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LeBron James and Anthony Davis delivered a terrible double for Los Angeles on Friday, prompting more memories of Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
James and Davis combined for 65 points in the Lakers’ 124-114 victory over the Heat, which put Los Angeles halfway to victory in the best-of-seven championship series.
They are the first Lakers duo to score 60 points in a Finals game since O’Neal and Bryant accomplished the feat in 2002, when they claimed a third straight title.
After O’Neal left the Lakers, his relationship with Bryant soured, Bryant won two more titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
James, who is playing in his 10th series of titles and with championships with Miami and Cleveland on his résumé, recalled seeing the Kobe-Shaq pairing when he was a high school star.
“Obviously, we knew the strength that Shaq brought to the table, but also the grace and strength that Kobe played with,” James said. “They were very dominant in what they did on the ground, on both sides of the ground. So being in the conversation with those two guys, me and AD, is very humbling, because I know I grew up watching those guys. “
Any memory of Bryant has a special resonance for the Lakers this year. The club icon was killed in a helicopter crash in January that also claimed the lives of his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.
The Lakers wore their Bryant-inspired Black Mamba uniform on Friday and were undefeated in four playoff games when they wore it.
James said his and Davis’ roles on the team cannot be accurately compared to Shaq and Kobe.
“But I guess all four of us have a winning mentality,” he said.
Davis agreed that any resemblance had more to do with attitude than style of play.
“They both had a competitive spirit with themselves so their teams would win,” said Davis, who is in the championship series for the first time in his career.
“I think Bron and I are the same. We are two guys who want to win regardless of the circumstances. We both want to make sure we do whatever it takes to help our team win. “
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