1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season

1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season
NBA champions
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coach	Phil Jackson
General manager	Jerry West
Owner(s)	Jerry Buss
Arena	Staples Center
Results
Record	67–15 (.817)
Place	Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western)
Playoff finish	NBA Champions (Defeated Pacers 4–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Fox Sports Net West, KCAL
Radio	AM 570 KLAC
< 1998–99 2000–01 >

The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles.^[1] It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center, becoming co-tenants with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers.^[2][3] During the off-season, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A.C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks,^[4][5][6] and signed free agents Ron Harper,^[7][8][9] Brian Shaw and John Salley.^[10] Green won two championships with the Lakers in the 1980s, and Salley won three championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win five NBA championships over the course of the next 12 years.^{[11][12][13][14]}

After an 8–4 start to the season, the Lakers won seven consecutive games, then posted a 16-game winning streak between December and January, held a 37–11 record at the All-Star break,^[15] posted a 19-game winning streak between February and March, and an 11-game winning streak between March and April, finishing the regular season with 67 wins and 15 losses, the most wins since the 1971–72 team won a franchise-record 69 games.^[16] The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 25th time in franchise history.

Center Shaquille O'Neal averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, and was almost unanimously named the Most Valuable Player of the regular season, and was also named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive Second Team.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22]} 21-year old shooting guard Kobe Bryant averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Glen Rice finished third on the team in scoring averaging 15.9 points per game, while Harper provided the team with 7.0 points and 3.4 assists per game, Rick Fox contributed 6.5 points per game off the bench, and Derek Fisher provided with 6.3 points and 2.8 assists per game. On the defensive side, Robert Horry averaged 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game off the bench, and Green contributed 5.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.^[1] The Lakers had the best team defensive rating in the NBA, with O'Neal and Bryant both finishing within the top 5 of Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[23][24][25]

In the playoffs, the Lakers were pushed to the limit by the Sacramento Kings, whom they defeated in a deciding fifth game in the Western Conference First Round,^{[26][27][28][29]} before going on to defeat the Phoenix Suns in five games in the Western Conference Semi-finals.^{[30][31][32][33]} In the Western Conference Finals, they defeated a Portland Trail Blazers team featuring Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen and Steve Smith in seven games,^{[34][35][36][37]} before going on to win the NBA Finals 4–2 against the Indiana Pacers, earning the franchise its 12th NBA championship. It was the first of the Lakers' three-peat championships to begin the millennium and the franchise's first championship since 1988. The championship win also netted Phil Jackson's seventh championship as a head coach, and the first with a team besides the Chicago Bulls.^{[38][39][40][41][42]}

The season is memorable; 21-year-old Bryant being named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team while emerging as one of the NBA's young superstars, the Lakers signing Harper and Shaw to give the team a veteran presence, and hiring Phil Jackson to give the team a championship experience. Bryant, O'Neal and coach Jackson represented the Western Conference in the 2000 NBA All-Star Game,^{[43][44][45][46]} where O'Neal and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs were both named co-MVP's.^{[47][48][49][50][51]} Following the season, Rice and Travis Knight were both traded to the New York Knicks,^[52][53][54] while Green signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat,^[55][56] and Salley retired after making a comeback.

For the season, the Lakers sported new uniforms adding side panels to their jerseys and shorts, which remained in use until 2004, where they slightly changed their uniforms adding the secondary logo to their shorts.^[57][58]

Because of their dominant regular and postseason performance, as well as O'Neal and Bryant's individual achievements, this Los Angeles Lakers team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. A documentary miniseries, Birth of a Dynasty, based on this Lakers season, was released in late 2019.^[59]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	23	Devean George	SF	United States	Augsburg
2	30	John Celestand	PG	United States	Villanova

^[60]

1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SG 8 Bryant, Kobe 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1978–08–23 Lower Merion HS PG 11 Celestand, John 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1977–03–06 Villanova PG 2 Fisher, Derek 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1974–08–09 Little Rock SF 17 Fox, Rick 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1969–07–24 North Carolina SF 3 George, Devean 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1977–08–29 Augsburg PF 45 Green, A.C. 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1963–10–04 Oregon State PG 4 Harper, Ron 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1964–01–20 Miami (OH) PF 5 Horry, Robert 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1970–08–25 Alabama C 40 Knight, Travis 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1974–09–13 Connecticut PG 10 Lue, Tyronn 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1977–05–03 Nebraska C 34 O'Neal, Shaquille 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 340 lb (154 kg) 1972–03–06 LSU SF 41 Rice, Glen 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1967–05–28 Michigan C 16 Salley, John 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1964–05–16 Georgia Tech SG 20 Shaw, Brian 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1966–03–22 UC Santa Barbara

Head coach Phil Jackson Assistant coach(es) Bill Bertka Jim Cleamons Frank Hamblen Tex Winter Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster Last transaction: November 12, 1999

Pacific Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers	67	15	.817	–	36–5	31–10	20–4
x-Portland Trail Blazers	59	23	.720	8	30–11	29–12	21–3
x-Phoenix Suns	53	29	.646	14	32–9	21–20	15–9
x-Seattle SuperSonics	45	37	.549	22	24–17	21–20	12–12
x-Sacramento Kings	44	38	.537	23	30–11	14–27	9–15
Golden State Warriors	19	63	.232	48	12–29	7–34	2–22
Los Angeles Clippers	15	67	.183	52	10–31	5–36	5–19

#	Western Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Los Angeles Lakers	67	15	.817	–
2	y-Utah Jazz	55	27	.671	12
3	x-Portland Trail Blazers	59	23	.720	8
4	x-San Antonio Spurs	53	29	.646	14
5	x-Phoenix Suns	53	29	.646	14
6	x-Minnesota Timberwolves	50	32	.610	17
7	x-Seattle SuperSonics	45	37	.549	22
8	x-Sacramento Kings	44	38	.537	23
9	Dallas Mavericks	40	42	.488	27
10	Denver Nuggets	35	47	.427	32
11	Houston Rockets	34	48	.415	33
12	Vancouver Grizzlies	22	60	.268	45
13	Golden State Warriors	19	63	.232	48
14	Los Angeles Clippers	15	67	.183	52

1999–2000 NBA records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	VAN	WAS
Atlanta	—	1–3	1–3	3–1	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–2	0–4	1–1	3–1	2–1	0–3	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–3
Boston	3–1	—	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	0–3	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–2	0–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1
Charlotte	3–1	3–1	—	4–0	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	2–2	3–1	2–0	2–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	3–0
Chicago	1–3	2–2	0–4	—	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	0–2	0–2	1–3	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–3	0–2	2–1	0–3	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–2
Cleveland	1–3	2–2	1–3	3–1	—	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	2–0	0–2	0–3	1–3	0–2	2–2	3–1	2–1	0–4	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–4	0–2	2–0	3–1
Dallas	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	—	3–1	2–0	4–0	1–3	1–1	4–0	1–3	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–1	1–3	3–1	1–1
Denver	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–3	—	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	3–1	1–3	0–2	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–0	2–2	2–2	1–1
Detroit	3–1	3–0	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	—	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	2–2	3–1	0–2	2–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	0–2	2–0	2–2
Golden State	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–2	0–2	—	1–3	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–4	3–1	1–1
Houston	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–2	1–1	3–1	—	0–2	4–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	0–4	1–3	0–2	1–3	2–2	1–1
Indiana	3–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	—	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–1	2–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–1
L.A. Clippers	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–3	0–2	3–1	0–4	1–1	—	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–3	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1
L.A. Lakers	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–1	4–0	—	2–0	2–0	4–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	4–0	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–1	3–1	4–0	1–1
Miami	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	3–0	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	—	2–2	2–0	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–2	1–1	1–1	4–0
Milwaukee	4–0	2–1	1–3	3–1	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–3	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	0–2	2–2	—	0–2	1–3	0–4	4–0	0–3	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1
Minnesota	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–2	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1	3–1	0–4	0–2	2–0	—	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	3–1	4–0	0–2
New Jersey	1–3	1–3	1–2	1–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–2	3–1	1–1	—	1–3	3–2	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–3
New York	1–2	2–2	3–1	3–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	4–0	1–1	3–1	—	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–3	0–2	2–0	2–2
Orlando	3–0	2–2	2–2	4–0	1–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	1–2	2–0	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–1	2–3	1–3	—	2–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	2–0	4–0
Philadelphia	4–0	3–1	1–3	4–0	4–0	2–0	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	3–0	1–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	—	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–0	1–1	2–0	3–1
Phoenix	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–3	3–1	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–1	4–0	0–4	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	—	1–3	4–0	2–2	2–2	1–1	0–4	4–0	2–0
Portland	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	4–0	2–2	0–2	4–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	3–1	—	4–0	3–1	4–0	1–1	3–1	3–1	2–0
Sacramento	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	1–1	3–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–4	0–4	—	3–1	2–2	1–1	1–3	3–1	2–0
San Antonio	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	3–1	1–1	4–0	4–0	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–3	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	1–1	2–2	4–0	1–1
Seattle	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	3–1	0–2	4–0	3–1	1–1	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	—	0–2	2–2	4–0	2–0
Toronto	2–2	2–2	1–3	4–0	4–0	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	2–1	2–2	0–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	—	1–1	1–1	2–2
Utah	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	0–2	4–0	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–0	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	—	3–1	2–0
Vancouver	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–2	3–1	0–4	1–1	1–1	0–4	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–1	1–3	—	1–1
Washington	3–1	1–3	0–3	2–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	1–3	2–0	3–1	2–2	0–4	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	—

The Lakers went 31-19 during the shortened lockout season of 1998–99, good enough to claim the fourth spot of the Western Conference. They cruised past the Rockets on the first round, before bowing down to the eventual champions, the Spurs.

The Lakers started their season without Kobe Bryant, who missed the first month of the regular season due to a preseason hand injury,^[61] so Phil Jackson used veteran forwards such as A.C. Green and Glen Rice to fill the void left by Bryant.

On November 2, 1999, the Lakers started their season with a 91–84 win on the road against the Utah Jazz. Glen Rice led the Lakers with 28 points to go along with 5 3-pointers made.^[62] The very next day, the Lakers got their first win at home after defeating the visiting Vancouver Grizzlies, 103–88, behind Shaquille O'Neal's double-double performance of 28 points and 10 rebounds. It was also the first time that the Lakers played in STAPLES Center.^[63] Their first loss of the season came on November 6 when the Lakers were defeated by the home team, Portland Trail Blazers, led by Scottie Pippen. In that game, Shaquille O'Neal led both teams in scoring as he scored 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.^[64] The next two games, the Lakers were pitted against the Dallas Mavericks led by rising stars Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. They played first at the Lakers homecourt then the next game, on the Mavericks homecourt. However, they were no match for the dominance of O'Neal who averaged 28.5 points per game, 15.0 rebounds per game and 2 blocks per game in those two contests.^[65][66] The Lakers will face the Houston Rockets the next two games, this time, they will face the Rockets first on the road before going home to face the Rockets there. During their first meeting on November 10, the Lakers were pushed to the limit for Shaquille O'Neal was fouled out in the game. He just played 16 minutes for the entire game. However, the Rockets were not able to capitalize the opportunity as the veterans of the Lakers led by Glen Rice's 24 points, powered the Lakers towards their 5th win of the season.^[67] They match-up against each other again two days after, but without O'Neal who was suspended, they bowed to the visiting Rockets, 81–97, who was led by Hakeem Olajuwon and Steve Francis. Two days after, the Lakers bounced back because O'Neal was back who dominated the whole game against the visiting Atlanta Hawks. O'Neal recorded 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks as he led the Lakers towards the win.^[68] The Lakers, led by the strong performance of O'Neal, overpowered the home team, Phoenix Suns, who were led by Jason Kidd and former Bulls player, Luc Longley, 91–82. O'Neal recorded 34 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists and 8 blocks for the Lakers.^[69] On November 18, the Lakers were up against the Nick Van Exel-led Nuggets. Van Exel was the former point guard of the Lakers. During the first half, the Lakers were up 42–39. However, the Nuggets stormed back as they got the win, 93–82. It was the Lakers' third loss of the season. Shaquille O'Neal led all scorers with 36 points to go along with 8 rebounds.^[70] The Lakers next faced the Chicago Bulls. O'Neal led the Lakers towards their eighth win of the season as they defeat the visiting Bulls, 103–95. O'Neal recorded 41 points, 17 rebounds and 7 blocks.^[71] On November 21, the Lakers were up against the Vince Carter-led Toronto Raptors. However, Vince Carter scored 34 points to go along with 13 rebounds as the Raptors take the win in STAPLES Center, 111–102, to give the Lakers their fourth loss of the season. For the Lakers, O'Neal was again the leading scorer with 37 points to go along with 19 rebounds.^[72] On their last game for the month in November, the Lakers traveled on the road to match-up against the Gary Payton-led Seattle Supersonics. However, the Lakers just proved too much to be handled as they dispatched the Supersonics, 101–77.^[73] They finished the month of November with an 11–4 record.

On December 1, 1999, Kobe Bryant was back from almost a month of not playing due to injury, and this time, they were up against the 2-11 Golden State Warriors. Bryant came off the bench to play almost 30 minutes and scored 19 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. O'Neal also contributed 28 points and 23 rebounds as they got the 12th win of the season.^[74] Six days later, the Lakers won their 15th game of the season, led by Shaquille O'Neal who recorded 30 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks, in a 91–80 win over the visiting Washington Wizards.^[75] On December 12, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Shaquille O'Neal contributed 22 points and 24 rebounds as the Lakers won their 17th win of the season after beating the visiting Detroit Pistons, 101–93.^[76] Two days after, Phil Jackson re-inserted Kobe Bryant into the startling lineup for the first time this season. And now, the Lakers were up against their division rivals, the L.A. Clippers. O'Neal recorded 21 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks and Bryant added 18 points as the Lakers dismissed the Clippers, 95–68.^[77] On December 17, the Lakers won their fifth straight game as they won on the road against the Timberwolves, 97–88. Kobe Bryant paved the way with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists.^[78] Three days later, Shaquille O'Neal recorded 34 points, 20 rebounds and 2 blocks in a 99–90 win over the home team, Boston Celtics, for the seventh straight win.^[79] The next game, the Lakers were visited by the defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs who were led by the "Twin Towers" of Tim Duncan and David Robinson for a Christmas showdown. At halftime, the Lakers led the Spurs, 50–42, before the Spurs surged in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers, 25–21, cutting the lead to four. However, the Lakers responded in the fourth quarter as they pulled away and won their eighth straight game.^[80] Shaquille O'Neal recorded 35 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers took a narrow win over the visiting Mavericks, 108–106.^[81] On their last game of the century and year 1999, the Lakers won their tenth straight game, after defeating the visiting Suns, 103–88, thanks to Shaquille O'Neal's performance of 27 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks.^[82] For the month of December, the Lakers have a record of 14–1, and they went undefeated at their homecourt.

In the first two games of the 21st century (year 2000), the Lakers were up against the Clippers, whom they defeated both games. In the second game, O'Neal recorded 40 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers.^[83] On January 10, Bryant and O'Neal combined for 61 of the 130 points of the Lakers whom they guided towards a win over the visiting Nuggets. It was their 15th straight win^[84] The next game, they traveled in Milwaukee in which they recorded their 16th straight win after beating the Bucks, 103–94.^[85] Their 16-game winning streak came to an end when the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers beat the Lakers, 111–102. It was their sixth loss of the season. Their seventh loss came against the Seattle Supersonics wherein Gary Payton led the Supersonics towards the win. Following their loss against the Supersonics, in the next 6 games, they have a record of 2 wins and 4 losses, and 3 of the 4 losses came on the road. Their last win for the month of January happened on January 28 wherein the Lakers defeated the visiting Bucks, 117–89.^[86]

They started the month of February with an 81–105 loss to the defending champions, San Antonio Spurs. The "Twin Towers" proved too much for the Lakers. O'Neal led the Lakers in scoring with 31 points.^[87] The next game, the Lakers blows out the visiting Utah Jazz, 113–67. Shaquille O'Neal recorded 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks to lead the Lakers. It was the tied for the sixth highest point differential in Lakers franchise history.^[88][89] On February 9, the Lakers had another blowout win, this time against the visiting Timberwolves. O'Neal recorded 37 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks as the Lakers won 114–81.^[90] On February 20, the Lakers escaped the Allen Iverson-led 76ers on the road, 87–84, thus winning their seventh straight game. O'Neal once again led the Lakers with 22 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 blocks.^[91] During their last game of February, O'Neal and Bryant recorded 55 points of the 90 Laker points as they led the Lakers towards their 12th straight win, escaping the home team, Portland Trail Blazers, 90–87.^[92] They ended the month of February with a record of 12–1.

On March 1, the Lakers defeated the visiting Vancouver Grizzlies, 103–91, thus winning their 13th straight win. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers in scoring with 27 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.^[93] Five days later, the Lakers were up against the Clippers, and they won their 16th straight win, 123–103. O'Neal recorded a career-high 61 points to go along with 23 rebounds and 3 assists for the Lakers. They also have won their 50th game of the season.^[94] Three days after, Bryant and O'Neal combined for 59 points as they defeated the home team, Golden State Warriors, 109–92, to extend their winning streak to 17 in a row.^[95] With that win, the Lakers now have their second longest winning streak in franchise history, after beating their winning streak earlier in the season when they won 16 in a row. They also won 16 in a row back in January to February 1991. On March 12, their winning streak were nearly snapped as they overcame a 12-point deficit against the visiting Sacramento Kings. The Lakers won 109–106. Bryant recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists and O'Neal added 39 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists.^[96] The very next day, O'Neal, Bryant and Rice combined for 82 points as they extend their winning streak to 19 games as they defeat the home team, the Denver Nuggets, 118–108.^[97] Their 19-game winning streak was the longest in the NBA for four years when the 1995-96 Bulls won 18 in a row. Their 19-game winning streak ended when they were defeated by the home team, Washington Wizards, 102–109, despite O'Neal's 40 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers.^[98] They got back in the winning column, as they blown out the home team, the Detroit Pistons, 110–82. In that game, they've won their 54th game of the season. O'Neal led the Lakers with 35 points and 11 rebounds.^[99] O'Neal again led the Lakers as he recorded 43 points and 10 rebounds as they won again, 92–85, against the home team, New York Knicks.^[100] On March 20, O'Neal and Rice combined for 56 of the 100 Lakers points as they got the road win in Miami, 100–89. Bryant also added 23 points and 5 rebounds for the Lakers.^[101] On March 26, in a road game against the Sacramento Kings, the Kings jumped out on an early lead, leading the Lakers 50–47 by the end of the first half. However, the Lakers outscored the Kings, 43–37, in the second half, thus winning the game, 90–89. The Lakers now have won their sixth straight game.^[102] In their last game for the month of March, the Lakers defeated the visiting 76ers, 100–88. O'Neal led the Lakers with 37 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 blocks. The Lakers now have won their 61st game of the season, the first time they have won over 61 games for over a decade.^[103] They ended the month of March with a 15–1 win record, only losing to the Washington Wizards.

Their first game on April was against the visiting Knicks. O'Neal led the Lakers with 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks as the Lakers captured their 62nd win of the season, 106–82.^[104] On April 5, O'Neal recorded 49 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers recorded their 64th win of the season as they won on the road, 111–104, against the home team, Golden State Warriors.^[105] On April 10, the Lakers captured their 65th win of the season, behind Kobe Bryant's 33 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assist performance for the Lakers, as they escaped the visiting SuperSonics, 106–103. Their 65 wins have matched their 2nd highest win total for a single season in franchise history, matching the 1986-87 Lakers season.^[106] Their 67th win of the season came in a 101–95 win over the visiting Timberwolves. O'Neal once again led the Lakers with 33 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists.^[107]

1999 preseason game log Total: 3–5
Preseason Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record October 12 Washington Cancelled (stadium structural stability concerns)[108] Alltel Arena (Little Rock, AR) 0-0 1 October 13 Washington L 84-88 Shaquille O'Neal (22) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Kobe Bryant (5) Kemper Arena (Kansas City, MO) 14,211 0–1 2 October 19 Golden State W 97-90 Shaquille O'Neal (19) O'Neal & Rice (8) Derek Fisher (9) San Diego Sports Arena (San Diego, CA) 13,327 1-1 3 October 21 Golden State W 93-89 (OT) Shaquille O'Neal (21) Shaquille O'Neal (15) Derek Fisher (7) Great Western Forum 10,398 2–1 4 October 22 Phoenix L 100-112 Shaquille O'Neal (37) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Derek Fisher (5) Great Western Forum 12,510 2-2 5 October 24 Miami W 97-79 George & O'Neal (14) Shaquille O'Neal (12) George & Harper (4) Centennial Garden (Bakersfield, CA) 9,411 3–2 6 October 25 Portland L 78-92 Shaquille O'Neal (16) Shaquille O'Neal (12) Brian Shaw (3) University Arena (Albuquerque, NM) 13,150 3-3 7 October 26 Phoenix L 73-95 Shaquille O'Neal (26) Shaquille O'Neal (17) Brian Shaw (5) Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV) 12,128 3–4 8 October 28 Utah L 76-92 Shaquille O'Neal (31) Arrowhead Pond (Anaheim, CA) 3–5
2000 schedule

