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On this date: Shaq/Kobe Lakers win first NBA championship

The Lakers of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant finally reached the mountaintop in 2000, as they beat the Pacers to win the NBA championship.

When Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant both joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 1996, fans assumed multiple championships were imminent and that the only thing left to do was to plan the parade route through downtown L.A.

Not so fast.

The Lakers were young and immature, and they would have a lot to learn on their journey to glory.

They lost in the second round of the 1997 playoffs in brutal fashion to the Utah Jazz, then got swept by the same Jazz squad the following year.

In 1999, Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs got their chance to torment O’Neal and Bryant by sweeping them in the Western Conference semifinals.

Many were starting to doubt whether the team and its duo had what it took to go all the way.

That summer, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as their new head coach, and he single-handedly changed the culture and mindset of the team.

After winning 67 games and outlasting the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

A vintage clutch Bryant performance in Game 4 gave L.A. a 3-1 series lead, and after it dropped Game 5, it returned home looking to finish the job.

The Pacers were stubborn, and they led Game 6 84-79 going into the fourth quarter.

The Lakers then started a big rally that got them a seven-point lead by the middle of the quarter, although Indiana wasn’t going to quit, as it tied the game with 5:08 left.

But it just didn’t have enough firepower, as the Lakers finally got their rings, 116-111.

O’Neal scored 41 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots, and for averaging 38.0 points on 61.1 percent shooting, 16.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the Finals, he was named series MVP.

He put together perhaps the greatest individual season in basketball history, and it finally put his team over the top while starting a new dynasty for it.

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On this date: Showtime Lakers force Game 7 versus Pistons

Facing elimination in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals, the Lakers forced a seventh contest with a clutch, down-to-the-wire win over Detroit.

After winning the 1987 NBA championship, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley boldly guaranteed that his team would repeat as champs the following season.

No team had done so since 1969, but the Lakers, who possessed arguably the greatest team in NBA history, seemed capable of getting the job done.

However, in the 1988 NBA Finals, they fell behind 3-2 to the Detroit Pistons, and although they returned home for the final two games (if necessary), their backs were against the wall.

In Game 6, Detroit took an early lead, but the Lakers got themselves going in the second quarter and went ahead 53-46 at halftime.

Then, Isiah Thomas went on one of the great individual runs in Finals history.

Despite spraining his ankle midway through the third period, he scored 25 points during that frame, and behind his iron-clad determination, Detroit led by three with a minute left. The team was that close to its first NBA title.

But Magic Johnson and company wouldn’t let it happen.

Byron Scott scored on a mid-range jumper to cut L.A.’s deficit to one. After Thomas missed, the Lakers got the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was fouled while attempting a skyhook and made both free throws.

Down by one, the Pistons had one last opportunity with 14 seconds left, but guard Joe Dumars missed everything, preserving a 103-102 win for Showtime.

Johnson had 22 points and 19 assists, while James Worthy made the victory possible with 28 points and nine rebounds.

The Pistons’ best opportunity to win it all was gone, and with Thomas hobbling around on one good leg, the Lakers would make good on Riley’s promise two days later.

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On this date: LeBron James finally brings NBA title to Cleveland

In Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cavs finally won the NBA championship, as LeBron James refused to give up on his destiny.

LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 in an ugly and brash way, but when he returned in 2014, the hard feelings Cavs fans had for him dissipated.

Immediately, the expectation was that he would lead the team to its first NBA championship. Although it reached the NBA Finals in 2015, James’ first season back, it lost to the Golden State Warriors, as Kyrie Irving missed most of the series with a knee injury.

After overcoming some internal issues during the 2015-16 campaign, Cleveland made it back to the championship series, but it fell behind 3-1 to the same Warriors team.

Just when it seemed the Cavs were about to go extinct again, James got them to believe they could fight back, and fight back they did.

With James and Irving putting forth monster performances, Cleveland won the next two contests to force a Game 7 in Northern California.

It had been decades since a road team had won Game 7 of the Finals, but this Cavs team was one for the ages.

The contest featured several momentum swings, but with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied, James had one of the most iconic plays of his career, as he rejected Andre Iguodala from behind as he attempted to score a layup on a fast break.

