It was messy. Most people remember the confetti falling in June, but if you actually lived through the 1999-2000 NBA season, you know it almost went off the rails about four different times. The 2000 Los Angeles Lakers weren't just a basketball team; they were a high-stakes social experiment conducted by Phil Jackson. He had a 21-year-old Kobe Bryant who thought he was ready to take over the world and a prime Shaquille O'Neal who was, quite literally, the most physically dominant force to ever lace up a pair of Reeboks.
They won 67 games. That’s an absurd number. But the regular season dominance masks how close they came to failing when it mattered most.
If you look at the box scores today, you see a 4-2 series win over the Indiana Pacers in the Finals. What you don't see is the tension in the locker room or the fact that they were down by 15 points in the fourth quarter of Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals against Portland. One more missed shot, one more defensive lapse, and the "dynasty" never starts. Shaq and Kobe might have been split up by 2001. Instead, they pulled off the greatest alley-oop in the history of the sport and changed the league for a decade.
The Shaq Problem (And Why Nobody Could Solve It)
Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 was a glitch in the matrix. Honestly, there’s no other way to describe it. He averaged 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. He won the MVP, the All-Star Game MVP, and the Finals MVP. He was the first player since Willis Reed to sweep all three in a single season.
Defending him was a nightmare. Teams would sign guys specifically because they had six fouls to give. Big men like Arvydas Sabonis or Dale Davis were basically just speed bumps. Shaq wasn't just big; he was fast. He’d grab a rebound, lead the break, and finish with a dunk that sounded like a car crash.
But there was a catch. Shaq hated practice. Phil Jackson knew this, so he used "The Zen" to manipulate him. He didn't scream. He challenged Shaq's pride. He told him he wasn't doing enough on defense. It worked. Shaq blocked 3 shots a game that year. He was moving his feet on the perimeter. He was actually trying. When Shaq tried, the game was over before it started.
Kobe’s Evolution from Sidekick to Superstar
While Shaq was the sun that the whole Laker universe revolved around, Kobe Bryant was the solar flare. This was the year Kobe became Kobe. He made his first All-Defensive First Team. He wasn't just a flashy scorer anymore; he was a lockdown perimeter defender who took pride in ruining the other team’s best player’s night.
There was this weird friction, though. Kobe wanted the ball. Shaq wanted the ball. In the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers offense, the Triangle required ball movement, but Kobe’s instinct was to go one-on-one.
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The turning point was Game 4 of the Finals against the Pacers. Shaq fouled out. The game went to overtime. In any other universe, the Lakers lose that game and the series is tied 2-2. But Kobe, playing on a badly sprained ankle that kept him out of Game 3, took over. He hit three massive shots in the closing minutes. He told Shaq, "I got you, Big Fella." That was the moment the hierarchy shifted. It wasn't just Shaq’s team anymore. It was theirs.
The Supporting Cast That Nobody Credits Enough
You can't win 67 games with just two guys. The 2000 Los Angeles Lakers were built with high-IQ veterans who didn't care about their stats.
- Glen Rice: He was a superstar in Charlotte, but in LA, he was a floor spacer. He hated it sometimes, but his shooting kept defenses from double-teaming Shaq every single play.
- Robert Horry: Big Shot Rob. He didn't need to score 20. He just needed to hit the one shot that broke the opponent's spirit in the fourth quarter.
- Ron Harper: He brought the Bulls' championship DNA. He was the adult in the room when Shaq and Kobe were acting like kids.
- Brian Shaw and Derek Fisher: The steady hands. Fisher was young but fearless. Shaw had that veteran poise that calmed everyone down during the Portland comeback.
These guys understood the Triangle. They knew where to stand. In a system as complex as Phil Jackson’s, being in the right spot at 2:00 left in the game is more important than being able to jump through the roof.
That Game 7 Against Portland: The Near-Death Experience
If you want to understand the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers, you have to watch the fourth quarter of the Western Conference Finals Game 7. The Lakers were trailing 71-55. The Staples Center was dead silent. Fans were literally heading for the exits. Portland had Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, and Steve Smith. They were deeper than the Lakers. They were tougher.
Then, the collapse happened. Or the comeback, depending on who you ask.
The Blazers missed 13 straight shots. The Lakers started chipping away. Brian Shaw hit a bank-shot three. Horry hit a three. Suddenly, it was a four-point game. Then a two-point game. Then came the play. Kobe crossed over Pippen, drove into the lane, and lobbed it up. Shaq caught it with one hand and slammed it home. The roar of the crowd was so loud the floor actually vibrated.
