2000 NBA Finals Game 6: Lakers vs Pacers
The Lakers' 2000 NBA Finals victory marked their first championship since 1988 and their twelfth overall, led by Shaquille O'Neal's dominant performance.
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the Lakers holding home court advantage. The series featured the number one seeds from both conferences. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers in six games to win their first NBA championship since 1988 and their twelfth overall.
Quick Facts
- Series result
- Lakers win 4-2
- Shaquille o'neal points
- 41
- Shaquille o'neal rebounds
- 12
- Kobe bryant points
- 26
- Head coach (lal)
- Phil Jackson
- Mvp of finals
- Shaquille O'Neal
Lore & Background
This marked Indiana's first NBA Finals appearance. The Pacers would not return to the NBA Finals until 2025. Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series, his first of three consecutive honors, in arguably one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in history, putting up 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. Shaquille O'Neal is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, NBA All-Star Game MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000).
Reader's Guide
The Lakers' inaugural season at the Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) was 1999–2000. The Lakers posted a 67–15 record, tying the 1992 Chicago Bulls and 1986 Boston Celtics as the fifth best record in NBA regular season history. In the Western Conference finals, the Lakers overcame a 75–60 fourth quarter deficit in Game 7 against the Portland Trail Blazers to secure a berth in the NBA Finals.
Did You Know?
- Shaquille O'Neal scored 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in Game 1.
- In Game 2, Shaquille O'Neal attempted 39 free throws, an NBA record for most free throws attempted in a Finals game.
- The Pacers' Jalen Rose admitted he intentionally stuck out his foot to trip Kobe Bryant in Game 2, causing Bryant to sprain his ankle.
- Both teams played in newly built arenas for the 1999–2000 season: the Lakers' Staples Center and the Pacers' Conseco Fieldhouse (now Gainbridge Fieldhouse).
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