By Jason Whitlock - FOX Sports

They left the court with identical records, surely believing they’d proven their point.

Kobe Bryant smart-bombed the Suns, dropping 41 points on just 25 shots, to lead the Lakers to an impressive 130-124 road victory, demonstrating again that he is the Brett Favre of basketball, well worth the occasional headaches and the league’s brightest star.

Shaquille O’Neal erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring nine points and sparking his new squad to a brief late-game lead. But O’Neal’s true value was undetectable in a stat line that contained 15 points, nine rebounds and 29 minutes of action in his Phoenix debut. The Great Emancipator, the Abe Lincoln of basketball, validated the Suns’ faith by freeing Amare Stoudemire to be Dennis Rodman with a jump shot.

There were no losers Wednesday night. If there is any justice, Kobe moved a step closer to his first and long-overdue MVP award. The Diesel showed there’s still enough gas in his tank to power the Suns to a higher level. And NBA fans got a delicious preview of what the second half of the season promises — must-see matchups on a nearly nightly basis.

Let’s start with Kobe. You might as well forget about his tantrums and the gross immaturity that caused the split with Shaq. You may not like the road he took to get here, but he is here nonetheless. The Squeaky Wheel is the game’s best player, and he’s leading the game’s best team.

Marinate on that for a minute. It’s been a long time since we’ve had this many strong MVP candidates — Kobe (Jordan), Kevin Garnett (Hakeem), LeBron James (Dr. J), Chris Paul (Isiah), Dwight Howard (Moses), Steve Nash (Magic), Tim Duncan (Mailman), Dirk Nowitzki (Bird) — and we’ve never seen this many championship-caliber teams.

Complete Story

• Shaq Calls Kobe ‘the Best’
• Shaq disses Kobe… again.
• Kobe & Shaq: Playoff Commerical
• Shaq is back at it again
• Where are the Shaq lovers now?