A popular refrain among the Warriors fan base following their championship victory Thursday night has been how this one just feels different from the previous three during the Stephen Curry era, something Lakers fans can clearly recall feeling about Kobe Bryant’s fourth ring.
For years after Shaquille O’Neal’s departure, Lakers fans just kind of had to accept that Bryant’s winning had everything to do with O’Neal, an insult only exacerbated when Shaq won a championship in Miami as the Lakers toiled in mediocrity.
By the time the Lakers were ready to once again compete for championships, the noise had reached such fervor that Bryant famously demanded a trade after the Lakers did not trade Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd.