Come To Think Of It...Shaq, Kobe Co-MVPs: Reunited And It Feels So Good

Rather than recite the lyrics of the Peaches & Herb song from 1978, let me just say this: it was good to see Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant playing alongside as teammates once again.

For yes, at the NBA's All-Star game in Phoenix on Sunday, the two former Los Angeles Lakers teammates were on the floor together, playing for the victorious West All-Stars, who dominated the East 146 -119.

Hatched as the brainchild of West coach Phil Jackson, it was the first time the pair have played on the same team since the 2004 NBA Finals. And remember, their breakup wasn't amicable.

Much bickering and finger-pointing have occurred between the two basketball greats since then. In fact, it was only last year that Shaq dissed Kobe in a rap song. Yet on Sunday, all was forgiven, at least for a day.

Kobe led all scorers with 27 points, while Shaq put in 17 for the West, playing only 11 minutes.

"It felt like old times," O'Neal said. "I miss those times. He (Kobe) was really looking for me."

"I think it is a great life lesson for people," said West coach Phil Jackson, who led O'Neal and Bryant to their titles with the Lakers. "This is something that the people work together, people find a way to get through situations, find harmony in their life, find cohabitation."

Bryant and O'Neal shared a slight hug after being announced as MVPs, then playfully fought over the trophy commissioner David Stern handed to them. They joined Bob Pettit, who won four times, and Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only three-time All-Star MVPs.

As if the fact that the two shared MVP honors wasn't enough, Shaq entertained the crowd by wearing one of the hip-hop dance group Jabbawockeez' masks and boogied along with them before taking his spot on the court.

But before we get all giddy and expect the two to become fast friends, even Kobe put those expectations to rest.

"We are not going to go back to the room and watch 'Steel Magnolias' or something like that, you know what I'm saying, crying, all that stuff," Bryant said. "We had a good time. That's all."

But that was enough, come to think of it. The two won three titles together; who knows how many more they could have won if they had been able to co-exist peacefully all these years. One can only wonder.

Information from espn.com news services was used in this article.