2001 NBA Playoffs Round 2 Game 5: Lakers vs Spurs

Lore & Background

The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in NBA history with 17 championships. The franchise began in 1946 as the Detroit Gems and moved to Minneapolis, becoming the Minneapolis Lakers. They won the 1948 NBL championship and the 1949 BAA championship before the NBA merger. After moving to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season, the Lakers made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s but lost each series to the Celtics. In 1972, led by Wilt Chamberlain and coach Bill Sharman, they won their sixth NBA title. The 1980s, under owner Jerry Buss, coach Pat Riley, and stars Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, brought five championships. The Lakers won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002 with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and coach Phil Jackson. After trading for Pau Gasol, they won championships in 2009 and 2010. In 2020, led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and coach Frank Vogel, the Lakers won their 17th championship, tying the Celtics for the most titles until 2024.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Alamodome hung heavy with humidity and tension. The Spurs, led by Tim Duncan's silent intensity and David Robinson's veteran grit, had pushed the Lakers to their limit. But on this night, the tide turned irrevocably. Shaquille O'Neal carved through the paint like a tidal wave, drawing double teams that either left teammates open or collapsed under his sheer weight. Kobe Bryant remained cool and calculating, draining key jump shots whenever the defense dared to sag off. With minutes winding down and San Antonio's hopes fading, the crowd fell into a stunned silence as the Lakers sealed their fate—not with a whimper, but with the roar of a dynasty taking its next inevitable step forward.

Reader's Guide

The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, sharing it with the Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) and Los Angeles Kings (NHL). The team holds the NBA record for longest winning streak, 33 straight games, set in 1971–72. 26 Hall of Famers have played for Los Angeles, and four have coached the team.

Did You Know?

• The Lakers' 33-game winning streak in 1971–72 is the longest in NBA history.
• The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, second only to the Boston Celtics historically.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant won a combined eight NBA MVP awards with the Lakers.