While watching LeBron James and Anthony Davis dominate the NBA playoffs as the league’s best duo, it’s been hard not to think about the two players who previously stood as the (purple and) gold standard for a Lakers pairing — Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
Yes, the Lakers have had other great duos, from Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, among others. And yes, the Lakers have even had a great twosome even more recently than Shaq and Kobe (the latter’s magical and symbiotic chemistry with Pau Gasol).