Then, moments later, with the score still tied, Irving hit the biggest 3-pointer of his life to put the Cavs up for good.

Their 93-89 victory brought the city of Cleveland its first world championship in any sport in over 50 years.

James shot just 9-of-24, but he came through down the stretch and finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and three blocked shots.

By taking the Cavs to the promised land, the Akron, Ohio native had finally fulfilled his destiny.

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On this date: Ray Allen saves LeBron James’ day in 2013 NBA Finals

Just when it looked like LeBron James and the Heat were going to lose the 2013 NBA Finals, Ray Allen’s iconic shot turned things around.

In the 2013 NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Miami Heat were going for back-to-back NBA championships, as they faced Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

After the series was tied at two games apiece, San Antonio took Game 5, 114-104, and although the two teams headed back to South Florida for the next two contests (if necessary), things looked bleak for the Heat.

In Game 6, the Spurs took a double-digit lead in the third quarter, and Miami seemed cooked.

It fought back to make things competitive, but down the stretch, James had a series of miscues.

In the last 4:01, he missed three of four shot attempts and committed three turnovers, and with seconds left, the Heat were down to their final hope, trailing by three points.

James missed a 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds remaining, but Chris Bosh grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Ray Allen, who at the time was arguably the greatest outside shooter ever.

Allen backed up behind the 3-point line, released the ball and connected on perhaps the most clutch shot in Finals history.

The game went into overtime, where the Heat prevailed, 103-100, with Allen, fittingly, hitting two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to seal the win.

Having blown their golden opportunity, the Spurs would go on to lose a tight Game 7, while James earned his second world championship ring.

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On this date: Lakers finally beat Celtics in Game 7 of NBA Finals

Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals was an exorcism for the Lakers, as they beat the Celtics in a Game 7 for the first time to win it all.

Although the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics has always been the greatest in the history of the NBA, for a long time it was one-sided.

The Celtics defeated the Lakers each of the first eight times they met in the NBA Finals, a streak that ran from 1959 to 1984.

L.A. finally downed the Celtics to win the 1985 championship, and it did it again in 1987.

In 2008, Chapter 3 of the rivalry began, and it was Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and company who outplayed Kobe Bryant’s crew in six games to win the world title.

The two teams met again in the Finals in 2010, and Bryant and the Lakers had revenge on their mind.

Although they fell behind 3-2 in the series, they returned home for the final two games at home (if necessary), and they kept things in perspective. Bryant said that if he was told at the start of the season that all they needed to do to win it all was win two games at home, he would’ve gladly taken it.

L.A. won Game 6 easily, setting up a Game 7 for the ages. There was a calm sense of urgency around town that day and a feeling that it was the Lakers’ game to win.

But as game time approached, a cold hard reality stared them in the face: Four times they had played Boston in Game 7, and all four times they had lost.

Sure enough, the Lakers fell behind by 13 early in the third quarter, and Bryant had one of his worst playoff games ever to that point. Longtime Lakers fans had seen this movie before.

But Bryant changed his approach, and he helped lead a comeback for the ages, as L.A. cut its deficit to four at the end of the third period, then finally took the lead midway through the fourth on two free throws from Bryant.

The Lakers led by six with 90 seconds left, and they held off a desperate Celtics rally to just barely outlast them, 83-79, to win their second straight NBA world championship and fifth since 2000.

It was Bryant’s fifth ring, and although he shot an icy 6-of-24 for the game, he was very efficient offensively through the last 20 minutes or so of the contest. He also grabbed 15 rebounds and played excellent defense to help his team’s cause.

His sidekick Pau Gasol didn’t shoot well either, but he grabbed 18 rebounds to prove to his critics that he wasn’t soft.

The Lakers had finally overcome the Celtics jinx, once and for all.

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On this date: LeBron James helps even NBA Finals vs. Warriors

Facing extinction after trailing the 2016 NBA Finals 3-1, the Cavs forced a Game 7 thanks to two monster outings from LeBron James.

LeBron James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming with a happy ending.

In his first season back, he led them to the 2015 NBA Finals, but without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, both of whom were injured, the Cavs fell to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in six games.

The following season was chaotic. Head coach David Blatt was fired and replaced by assistant Tyronn Lue. The team played well under him and returned to the championship series for a rematch with the Warriors.

Golden State had won a record 73 games and was favored over James’ crew. Early on, there was no doubt why: The Warriors easily took a 3-1 series lead.

But James rallied his troops. He scored 41 points in Game 5 to lead the Cavs to a lopsided win. Kyrie Irving also had 41 points in the same contest in one of the better finals performances by a tandem.

On this day in 2016… LeBron James & Kyrie Irving each scored 41 PTS to help the @cavs win Game 5 and keep their season alive vs. GSW in the #NBAFinals! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/407YuktzJL

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 13, 2022

Then in Game 6 back in Cleveland, James had another 41 points, to go along with 11 assists and eight rebounds in a 115-101 Cavs win.

To that point in his career, he had been criticized for shrinking in high-pressure situations such as this, but he came through in a giant way.

In doing so, he had somehow forced a winner-take-all Game 7 back in California. But James and the Cavs were just getting started.

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On this date: Lakers close out 76ers to win back-to-back NBA titles

In Game 5 of the 2001 NBA Finals, the Lakers cemented themselves as a team for the ages by beating the 76ers to repeat as NBA champions.

When the Philadelphia 76ers shocked the Los Angeles Lakers by taking Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals, some thought the two teams would be in for a prolonged war.

It was the first time L.A. had lost a game in over two calendar months, and although it won Game 2, it looked a bit vulnerable.

But instead of letting the Sixers make things competitive, the Lakers quickly regained their mojo and took the next two games in Philly.

In Game 5, the Lakers looked to close things out.

Although Allen Iverson and company were competitive early, L.A. turned a 52-48 halftime lead into a large advantage in the third quarter, and the Sixers never really threatened again.

Shaquille O’Neal was an immovable object with 29 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots while Kobe Bryant added 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

But guard Derek Fisher also shined brightly, as he hit 6-of-8 3-pointers en route to 18 points.

The Lakers’ 108-96 victory wrapped up their second straight NBA world championship and a 15-1 postseason record, the best ever to the point.

After all the struggles and intra-squad tension they went through during the season, it was a surreal fairy tale finish for the team that most outside of Southern California associate with Hollywood.

It was an emotional moment for Bryant, who spent much of his childhood in the Delaware Valley area. He had to be briefly excused from the postgame ceremony because he was overcome with emotion.

Usually, the presentation of the Larry O’Brien trophy, emblematic of the world championship, is done at center court regardless of which team wins it. But league officials were so concerned about the unruly and vile nature of Philly sports fans that the ceremony was held in the locker room.

The Lakers didn’t seem to care, as it signified their team reaching their full potential after going through so many failures and struggles not only that season but also in the late 1990s before head coach Phil Jackson arrived.

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On this date: Lakers win fourth NBA championship of 1980s vs. Celtics

The 1987 Lakers may have been the greatest NBA team ever, and they showed why by dominating Game 6 of the NBA Finals versus the Celtics.

The Los Angeles Lakers won three NBA championships in the first six seasons of the 1980s, including their first Finals triumph over the Boston Celtics in 1985.

After that, the challenge was to go from a great team to a dynastic one.

But L.A. was upset in the 1986 Western Conference Finals by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets, which was a wake-up call for the entire franchise.

Head coach Pat Riley challenged everyone to have a career-best effort in 1987, and he zeroed in on Magic Johnson.

To that point, Johnson had been the game’s best point guard and orchestrator, but he wasn’t known as a scorer. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nearing age 40, Johnson needed to shoulder much more of the scoring burden.

He responded with a career-best season indeed, averaging 23.9 points and 12.2 assists per game and winning league MVP honors.

Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA’s best record and a trip back to the NBA Finals against who else but the Celtics.

L.A. took a 3-1 series lead thanks to Johnson’s “junior skyhook,” and after losing Game 5 in Boston, it returned home looking to close things out.

The first half of Game 6 was tight, but the Lakers dominated the third quarter, and just like that, the old and tired Celtics were done.

The final seconds of the contest featured an atmosphere that was something to behold.

With just under 20 seconds left, the Lakers collected a rebound off a missed free throw while leading by 13. A sellout crowd at The Forum counted down the final seconds in unison. Then they rushed the floor in a manner that West Coast fans weren’t known for.

After eight previous Finals losses to the Celtics, Lakers fans savored it as if it were caviar at the hottest restaurant on the Sunset Strip.

Johnson won his third Finals MVP award, but he, Riley, Abdul-Jabbar and the rest of them weren’t exactly done yet.

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On this date: Kobe Bryant, Lakers win first post-Shaq NBA championship

Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals was the end of an arduous journey for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, as they finally won it all without Shaq.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant formed perhaps the NBA’s most talented duo ever, and together they won three straight world championships.

But their chemistry was tenuous, and when O’Neal demanded and was granted a trade in 2004, everyone and their mother blamed Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers were certifiably mediocre for the next three seasons, and it looked like he would never win another ring.

But that all changed when Pau Gasol joined the team in February 2008.

Suddenly, the team’s dynasty, not to mention Bryant’s legacy, got resurrected. The Lakers lost in the NBA Finals that year to the Boston Celtics in embarrassing fashion, but the future was bright for them.

The Black Mamba was determined to silence his haters, and he drove his team to a 65-17 regular season record and a return trip to the championship series in 2009 versus the Orlando magic.

After some Game 4 heroics by Derek Fisher, L.A. took a 3-1 series lead into Game 5.

The Magic showed fight early in the contest, but the Lakers took over in the second quarter. They tightened up their defense, which led to transition opportunities and a 56-46 halftime lead.

At some point in the third period, as L.A. increased its lead, it became obvious that the game had been decided. All that was left was for the Lakers and their fans to wait for the clock to show triple zeroes.

With a 99-86 victory, they had returned to the basketball mountaintop, and they had done so without a certain 7-foot-1, nearly 400-pound big fella.

Bryant posted 30 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and four blocked shots, and he averaged 32.4 points, 5.6 boards, 7.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks a game for the series.

It led to him earning Finals MVP honors, which was the only significant individual honor he hadn’t won yet.

But as it turned out, he and his team were just getting started.

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On this date: Kobe Bryant’s signature NBA Finals moment

Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals was one of Kobe Bryant’s greatest games and moments, as he led the Lakers to victory in crunch time.

The 2000 NBA Finals got off to a good start for the Los Angeles Lakers with an easy Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers, but in Game 2, Kobe Bryant suffered a sprained ankle (caused intentionally by the Pacers’ Jalen Rose).

Bryant missed most of that contest and the following one as a result, and going into Game 4, L.A. only held a 2-1 series lead over a clearly inferior team.

Luckily, Bryant’s injury improved just enough that he was cleared to play in Game 4 in Indiana.

Early on, he had trouble moving around, and for a minute it looked like perhaps he couldn’t be functional. But his ankle loosened up, and he started to get into his usual rhythm.

Both teams were engaged in a terrific contest with good execution on both ends and sharp shooting by both teams.

Shaquille O’Neal made mincemeat of the Pacers’ big men with 36 points, 21 rebounds and two blocked shots, while Reggie Miller shot arrows through the Lakers with 35 points and six 3-pointers.

The game went into overtime, and with 2:33 remaining, O’Neal committed his sixth and final foul. It looked like the Pacers were about to even the series, but Bryant went to O’Neal, his supposed enemy on the team, and told him he had his back.

After Indiana’s Rik Smits scored, L.A. led by just one. The Lakers spread the floor and Bryant went to work at the top of the key, guarded by Miller. He promptly hit a long jumper that was just short of being a 3-pointer.

On the Lakers’ next possession, Bryant hit another jumper from almost the same spot. Bob Costas, broadcasting the game for NBC, exclaimed, “How good is this kid?”

With 28 seconds left, L.A. had the ball up by just one. Indiana kept the ball out of Bryant’s hands, forcing guard Brian Shaw to take the shot, which he missed.

But Bryant boxed out, grabbed the offensive rebound, and in one motion scored on a putback with five seconds left.

Miller’s 3-point attempt was off, and the Lakers were one win away from an NBA championship.

Bryant finished with 28 points, five assists and two blocked shots. It was the game that proved he could come through in the clutch under extreme pressure, and some 20 years later, it still stands as his signature Finals moment.

The Pacers were pretty much finished, as the Lakers would close out the world title in Game 6.

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