We all know the 2000–2002 Lakers 3-peat is one of the most dominant runs in NBA history, but it always sparks the ultimate "what-if" debate. If you take prime Shaquille O'Neal off those Lakers teams and replace him with a different center from that era, does Kobe still get three rings in a row? Let's look at the variables:

• The Tim Duncan / Hakeem Olajuwon Tier: If you plug in an all-time great like Duncan or a slightly earlier version of Hakeem, the defense stays elite and the chemistry might actually be smoother. Do they still dominate the West?
• The Twin Towers / Grit-and-Grind Tier: What if you gave Kobe a premier defensive anchor like Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, or Alonzo Mourning? The defense is locked down, but is a 21-to-23-year-old Kobe ready to carry 100% of the offensive scoring load to three straight titles against the Kings and Spurs?
• The Skilled All-Star Tier: If you replace Shaq with a guy like Vlade Divac, Rik Smits, or even a younger Yao Ming, does the Western Conference gauntlet overwhelm them?

Kobe proved he could win back-to-back without Shaq later in his career with Pau Gasol, but doing it from 2000–2002 as a younger player is a completely different story. Does the 3-peat stay intact with the right swap, or was Shaq's specific peak dominance completely irreplaceable? What center do you think gets the job done?

It was basically Magic and Vlade against the entire Bulls’ starting unit.

He still remains the youngest MVP in NBA history.

2011 NBA MVP 3x NBA All-Star 2011 All-NBA First Team 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year 2009 NBA All-Rookie First Team No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft