You have to admit, Kobe was a guard who complemented Shaq very well.
He liked solving problems from mid to long range, which perfectly staggered the offensive space with Shaq, enabling him to take charge when Shaq was entangled by the frontcourt bruisers.
Kobe was also very skilled at feeding the ball inside, though most of the time he preferred to deliver it directly to the basket, avoiding the middleman to save the mark-up. But when he did decide to feed it, he could get the ball where it needed to be as soon as the inside player positioned himself.
Another crucial aspect was that, during this period, Kobe excelled at screening off players, thereby perfectly protecting Shaq.
Any player trying to use a pick and roll to deal with Shaq would find their hopes dashed against Kobe.
After stopping Roger, Kobe sprinted forward, receiving the counterattack pass from Harper and scoring a layup despite the contest from Roger.
