you want to get rid of me.
I'm not gonna even
argue with you.
f*ck it. I'm out.
- An 82-game season is a grind.
And when I walk on a bus
or I walk on a plane
and I see my teammate
and it's Shaq,
my day is better.
You can't go
from playing with Shaq
to not playing with Shaq.
And so, when he left
and I knew he was leaving,
he told me he was leaving
I was just like, "I'm done."
- He knew he was
the baddest man on the planet.
He knew that.
Shaq knew that.
Shaq knew he was gonna go
somewhere and get paid.
I mean that's easy.
[laughs]
That's easy to know, right?
But sometimes in getting paid,
you actually lose.
- Well, he really didn't see
that coming.
I mean, he wanted to be in LA.
You know, Shaq, he had been
there eight years.
He really wanted to be there.
It kind of, like, crushed him.
He wasn't too happy about that.
- They both was rising
at the same time
because they were winning
these championships.
They probably became
distanced
even playing on the same team.
You know, you seen it happen.
It can happen.
Success
success
itititit can get you.
Success can get you.
[soft music]
And you don't even know.
♪
[bright tone]
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01x03 - The Fall
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It showcases the life of the Lakers champion O'Neal from sports phenom to cultural figure.
It showcases the life of the Lakers champion O'Neal from sports phenom to cultural figure.