Kobe Bryant swore to never play with a dominant center after Shaquille O’Neal left: “Michael didn’t, and Kobe didn’t want to either”

Gary Vitti had a front-row seat to Kobe Bryant’s iconic career. Right after Shaquille O’Neal left the Los Angeles Lakers, Vitti revealed that Bryant was eager to prove that he could achieve greatness and lead the team without “Diesel.”

The former Lakers athletic trainer still vividly recalls the moment Bryant voiced his thoughts on never wanting to coexist with a dominant center like Shaq again.

“Kobe had finally accepted that he needed a low-post player to win. Kobe didn’t want to play with a dominant center. Michael didn’t, and Kobe didn’t want to either. He told me that,” Vitti told NBA.com. “After the Shaq trade [in 2004], Kobe said, ‘I don’t want to play with a dominant center.'”

Pau was no Shaq

Bryant faced a series of challenges without O’Neal by his side. The Lakers encountered difficulties, not making the playoffs in 2005 and getting eliminated in the first round of two straight postseasons in 2006 and 2007.

With Kobe as the team’s sole superstar, some critics believed he was overly selfish, focusing too much on proving himself rather than fostering teamwork.

However, Bryant firmly believed the issue wasn’t his reluctance to share the spotlight but his struggle to find the right player to complement his talents.

The Lakers were looking for someone who could match Kobe’s greatness and competitive demands. In 2008, they found their guy in Pau Gasol.

Lakers really got Pau Gasol for fuckin’ Kwame Brown, Crittenton and 2 first rounders. 🤯

pic.twitter.com/Q3FUgabi3P

— LakeShowHoopsᴾᴴ (@LakeShowHoopsPH) April 16, 2020

From the moment Gasol arrived in L.A., he brought a skill set and personality that perfectly complemented Kobe’s.

More importantly, he didn’t bring an ego.

“Pau was not dominant in the sense that Shaq was,” Vitti said. “But Pau was absolutely one of the most talented low-post players, especially of his time. Pau was willing to be Batman’s Robin. Shaq wasn’t. Pau had an ability to read the game, read Kobe and react to what Kobe was doing and not get frustrated. Pau played the game the right way.”

“They complemented each other,” he continued. “Pau knew when to back off and let Kobe do his thing. Kobe probably wanted Pau to bang more and be more physical. But once he realized that wasn’t the way he played the game, then Kobe adjusted. They adjusted to each other and figured it out.”

The co-star Kobe needed

Gasol understood that this was Bryant’s team, and his role was to serve as the most dependable player right after the main guy.

With his exceptional skills and basketball IQ, Pau became the crucial component that Bryant and the Lakers had searched for since O’Neal’s departure. Their synergy on the court was instant and evident.

Gasol’s presence allowed Bryant to flourish in a way he didn’t get to do during his time with O’Neal. Ultimately, this resulted in three-straight NBA Finals trips, with the Lakers winning two straight NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.

“They made each other better. Pau was able to take some of the pressure off of Kobe with defenses and game planning,” former Lakers forward Luke Walton said. “Kobe clearly trusted Pau and was more willing to play within the system more often. He trusted us all, but he trusted himself more than anyone (laughs). As we continued to get better and Pau got in there, Kobe was more willing to let the offense do what it does. Pau would take over at certain times. That impact made Kobe better and made our team better.”

“On the other side of the coin, Kobe would push Pau and challenge him to be better than he’d ever been,” he continued. “Pau embraced that challenge. It wasn’t always easy. Phil did the same thing. Ultimately it clearly worked. We would’ve never had that success without Pau. But I don’t think Pau would’ve had that success without that partnership with Kobe and Phil.”

Bryant and Gasol spearheaded the Lakers back to prominence. During that stretch, they etched their legacy as one of the best duos in the organization’s history.

In retrospect, Kobe was right. What he needed wasn’t a superstar big like Shaq but a team player like Pau.