Originally posted by: DukeN
Everyone knows KoMe cares more about individual awards like the MVP than a team accomplishment.
How did you infer this? Or is this just more mindless conjecture? He's stated numerous times this season alone that the scoring title and MVP awards are pretty much meaningless to him and that a playoff berth for the team and the Lakers making waves in the playoffs remain his priority.
Originally posted by: DukeN
His rings were riding Shaq's coattails anyways.
That statement only really could apply to the '99-2000 season, where Shaq was the very embodiment of his much-hyped "most dominant ever" persona, the one he's only a shadow of now. Even that year, Kobe had to save Shaq and the Lakers' collective asses single-handedly in a most crucial O/T game in Indiana--while sick and on a bum ankle! That's but one example...
In 2001 and 2002, Kobe was very much the force he is nowadays and commanded the respect he deserves on the court. This helped to ease the load on Shaq just as Shaq helped shoulder the burden and pressure for Kobe. Having closely followed all their games for years now, I can say neither deserves more/less praise than the other for the team's accomplishments after 2000.
Give credit where credit is due, hater. To not do so only speaks volumes of your ignorance of the game and the man you so villify.