That lob didn't just win a game. It validated the entire season. It proved that Shaq and Kobe could trust each other when the season was on the line.
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The Technical Reality of the 1999-2000 Season
The Lakers' dominance was backed by some pretty staggering numbers. They had a defensive rating of 98.2, which was first in the league. People think of them as an offensive powerhouse because of the dunks, but they won because they guarded. They held opponents to 41% shooting.
- Home Record: 36-5. You didn't win in LA that year.
- Winning Streaks: They had a 16-game winning streak and a 19-game winning streak in the same season.
- The Shaq Factor: O'Neal had nine games with 40+ points. He had a 61-point game against the Clippers on his birthday.
It wasn't just about talent; it was about the math. If you didn't double-team Shaq, he scored. If you did double-team him, he passed to an open shooter. It was a mathematical certainty that the Lakers would get a high-quality shot almost every possession.
Common Misconceptions About the 2000 Lakers
People often lump the three-peat years (2000, 2001, 2002) together, but the 2000 team was unique.
By 2001, they were bored and coasted through the regular season before going 15-1 in the playoffs. In 2000, they were hungry. They were desperate. They hadn't won anything yet. Shaq had been swept out of the playoffs four years in a row before this. Kobe was still trying to prove he wasn't just a "showboat."
Another myth is that Phil Jackson just showed up and they won. In reality, the Lakers struggled with the Triangle early on. They were 15-5 to start the year—good, but not "dynasty" good. It took months of Jackson giving them books to read and making them sit in silence during meditation for the chemistry to actually take hold.
Why This Team Matters Now
We live in an era of "Superteams" and "load management." The 2000 Lakers didn't load manage. Shaq played 79 games. Kobe played 66 (only because of injuries). They cared about the regular season. They cared about the #1 seed.
They also represent the end of an era. This was the last time a true, back-to-the-basket center was the undisputed best player in the world. Today’s NBA is about spacing and threes. In 2000, it was about physical brutality in the paint. Watching Shaq play in 2000 is like watching a different sport compared to the modern NBA.
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How to Study the 2000 Lakers for Your Own Strategy
Whether you're a basketball coach, a business leader, or just a fan, there are actual lessons to be pulled from this specific Lakers squad.
- Accept the Friction: Shaq and Kobe didn't like each other much. They didn't have to. They had a "shared mission" that superseded their personal beef. If you're leading a team, don't aim for everyone to be best friends; aim for everyone to be aligned on the goal.
- The Power of the "Safety Valve": Every great system needs a safety valve. For the Lakers, it was the post-up. When the offense stalled, they gave it to Shaq. In your own work, identify your "Shaq"—the one reliable process or person that works when everything else is breaking down.
- Defense Wins the Close Ones: The Lakers' offense disappeared for three quarters in that Game 7 against Portland. Their defense stayed consistent. When your "offense" (your primary skill) isn't working, your "defense" (your discipline and habits) has to keep you in the game.
To truly appreciate the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers, you have to look past the rings. Look at the game film of the Finals against Indiana. Watch Reggie Miller try to weave through screens while Kobe Bryant shadows his every move. Watch Jalen Rose try to find a lane only to see Shaq waiting there like a brick wall. It was a masterclass in basketball pressure.
If you want to dive deeper into this specific era, I highly recommend tracking down a copy of "The Last Season" by Phil Jackson. Even though it's technically about the 2004 team, he reflects heavily on how he had to "break" the players in 2000 to get them to buy into his system. Also, look up the 1999-2000 season highlights on the NBA’s official vault—specifically the defensive rotations. It's a clinic.
The 2000 Lakers weren't perfect, but they were inevitable. And in sports, inevitability is the rarest thing there is.
Go back and watch that Game 7 lob one more time. Notice the bench. Notice the fans. Notice the way Shaq runs down the court with his eyes wide open, pointing to the rafters. That wasn't just a dunk; it was the birth of a decade of dominance.
Next Steps for Deep Diving:
- Watch the "Shaq & Kobe" interview from 2018 where they break down the 2000 season specifically. It clears up a lot of the rumors about their relationship during that first title run.
- Analyze the 2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7 box score. Pay attention to the shooting percentages of the Portland starters in the 4th quarter—it's a brutal look at what Laker pressure did to a veteran team.
- Compare the 2000 stats to the 2017 Warriors. It’s a fun exercise in seeing how the game has moved from the "Interior Force" era to the "Perimeter Gravity" era.