1999–2000 game log Total: 67–15 (Home: 36–5; Road: 31–10)
November: 11–4 (home: 6–2; road: 5–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 November 2 @ Utah W 91–84 Glen Rice (28) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Derek Fisher (7) Delta Center 19,911 1–0 2 November 3 Vancouver W 103–88 Shaquille O'Neal (28) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Derek Fisher (8) Staples Center 18,997 2–0 3 November 6 @ Portland L 82–97 Shaquille O'Neal (21) Green & O'Neal (10) Ron Harper (6) Rose Garden 20,584 2–1 4 November 7 Dallas W 105–97 Shaquille O'Neal (30) Shaquille O'Neal (20) Derek Fisher (8) Staples Center 18,068 3–1 5 November 9 @ Dallas W 123–101 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Brian Shaw (5) Reunion Arena 17,349 4–1 6 November 10 @ Houston W 89–88 Glen Rice (24) A.C. Green (12) Ron Harper (6) Compaq Center 16,285 5–1 7 November 12 Houston L 81–97 Glen Rice (11) A.C. Green (9) A.C. Green (4) Staples Center 18,359 5–2 8 November 14 Atlanta W 93–88 Shaquille O'Neal (23) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Ron Harper (5) Staples Center 18,510 6–2 9 November 15 @ Phoenix W 91–82 Shaquille O'Neal (34) Shaquille O'Neal (18) Harper & O'Neal (4) America West Arena 19,023 7–2 10 November 18 @ Denver L 82–93 Shaquille O'Neal (36) A.C. Green (9) Derek Fisher (9) Pepsi Center 15,218 7–3 11 November 19 Chicago W 103–95 Shaquille O'Neal (41) Shaquille O'Neal (17) Ron Harper (4) Staples Center 18,401 8–3 12 November 21 Toronto L 102–111 Shaquille O'Neal (37) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Fisher & O'Neal (5) Staples Center 18,676 8–4 13 November 24 Utah W 90–82 Shaquille O'Neal (39) Shaquille O'Neal (18) Harper & O'Neal (4) Staples Center 18,997 9–4 14 November 26 New Jersey W 103–80 Shaquille O'Neal (30) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Staples Center 18,997 10–4 15 November 30 @ Seattle W 101–77 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Derek Fisher (8) KeyArena 17,072 11–4
December: 14–1 (home: 9–0; road: 5–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 16 December 1 Golden State W 93–75 Shaquille O'Neal (28) Shaquille O'Neal (23) Derek Fisher (4) Staples Center 17,689 12–4 17 December 3 Portland W 93–80 Kobe Bryant (23) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Shaquille O'Neal (6) Staples Center 18,997 13–4 18 December 5 Orlando W 117–100 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Staples Center 18,422 14–4 19 December 7 Washington W 91–80 Shaquille O'Neal (30) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Ron Harper (7) Staples Center 17,571 15–4 20 December 8 @ Sacramento L 91–103 Bryant & O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (9) Kobe Bryant (5) ARCO Arena 17,317 15–5 21 December 11 @ Vancouver W 106–94 Shaquille O'Neal (30) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Kobe Bryant (7) General Motors Place 14,059 16–5 22 December 12 Detroit W 101–93 Kobe Bryant (26) Shaquille O'Neal (24) Kobe Bryant (6) Staples Center 18,785 17–5 23 December 14 L.A. Clippers W 95–68 Shaquille O'Neal (21) Shaquille O'Neal (19) 3 players tied (4) Staples Center 18,719 18–5 24 December 16 @ Atlanta W 95–88 Kobe Bryant (30) Shaquille O'Neal (13) O'Neal & Rice (4) Philips Arena 19,463 19–5 25 December 17 @ Minnesota W 97–88 Kobe Bryant (28) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Kobe Bryant (12) Target Center 19,354 20–5 26 December 19 @ Toronto W 94–88 Kobe Bryant (26) Shaquille O'Neal (15) Glen Rice (4) Air Canada Centre 19,800 21–5 27 December 20 @ Boston W 99–90 Shaquille O'Neal (34) Shaquille O'Neal (20) Bryant & Fox (4) FleetCenter 18,624 22–5 28 December 25 San Antonio W 99–93 Shaquille O'Neal (32) Shaquille O'Neal (11) 3 players tied (5) Staples Center 18,997 23–5 29 December 27 Dallas W 108–106 Shaquille O'Neal (35) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Robert Horry (8) Staples Center 18,997 24–5 30 December 29 Phoenix W 103–87 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Staples Center 18,997 25–5
January: 9–5 (home: 5–2; road: 4–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 31 January 4 @ L.A. Clippers W 122–98 Shaquille O'Neal (38) Shaquille O'Neal (15) Brian Shaw (7) Staples Center 20,042 26–5 32 January 5 L.A. Clippers W 118–101 Shaquille O'Neal (40) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Brian Shaw (8) Staples Center 18,788 27–5 33 January 7 Charlotte W 87–83 Shaquille O'Neal (23) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Bryant & O'Neal (4) Staples Center 18,997 28–5 34 January 8 @ Seattle W 110–100 Kobe Bryant (31) Shaquille O'Neal (9) Shaquille O'Neal (6) KeyArena 17,072 29–5 35 January 10 Denver W 130–95 Shaquille O'Neal (31) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Shaquille O'Neal (9) Staples Center 18,997 30–5 36 January 12 @ Milwaukee W 103–94 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Derek Fisher (6) Bradley Center 18,717 31–5 37 January 14 @ Indiana L 102–111 Glen Rice (23) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Ron Harper (7) Conseco Fieldhouse 18,345 31–6 38 January 15 @ Minnesota W 104–91 Shaquille O'Neal (26) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Harper & O'Neal (7) Target Center 19,767 32–6 39 January 17 Seattle L 81–82 Shaquille O'Neal (30) Kobe Bryant (14) Harper & O'Neal (6) Staples Center 18,997 32–7 40 January 19 Cleveland W 95–86 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (23) Kobe Bryant (4) Staples Center 18,997 33–7 41 January 22 Portland L 91–95 Kobe Bryant (28) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Staples Center 18,997 33–8 42 January 24 @ Utah L 101–105 (2OT) Shaquille O'Neal (36) Shaquille O'Neal (9) Ron Harper (8) Delta Center 19,911 33–9 43 January 28 Milwaukee W 117–89 Shaquille O'Neal (30) Shaquille O'Neal (8) Ron Harper (10) Staples Center 18,997 34–9 44 January 30 @ Houston L 83–89 Shaquille O'Neal (27) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Kobe Bryant (5) Compaq Center 16,285 34–10
February: 12–1 (home: 5–0; road: 7–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 45 February 1 @ San Antonio L 81–105 Shaquille O'Neal (31) Bryant & O'Neal (7) Kobe Bryant (8) Alamodome 25,589 34–11 46 February 4 Utah W 113–67 Shaquille O'Neal (25) A.C. Green (10) Kobe Bryant (9) Staples Center 18,997 35–11 47 February 7 Denver W 106–98 Shaquille O'Neal (35) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Kobe Bryant (11) Staples Center 18,997 36–11 48 February 9 Minnesota W 114–81 Shaquille O'Neal (37) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Brian Shaw (7) Staples Center 18,843 37–11 All-Star Break 49 February 15 @ Chicago W 88–76 Shaquille O'Neal (29) Shaquille O'Neal (20) Derek Fisher (6) United Center 23,208 38–11 50 February 16 @ Charlotte W 92–85 Kobe Bryant (26) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Kobe Bryant (6) Charlotte Coliseum 23,799 39–11 51 February 18 @ Orlando W 107–99 (OT) Shaquille O'Neal (39) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Derek Fisher (8) TD Waterhouse Centre 17,248 40–11 52 February 20 @ Philadelphia W 87–84 Shaquille O'Neal (22) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Shaquille O'Neal (9) First Union Center 21,060 41–11 53 February 22 @ New Jersey W 97–89 Shaquille O'Neal (35) Shaquille O'Neal (13) 4 players tied (4) Continental Airlines Arena 20,049 42–11 54 February 23 @ Cleveland W 116–98 Kobe Bryant (21) Shaquille O'Neal (8) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Gund Arena 20,562 43–11 55 February 25 Boston W 109–96 Shaquille O'Neal (28) Shaquille O'Neal (15) Ron Harper (7) Staples Center 18,997 44–11 56 February 27 Houston W 101–85 Kobe Bryant (31) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Shaquille O'Neal (8) Staples Center 18,997 45–11 57 February 29 @ Portland W 90–87 Shaquille O'Neal (23) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Robert Horry (5) Rose Garden 20,584 46–11
March: 15–1 (home: 7–0; road: 8–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 58 March 1 Vancouver W 103–91 Kobe Bryant (27) Shaquille O'Neal (17) O'Neal & Shaw (5) Staples Center 18,912 47–11 59 March 3 Indiana W 107–92 Shaquille O'Neal (31) Shaquille O'Neal (15) Kobe Bryant (7) Staples Center 18,997 48–11 60 March 5 Miami W 93–80 Glen Rice (23) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Staples Center 18,997 49–11 61 March 6 @ L.A. Clippers W 123–103 Shaquille O'Neal (61) Shaquille O'Neal (23) 3 players tied (5) Staples Center 20,385 50–11 62 March 9 @ Golden State W 109–92 Kobe Bryant (30) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Bryant & Fisher (4) The Arena in Oakland 20,136 51–11 63 March 12 Sacramento W 109–106 Kobe Bryant (40) Shaquille O'Neal (20) Kobe Bryant (8) Staples Center 18,997 52–11 64 March 13 @ Denver W 118–108 Shaquille O'Neal (40) Bryant & O'Neal (9) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Pepsi Center 19,099 53–11 65 March 16 @ Washington L 102–109 Shaquille O'Neal (40) Shaquille O'Neal (12) Kobe Bryant (7) MCI Center 20,674 53–12 66 March 17 @ Detroit W 110–85 Shaquille O'Neal (35) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Kobe Bryant (6) The Palace of Auburn Hills 22,076 54–12 67 March 19 @ New York W 92–85 Shaquille O'Neal (43) Shaquille O'Neal (10) Kobe Bryant (7) Madison Square Garden 19,763 55–12 68 March 20 @ Miami W 100–89 O'Neal & Rice (28) Shaquille O'Neal (12) Kobe Bryant (4) American Airlines Arena 20,075 56–12 69 March 22 Golden State W 119–96 Shaquille O'Neal (22) Travis Knight (10) Ron Harper (7) Staples Center 18,843 57–12 70 March 24 Phoenix W 109–101 Shaquille O'Neal (40) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Kobe Bryant (7) Staples Center 18,997 58–12 71 March 26 @ Sacramento W 90–89 Shaquille O'Neal (34) Kobe Bryant (14) Kobe Bryant (4) ARCO Arena 17,317 59–12 72 March 29 @ Vancouver W 108–99 Kobe Bryant (28) Robert Horry (7) Shaquille O'Neal (8) General Motors Place 16,780 60–12 73 March 31 Philadelphia W 100–88 Shaquille O'Neal (37) Shaquille O'Neal (14) 3 players tied (5) Staples Center 18,997 61–12
April: 6–3 (home: 4–1; road: 2–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 74 April 2 New York W 106–82 Shaquille O'Neal (34) Shaquille O'Neal (12) Kobe Bryant (8) Staples Center 18,997 62–12 75 April 4 @ Phoenix W 84–83 Shaquille O'Neal (32) Robert Horry (11) Ron Harper (8) America West Arena 19,023 63–12 76 April 5 @ Golden State W 111–104 Shaquille O'Neal (49) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Kobe Bryant (11) The Arena in Oakland 18,621 64–12 77 April 8 San Antonio L 80–98 Kobe Bryant (26) A.C. Green (9) Kobe Bryant (5) Staples Center 18,997 64–13 78 April 10 Seattle W 106–103 (OT) Kobe Bryant (33) Kobe Bryant (10) Bryant & Shaw (6) Staples Center 18,997 65–13 79 April 14 Sacramento W 121–114 Shaquille O'Neal (41) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Ron Harper (10) Staples Center 18,997 66–13 80 April 16 Minnesota W 101–95 Shaquille O'Neal (33) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Kobe Bryant (10) Staples Center 18,912 67–13 81 April 18 @ Dallas L 102–112 Shaquille O'Neal (38) Shaquille O'Neal (20) Brian Shaw (9) Reunion Arena 18,190 67–14 82 April 19 @ San Antonio L 98–103 (OT) Kobe Bryant (23) Brian Shaw (10) Brian Shaw (7) Alamodome 29,447 67–15
1999–00 schedule

2000 playoff game log Total: 15–8 (Home: 11–2; Road: 4–6)
First Round: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 23 Sacramento W 117–107 Shaquille O'Neal (46) Shaquille O'Neal (17) Bryant & Shaw (5) Staples Center 18,997 1–0 2 April 27 Sacramento W 113–89 Kobe Bryant (32) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Shaquille O'Neal (6) Staples Center 18,997 2–0 3 April 30 @ Sacramento L 91–99 Kobe Bryant (35) Shaquille O'Neal (17) Ron Harper (4) ARCO Arena 17,317 2–1 4 May 2 @ Sacramento L 88–101 Kobe Bryant (32) Shaquille O'Neal (16) Bryant & Harper (4) ARCO Arena 17,317 2–2 5 May 5 Sacramento W 113–86 Shaquille O'Neal (32) Shaquille O'Neal (18) Bryant & Rice (6) Staples Center 18,997 3–2
Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 7 Phoenix W 105–77 Shaquille O'Neal (37) Shaquille O'Neal (14) Brian Shaw (4) Staples Center 18,997 1–0 2 May 10 Phoenix W 97–96 Shaquille O'Neal (38) Shaquille O'Neal (20) Kobe Bryant (6) Staples Center 18,997 2–0 3 May 12 @ Phoenix W 105–99 Shaquille O'Neal (37) Shaquille O'Neal (17) Horry & Shaw (4) America West Arena 19,023 3–0 4 May 14 @ Phoenix L 98–117 Shaquille O'Neal (24) Horry & O'Neal (9) Kobe Bryant (5) America West Arena 19,023 3–1 5 May 16 Phoenix W 87–65 Kobe Bryant (17) Shaquille O'Neal (21) Brian Shaw (4) Staples Center 18,997 4–1
Conference Finals: 4–3 (home: 2–2; road: 2–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 20 Portland W 109–94 Shaquille O'Neal (41) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Shaquille O'Neal (7) Staples Center 18,997 1–0 2 May 22 Portland L 77–106 Shaquille O'Neal (23) Shaquille O'Neal (12) 3 players tied (4) Staples Center 18,997 1–1 3 May 26 @ Portland W 93–91 Shaquille O'Neal (26) Shaquille O'Neal (12) Kobe Bryant (7) Rose Garden 20,135 2–1 4 May 28 @ Portland W 103–91 Shaquille O'Neal (25) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Kobe Bryant (7) Rose Garden 20,209 3–1 5 May 30 Portland L 88–96 Shaquille O'Neal (31) Shaquille O'Neal (21) Robert Horry (5) Staples Center 18,997 3–2 6 June 2 @ Portland L 93–103 Kobe Bryant (33) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Robert Horry (7) Rose Garden 20,340 3–3 7 June 4 Portland W 89–84 Kobe Bryant (25) Kobe Bryant (11) Kobe Bryant (7) Staples Center 18,997 4–3
NBA Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 June 7 Indiana W 104–87 Shaquille O'Neal (43) Shaquille O'Neal (19) Bryant & Harper (5) Staples Center 18,997 1–0 2 June 9 Indiana W 111–104 Shaquille O'Neal (40) Shaquille O'Neal (24) Brian Shaw (7) Staples Center 18,997 2–0 3 June 11 @ Indiana L 91–100 Shaquille O'Neal (33) Shaquille O'Neal (13) Derek Fisher (10) Conseco Fieldhouse 18,345 2–1 4 June 14 @ Indiana W 120–118 (OT) Shaquille O'Neal (36) Shaquille O'Neal (21) Kobe Bryant (5) Conseco Fieldhouse 18,345 3–1 5 June 16 @ Indiana L 87–120 Shaquille O'Neal (35) Shaquille O'Neal (11) Ron Harper (5) Conseco Fieldhouse 18,345 3–2 6 June 19 Indiana W 116–111 Shaquille O'Neal (41) Shaquille O'Neal (12) Ron Harper (9) Staples Center 18,997 4–2
2000 schedule

