"Ten years ago, they were at the peak of their powers together (and actually getting along). Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant lost Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals in overtime, but they won every one of the other 15 games they played together as Lakers that postseason.

They've been through so much that the intensity of publicity is hardly on par with Kobe bringing up in a police interview Shaq paying hush money after sexual escapades or Shaq rapping about how Kobe can kiss his rear (with this factual side note: "I'm a horse; Kobe ratted me out, that's why I'm gettin' divorced").

For now, they remain insanely famous — even though O'Neal's retirement Wednesday is the beginning of the end for the twosome that has served as the dual face of basketball in the post-Michael Jordan era.

Who's the better player? It's a somewhat reasonable debate, even though there is an obvious answer considering Bryant has one NBA MVP trophy to match O'Neal's one, leads in titles by a 5-4 score and already has more playoff points than O'Neal. (Bryant will pass O'Neal in career regular-season scoring next season with another 30 games or so.)

Bryant, renowned for his commitment to physical maintenance and not yet 33, also isn't nearly done.

Who's the better person? Now there's a really interesting question — and probably the most interesting question to fans, so many of whom have had to choose sides.

Life with Shaq was loud, proud and in a crowd.

Phil Jackson scheduled Lakers practices with O'Neal's road-city party hangovers in mind. O'Neal one time asked Jackson to put him on the injured list for the game before the All-Star break so he could go to the weekend and just have fun instead of play."