Shaq thinks that ranking is ‘criminal’ Shaquille O’Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant, shown in 2017, won three NBA titles together as Lakers teammates. (Mark J. Terrill / AP) ...

The financial game behind Kobe's jump When a young Bryant made the leap from high school to the NBA in 1996, it wasn't just about chasing greatness. Economics played as big a role as ambition.

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