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Sacramento Kings Last Playoff Meeting: 1984 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 3–0; Kings were in Kansas City, Missouri)

In Game 1, the Lakers started the game strong, outscoring the visiting Kings, 65–55, at halftime. The Lakers carried this momentum all the way towards the second half, thus winning Game 1 of the series. O'Neal led the Lakers with 46 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks.^[109] Bryant added 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal became the first player to record that statline since Hakeem Olajuwon back in 1987. He also became the first Lakers player to have done that since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 45 points and 18 rebounds back in 1977.^[110]

In Game 2, the Lakers were once again dominant, outscoring the visiting Kings in every quarter. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points and 4 rebounds. O'Neal added 23 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks for the Lakers.^[111]

In Game 3, the series now shifted in Sacramento, wherein the Kings now host the Lakers. Up 2–0 in the series, the Lakers lead the Kings, 51–46, at halftime. The Lakers maintained that lead until the end of the third quarter. However, the Kings outscored the Lakers 33-20 during the fourth quarter, thus winning against the visiting Lakers. Kobe Bryant led all players in terms of scoring with 35 points for the Lakers.^[112]

In Game 4, the Kings opened up their largest lead of the series in the first half, leading the visiting Lakers, 56–45, at halftime. Despite the Lakers outscoring the Kings in the third quarter, the Kings responded in the fourth quarter, thus the Lakers lost again on the road, 88–101. Kobe Bryant once again led all players in scoring with 32 points to go along with 6 rebounds.^[113]

With the Kings winning in Game 4, this sets up for a winner-take-all Game 5 back in Los Angeles. The Lakers, determined to avenge their losses, blew out the visiting Kings, 113–86, thus advancing to the next round. Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists.^[114]

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Phoenix Suns Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Western Conference First Round (Phoenix won 3–2)

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers Last Playoff Meeting: 1998 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 3–1)

• Lakers' backup center John Salley became the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises, as he won titles in 1989 and '90 with the Detroit Pistons and 1996 with the Chicago Bulls.
• This was the Lakers first NBA Finals in the new Staples Center.
• After closing out game 6, fans rioted outside Staples Center by making bonfires, tipping cars, breaking windows of cars and buildings, and vandalizing businesses around the area. Overall, they caused $1 million in damages. In Lakers' championship run the following year, the LAPD came out in bigger force after the Lakers won and prevented the same thing from happening again.
• Staples Center, which was a first-year building in 2000, had a very tricky shooting background and opposing teams often had difficulty shooting there. Pacers coach Larry Bird wanted to have a shoot-around in the arena the day before Game 6 to help his team shoot more consistently because they shot very poorly in Games 1 and 2. However, the Pacers couldn't practice in the building because of an Arena Football game. Bird was very upset about this, and his team had to go down to the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo.
• The two arenas in this series, Conseco Fieldhouse and Staples Center, were both first-year arenas.

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

Team	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4*	Game 5	Game 6	Wins
Los Angeles (West)	104	111	91	120	87	116	4
Indiana (East)	87	104	100	118	120	111	2

^[115]

Although the Lakers were one of the more talented teams in the NBA the previous year, they failed to win a single game against the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA playoffs. Twenty-four days after being swept by the eventual league champion, the Lakers signed Phil Jackson as head coach. Jackson, famous for coaching Michael Jordan and the six-time champion Chicago Bulls, would build his triangle offense around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. General Manager Jerry West surrounded O'Neal and Bryant with effective role players such as Glen Rice, Ron Harper (who had experience with Jackson's triangle offense as part of the '96–'98 Bulls),^[116] and A.C. Green (member of the last two Lakers championship teams).^[117]

Along with these starters, the Lakers also possessed a strong bench. Robert Horry not only had championship experience with the Houston Rockets but also was a threat on the perimeter and a defensive star.^[118] Derek Fisher was a defensively minded point-guard with the ability to shoot well from long range. Rick Fox, acquired after being released by the Boston Celtics,^[119] was the Lakers' sixth man. With a healthy O'Neal, the Lakers dominated the regular season, with winning streaks of 11, 16, and 19 en route to a 67–15 record, tying the 1992 Chicago Bulls and 1986 Boston Celtics as the fifth best record in NBA regular season history.

