Out on the floor -- the hard work done, only the hardware to go -- Shaquille O'Neal was announced, once again, as the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals. Beaming and clapping close by, Kobe Bryant joined the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers late Wednesday night in their delight for the big man.

So NBA Commissioner David Stern hands the MVP trophy to O'Neal, who immediately passes it around to the other teammates, Bryant included.

It was like that all series, all spring and all season for the Lakers' two most important players. For too long, O'Neal and Bryant had been cool toward each other. Edgy sometimes. On occasion, barely able to tolerate one another.

More recently, though, and somehow, they became fine. At the Finals, it was almost sappy, with Shaq praising Kobe, Kobe deferring to Shaq, Kobe poking fun, Shaq poking back. Pressed to name the one player around whom he would build an NBA franchise, Kobe quickly picked Shaq. Shaq called Kobe the best player in basketball.

And while there weren't any moonlight strolls or duets of "It Takes Two" in the public record, there was one recent instance of pillow talk.

"I was sleeping, and my little daughter was sleeping on me," O'Neal shared after the Lakers beat Sacramento in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, shifting momentum for good in that series. "The phone rang at about 2:30 [a.m.] and it was Kobe. He was like, 'Big fella, let's make history.' "

O'Neal, Bryant and the Lakers polished off the Kings, swept the New Jersey Nets out of the Finals, nailed down their three-peat and unintentionally raised a burning question for NBA fans in one Upper Midwest market:

If O'Neal and Bryant can learn to play together and win, why in the world can't Kevin Garnett and Wally Szczerbiak?