LeBron James came up big in Game 4 of the 2013 NBA Finals and took a big step towards his second world championship.
After LeBron James finally got over the hump and won his first NBA championship in 2012, the next challenge for him was to go back-to-back and hoard up as many titles as possible.
In the 2013 NBA Finals, he had the opportunity to do so versus the San Antonio Spurs, the same team that had swept his Cleveland Cavaliers in his first championship series appearance.
Tim Duncan and crew won two of the first three contests, making Game 4 in Texas a virtual must-win for James and his Miami Heat.
After playing lousy ball in the first three contests, James returned to form, bursting forth with 33 points on 15-of-25 shooting, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
His first mate Dwyane Wade shook off a bad knee to post 32 points and six steals in a vintage performance, while Chris Bosh had 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Behind their Big 3, the Heat evened the Finals win a 109-93 victory.
Three of the first four contests of this series had been lopsided, but the good part of it was coming up, and it would be about as dramatic as it could be.
The Lakers reached a lofty stratosphere by winning their third straight NBA championship in 2002 versus the New Jersey Nets.
When Phil Jackson took over as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 1999, the franchise’s legacy and mystique were intact, but it had gone 11 years since winning the NBA title and eight years since appearing in the championship series.
By instituting his famed triangle offense, bringing the team’s factions together and getting it to believe in its destiny, Jackson drove the Lakers to the championship in 2000, then followed it up with another the following year.
By the 2001-02 season, they looked so invincible that they found themselves bored with the regular season.
But they got past their chief rivals, the Sacramento Kings, in the Western Conference Finals and took a 3-0 lead over the overmatched New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals.
In Game 4, the Lakers reached a rarified air that not even the Showtime teams could attain by claiming their third straight world championship.
The Nets showed fight throughout, but they just didn’t have the firepower to prevent Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and company from taking a 113-107 decision in East Rutherford, N.J.
O’Neal finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds while averaging 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game in the series. He also set a playoff record for most points in a four-game sweep with 145.
It all earned the big fella his third straight Finals MVP award. He joined Michael Jordan as the only other player to achieve that feat.
With three straight titles, the Lakers had laid down the foundation for a dynasty. At the time, it looked like more titles were inevitable, as Bryant was just 23, and although O’Neal was 30, it was presumed that he had many more productive years left in him.
The team would get to five rings in the era, but it wouldn’t happen the way it envisioned back in 2002.
Game 3 of the 1988 NBA Finals marked Magic Johnson’s return to his native Michigan, and he treated his fellow Michiganders to a show.
When the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics for the NBA championship in 1985 and 1987, it was extra special for Magic Johnson.
But when the Lakers took on the Detroit Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals, it was special for him in another way.
After L.A. split the first two games at home, the series moved to Metro Detroit, which meant a homecoming for Johnson.
He is originally from Lansing, Mich., which meant that he would have the opportunity to see family and old friends. It gave his father, who has a fear of flying, an opportunity to see him play live in person.
The Pistons were nicknamed the “Bad Boys” for their dirty and vicious style of play, but in Game 3, the Lakers once again found a way to tame the beasts of the East.
After a tight first half, they took control of the third quarter by using their bread and butter: the Showtime fast break.
Detroit never really threatened again, and the Lakers took a 2-1 series lead with a 99-86 victory. Johnson powered their attack with 18 points, 14 assists and three steals, while James Worthy led the team in scoring with 24 points.
The Pistons would fight back with a vengeance starting in Game 4, but the Lakers wouldn’t let them ruin their dream of winning back-to-back world titles.
Despite a roster that was depleted by injuries, LeBron James won Game 3 of the 2015 NBA Finals for the Cavs, even though it wasn’t pretty.
In the 2015 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were under-manned and even a bit beleaguered.
Kyrie Irving, the team’s ascendent star guard, suffered a knee injury in Game 1 and was out for the series, and they were already without star big man Kevin Love, who sustained a dislocated shoulder earlier in the playoffs.
Any hopes the Cavs had of defeating the 67-win Golden State Warriors in the championship series rested on LeBron James.
After losing Game 1 in overtime, Cleveland managed a win in Game 2, and it returned home looking for some good fortune.
Surprisingly, it opened up a big lead in the third quarter and held on for a 96-91 win, thanks to James’ 40 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocked shots.
He shot just 14-of-34 from the field (he shot poorly for almost the entire series), but he controlled the tempo and made it a half-court game, which prevented Golden State from galloping up and down the court like they needed to.
At some point in the second half of Game 3, many fans across the nation likely had a feeling that the Cavs were the better team.
