And tonight, facing the Celtics, he clearly had a more prominent presence than usual, fully suggesting what kind of performance he could deliver against the Lakers, a team with a similar style to the Celtics.
As long as he won the championship, the statement "Without Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe is nothing" would completely disappear.
Even...
If the Pacers won the championship by stepping over the Lakers, then the equation "Shaquille plus 'Kobe' is greater than Kobe plus 'O'Neal'" would hold true. By then, Shaquille could mount a comeback in terms of reputation.
The only one left proving himself might be Chauncey Billups.
He was a system player in the Pistons, and still a system player in the Pacers...
Of course, apart from Billups, the "Redemption City" promo also featured Little Gasol who hadn't proven himself yet, but being just a rookie, he had plenty of time to prove himself, whereas Billups had increasingly less time.
