Revisiting the Lakers Trading Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom

Dynasties don't last forever, no matter how great. Despite a three-peat with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-2002, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant always had a contentious relationship.

Their disagreements came to a head in the 2004 offseason. After falling in five games to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, the Lakers decided not to re-sign coach Phil Jackson.

This decision drove a wedge between O'Neal and Bryant, as Kobe was at odds with Jackson, while O'Neal remained a staunch supporter of his.

Many outside of the Lakers organization correctly saw this as the final straw. On July 14, 2004, Shaq was sent to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick.

The Miami Heat hit the jackpot. They landed one of the most dominant players in O'Neal, a three-time Finals MVP in Los Angeles, and did not have to give up their best asset, second-year guard Dwyane Wade.

Led by 24.1 points-per-game from Wade and 22.9 points-per-game from Shaq, the Heat finished first in the East in the 2004-2005 season.

Although they lost to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games, the following year the Heat would win the 2006 NBA Finals behind their two stars.

The Lakers, on the other hand, were reeling.

Los Angeles would not win another title until 2009 after starting the decade with three straight when Shaq was their starting center.

Although they both went on to find success while separated from each other later in the 2000s, fans are left to ask the question: How many more championships could Shaq and Kobe have won if they had stayed together?