Of course, their lack of available talent caught up with them, as did James’ shooting woes, and they lost the next three games, giving the Warriors their first title of the Stephen Curry era.
But James showed the immense impact he could have on a ballgame, even when his shot wasn’t falling and his two best teammates could not play.
Kobe Bryant had one of his most underrated performances and clutch shots in Game 3 of the 2002 NBA Finals.
After the Los Angeles Lakers barely got past the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Finals, their NBA Finals matchup with the New Jersey Nets was expected to be a farce.
The Nets were a good team that won 52 games and were centered around the talents of Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd. They even finished first in the league in defensive rating.
But they lacked offensive firepower, and they didn’t exactly have a superstar who could carry them or impose his will on their opponent.
In the first two games of the 2002 Finals, Shaquille O’Neal imposed his will on the Nets, scoring 36 and 40 points, respectively.
The Lakers took a 2-0 lead to Bergen County for Game 3, and for the first time in the series, the Nets showed life and fight.
Despite trailing early, they actually took a modest lead in the fourth quarter, as Kidd went for 30 points and 10 assists.
But after playing a subservient role in the first two contests, Kobe Bryant started to assert himself and prevented New Jersey from getting on the board.
With less than 30 seconds left and L.A. clinging to a two-point lead, Bryant was covered like flypaper by Kidd, who was considered one of the best defenders in basketball.
Guard Kerry Kittles came over to help and try for a steal, but Bryant got away from him and hit a jumper from just inside the free throw line in Kidd’s face to seal a 106-103 win.
Bryant finished with 36 points on 14-of-23 shooting, while O’Neal continued his dominance with 35 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Game 3 turned out to be New Jersey’s last gasp, as the Lakers concluded matters in Game 4 to officially claim their third straight NBA championship.
After eight losses to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, the Lakers finally vanquished their hated rivals to win the 1985 world championship.
In the 1984 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to have the upper hand on their arch-rival Boston Celtics, but they blew a couple of close games and lost the series in seven painful games.
It was the eighth time in as many tries the Lakers had lost the championship to the Celtics, and they were determined to do something about it the following season.
The two teams met again in the 1985 title series, and L.A. promptly got blown out of the water in Game 1 by 34 points.
But it responded by taking three of the next four contests, and in Game 6, the Lakers actually had a golden opportunity to clinch the world championship against their hated rivals.
However, that contest would be played at Boston Garden, the ancient arena that had served as a graveyard for the championship dreams of many Lakers teams in the past.
Yet, on June 9, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a new cast changed the history of basketball’s greatest rivalry.
After a tight first half, the Lakers took control of Game 6 in the third quarter and held off a final Celtics rally to finish them, 111-100.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 29 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists, capping off a wonderful series in which he averaged 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 blocked shots.
He did all that despite being 38 years of age, but if anyone watching didn’t know any better, they would’ve sworn he was 28.
It all resulted in him winning the Finals MVP award.
For the first time in their history, the Lakers could hold their heads victoriously over the Celtics, and there was real proof a dynasty was brewing in Southern California.
The Lakers made Game 6 of the 1982 NBA Finals theirs, as they brought home the NBA world championship by finishing the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship in 1980, they fell apart after that.
Magic Johnson suffered a knee injury the following season, and with him and fellow guard Norm Nixon at odds, the team lost in the first round of the 1981 playoffs.
When the 1981-82 season started, head coach Paul Westhead boxed in his own team by forcing them to play slow-down basketball, a style they were very unsuited for.
After 11 games, he was fired, and his firing came the day after Johnson demanded to be traded.
Everyone blamed Johnson for getting Westhead canned, but regardless of who was to blame, it worked out well.
Pat Riley, who to that point was an unheralded assistant to Westhead, took over as head coach, and the Lakers ripped through the latter part of the schedule and the early rounds of the playoffs to return to the NBA Finals.
They stole Game 1 from the Philadelphia 76ers after trailing by double-digits, and it set the tone for the series.
After taking a 3-1 lead, the Lakers lost Game 5 in Philly. In Game 6 back home, they had a choice: either wrap things up or go back East for a Game 7.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had a terrible Game 5, came out with a defensive vigor, and L.A. charged to a 9-0 lead.
The Sixers fought back, but Showtime was just too much for Julius Erving and crew, as the Lakers claimed another world championship with a 114-104 victory.
Although Johnson won the finals MVP and had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, four steals and two blocked shots, it was a team effort.
Of note was Bob McAdoo, the former MVP and scoring champ whom the Lakers had picked up in December. Coming off the bench, he had 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks to key their triumph.
