In a recent announcement, Isaiah Thomas revealed an intriguing story about Kobe Bryant on the “All The Smoke” podcast. The Detroit Pistons legend said Bryant was willing to take a significant pay cut to win without Shaquille O’Neal.
Kobe Bryant and O’Neal formed one of the most lethal duos in NBA history, dominating the league in the early 2000s and winning three consecutive championships. However, their partnership came to an end after the 2003-04 season, when O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat. Although Kobe and Shaq were unstoppable, their relationship began to deteriorate.
In December 2003, Isiah Thomas became the New York Knicks’ president of basketball operations, at the same time that Kobe and Shaq were having problems, and Kobe was anxious to leave the Lakers.
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Thomas said that Kobe was so determined to leave that he was willing to accept a mid-level exception salary just to win without his former teammate. Players who signed with a mid-level exception earned less than $5 million per season at the time. This was despite Bryant’s exceptional performance, averaging 30 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in the 2002-03 season.
Speaking on the podcast, Thomas revealed: “He [Kobe] flew to New York to meet us and talk about signing with the Knicks. All we had to offer was middle school.“
Kobe Bryant initially struggled without Shaq after he joined the Miami Heat
Kobe’s desire to win without O’Neal wasn’t about the money, though. He simply wanted to succeed without his former teammate. In the end, Kobe didn’t end up with the Knicks, and Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat after the 2003-04 season, where he won the championship in 2006.
Isaiah Thomas also said on the podcast: “He actually said: ‘I have to leave LA ... I want to win on my own without Shaq. I want to win on my own without Shaq. If I win with Shaq, I don’t think I’ll be able to go up the way I want to go up.
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Meanwhile, Kobe signed a 7-year contract worth $136.4 million with the Lakers. In his first season without Shaq, he struggled and missed the playoffs for the first time in his career, followed by two first-round exits. However, he ended up leading the Lakers to back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. His illustrious basketball career included five championship rings and two Finals MVP awards.