2004: Kobe faces Shaq
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal three-peated as world champions when they played on the Lakers together. In July 2004, the Lakers traded O’Neal to the Miami Heat and the NBA scheduled their first meeting for Christmas. The game lived up to its hype, as Bryant scored 42 points and drew O’Neal’s fifth and sixth fouls, sending Shaq to the bench with the two teams tied 91-91. The game went into overtime where Dwayne Wade led the Heat to a 104-102 win. Bryant missed a 3-pointer as time expired.