Unlike in 1980, no one could claim this championship was a happy fluke. Showtime was in place, and it was here to stay for the rest of the decade.
Derek Fisher, an underappreciated member of the Kobe Bryant-era Lakers, came up clutch in Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals vs. the Celtics.
In 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers gained the rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals they had been waiting for when they met the Boston Celtics for the championship.
After taking Game 1 at Staples Center, L.A. lost Game 2 and the home-court advantage, setting up a very important Game 3 in Boston.
For that contest, the Lakers returned to the site where they were embarrassed by 39 points in Game 6 in 2008.
This time, they were wiser and more mature.
After the Celtics scored the first six points, the Lakers quickly took control, forging a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter and a 52-40 advantage at halftime.
With a 67-61 lead through three quarters, L.A. looked to bring home a victory, but with Kobe Bryant struggling through a 10-of-29 shooting night, it was up to another Lakers guard who was going for his fifth ring.
Derek Fisher, the other starter in the Lakers’ backcourt, led his team with 11 points in that final frame.
With just under a minute left, the Celtics were down by four. They got the shot they wanted – a wide-open 3-pointer by Ray Allen, but he missed, and Fisher collected the rebound.
The Celtics were lazy getting back on defense, so he simply took the ball the length of the floor, scored on a finger-roll over multiple defenders, was fouled and made the free throw to seal a 91-84 Lakers victory.
The Lakers had beaten the Celtics at their own ugly, grind-it-out style to get a win, but it wouldn’t be the last time they did so in this series.
After dropping Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals to the 76ers, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were their best selves in a Game 2 Lakers win.
After going 11-0 in the first three rounds of the 2001 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers entered the NBA Finals versus the Philadelphia 76ers widely expected to run the table and become the first team to win the NBA championship while going undefeated through the postseason.
The Sixers possessed league MVP Allen Iverson and Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, but no one else on their roster would’ve cracked the rotation of most other good or great teams.
Still, Philly shocked L.A. by defeating it in Game 1. It was the first time the Lakers had lost a game in over two calendar months. In Game 2, the Lakers returned to basics, and their two superstars set the tone.
Kobe Bryant bounced back after a lousy Game 1 with 31 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal had a huge outing: 28 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and eight blocked shots.
After a tight first half, the Lakers pulled away from the stubborn Sixers for a 98-89 win, as their defense ignited a fair number of fast-break scores.
By the end of the contest, everything in the world seemed right again. Even though, at the time, it looked as if the teams were in for a dogfight the rest of the way, O’Neal’s brute force and Bryant’s skill and will proved way too much for the undermanned Sixers.
Game 7 of the WCF was one of the greatest wins in Lakers history, as Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant finally got over the hump.
Four years into their tenure on the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant had yet to advance to the NBA Finals together.
It looked like the 2000 season would be the year they finally got there, as the Lakers won a league-best 67 games in the regular season and were the prohibitive favorites to win it all going into the playoffs.
After a topsy-turvy first six games of the Western Conference Finals versus the Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers would play for a trip to the championship series in Game 7.
To that point, the O’Neal-Bryant Lakers had a history of folding meekly in big playoff games.
Early on, it looked like that would be the case again. Although they trailed by just three points at halftime, it seemed they were down by more than that, as their offense was stilted and tentative.
The Lakers had lots of trouble overcoming Portland’s defense to get the ball to O’Neal in the low post, and everyone else, save for Bryant, was being overly cautious.
Late in the third quarter, the Blazers went up by as many as 16 and displayed confidence that was bordering on arrogance.
It looked like it was all over for the Lakers. Of all their recent playoff losses, this was going to be the worst one, as they held a 3-1 series lead at one point.
But that’s when they charged back.
L.A. pecked away at Portland’s lead, while Portland suddenly became tentative themselves and went through a massive dry spell. The Lakers finally tied the game with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, and they never looked back.
The man who led the comeback was Bryant, who played perhaps his finest all-around game since coming to the NBA. He finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots while putting the Lakers over the top.
With 1:34 left and the score tied at 79, Bryant drew a foul on Rasheed Wallace and made both free throws. Moments later, he hit a jumper to put L.A, up by four.
After Scottie Pippen missed a 3-pointer, the Lakers rebounded the ball and gave it back to Bryant. He hit Pippen with a crossover dribble, then threw an alley-oop pass to O’Neal for one of the most iconic plays in Lakers history.
L.A. had finally gotten over the hump, and it had done so in Hollywood fashion.
It would go on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals to win the first of three straight titles and five during the Bryant-Phil Jackson era.
