Brandon Edler
Kobe Bryant’s Most Defining Moments
6. No Shaq Needed for his 4th Ring – 2009
The breakup between Shaq and Kobe was pretty bitter—there were jabs in the press and even a few freestyle bars aimed at each other. It was no secret that Bryant’s biggest motivation was to win one without having the big man in the lane to hold things down. The ’09 Lakers weren’t exactly stacked with the greatest roster, but The Black Mamba had emerged and everyone in the league was put on notice that KB24 no longer needed The Big Diesel to get it done.