Although many expected the Lakers to reach the Finals, the road would be a rocky one. In the first round, the Lakers won the first two games against the Sacramento Kings, only to drop the next two games in Sacramento.^[120] The Lakers then defeated Sacramento in Game 5, 113–86, to face the Phoenix Suns in the conference semifinals.^[121] The Lakers clobbered the Suns, winning the series 4–1 (with their only loss coming in Game 4).^[122][123] In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, Rasheed Wallace earned two technical fouls and was ejected; the Lakers took advantage of Wallace's absence and secured victory.^[124] The Trail Blazers stormed back in the next game, giving the Lakers their worst home loss of the season in a 106–77 shellacking.^[125] This setback did not affect Los Angeles, as they assembled a 3–1 series lead by winning the next two games in Portland.^[126] The Lakers underestimated the Trail Blazers, however. Led by former Jackson linchpin Scottie Pippen, Portland won back-to-back elimination games and forced a series-deciding Game 7.^[127][128] Amid several controversial foul calls by referee Dick Bavetta against members of the Trail Blazers,^[129] Portland relinquished a 75–60 fourth quarter lead.^[130] Rallying back with a 25–4 run, the Lakers won the game and secured a berth in the NBA Finals.^[131][132]

In the 1997–1998 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls narrowly defeated the Pacers, 4 games to 3, in the Eastern Conference Finals.^[133] The 1998–1999 NBA season began with a lockout but saw Indiana return to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell to the New York Knicks.^[134] The 1999–2000 NBA season brought several major changes to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse,^[135] as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.^[136] Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award,^[137] while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man.^[138]

The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home.^[139] The Pacers, like the Lakers, struggled in the playoffs. They needed a clutch Travis Best three-pointer to dispatch the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.^[140] Indiana faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and took the series in six games, earning a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.^[141] The Pacers would face their rival Knicks,^[142] winning a memorable six-game series in a reversal of fortunes from years past.^[143] With the victory, Indiana advanced to the first NBA Finals in franchise history, becoming the second former ABA team to do so.

Wednesday, June 7, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center.

The Lakers dominated from the start. The Lakers shot 15-for-20 (75%) in the first period while the Pacers shot only 7-for-20 (35%). Miller would miss all of his shots in the first quarter to give the Lakers a 15-point lead. Croshere came off the bench to keep the Pacers alive in the 2nd quarter, scoring 9 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in the quarter. Although the Pacers attempted a comeback in the 2nd quarter, they were still down by 12. In the 3rd quarter, it would be Jackson who led the Pacers to a comeback, cutting the Lakers lead by 2. Miller also hit his first field goal in the 3rd quarter, though it would be his last. The Lakers handled the Pacers in the final quarter, with a 13–2 run winning by 17 points. O'Neal scored 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.

[1]

Team	1st Qt.	2nd Qt.	3rd Qt.	4th Qt.	Total
Indiana	18	22	28	16	87
Los Angeles	33	25	22	27	104

Friday, June 9, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center.

Los Angeles and Indiana were evenly matched for the first quarter, both scoring 28. However, Los Angeles suffered a major setback when Kobe Bryant left the game in the 2nd quarter due to a sprained ankle and did not return. Jalen Rose later admitted that he intentionally stuck out his foot when Kobe shot a jumpshot in order to trip him when he landed.^{[144][145][146]} Ron Harper went in for Bryant and scored 21 points for the game. Desperate to try to gain the lead, Larry Bird resorted to the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. Shaq shot 39 free throws, making only 18, an NBA record for most free throws attempted. Despite this low percentage, Shaq made 9 of 16 in the 4th quarter to keep a Lakers lead. The Pacers cut the lead to 99–96 and were looking to foul Shaq, but when Shaq got the ball he passed to Robert Horry who converted not only the layup, but the foul shot as well giving them a 102–96 lead en route to a 111–104 Lakers victory.

[2]

Team	1st Qt.	2nd Qt.	3rd Qt.	4th Qt.	Total
Indiana	28	21	20	35	104
Los Angeles	28	24	21	38	111

Sunday, June 11, 2000, 7:30 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.

Taking advantage of Kobe Bryant's ankle injury, Indiana restored a semblance of parity to the proceedings. Kobe's absence was felt as the Pacers had an 11–2 run in the first quarter to take an 8-point lead. Austin Croshere once again had another huge 2nd quarter, scoring 8 points as the Pacers shot 61% from the field. The Lakers tried to make a run to get back into the game, but upon doings so, Indiana answered with 12 straight points and led by 17. The Lakers were desperate and attempted another run to get within 3 points, but Reggie Miller nailed all his free throws at the end of the game to give Indiana a 9-point win.

[3]

Team	1st Qt.	2nd Qt.	3rd Qt.	4th Qt.	Total
Los Angeles	15	27	24	25	91
Indiana	23	30	26	21	100

Wednesday, June 14, 2000, 9:00 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Pacers took a quick 9–2 lead due to Rik Smits hitting his first four shots. Kobe Bryant attempted to play with his sore ankle but only managed to score 6 points in the first half. Even though Bryant and O'Neal were in foul trouble in the first half (each picking up his third with 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter), Indiana could not take advantage and did not extend their lead. This would be a problem as Kobe Bryant scored 10 points and the Lakers took a 62–60 lead due to a Glen Rice three-pointer. The game remained close going into the fourth quarter, when O'Neal and Reggie Miller scored 14 and 13 points respectively, sending the game into overtime. Midway through overtime, O'Neal committed his sixth foul but 21-year-old Bryant delivered three clutch shots, as the Lakers were able to overcome back-up center John Salley's inability to effectively defend Smits. Smits and Miller scored all 14 of Indiana's OT points, but it was not enough to overcome as Miller missed a last-second three-pointer, and L.A. was able to pull one out in Indianapolis.

[4]

Team	1st Qt.	2nd Qt.	3rd Qt.	4th Qt.	OT	Total
Los Angeles	23	28	29	24	16	120
Indiana	33	21	23	27	14	118

Friday, June 16, 2000, 9:00 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.

Reggie Miller and the Pacers dominated the game from the start in what would be Larry Bird's last game as a coach in the state of Indiana. Reggie Miller came out and made 5 straight shots including a 4-point play. The Pacers hit their first 6 three point shots in the game. The Pacers would have a 20-point lead in the 2nd quarter, and eventually won by 33 – it was the worst Lakers NBA Finals loss since the 148–114 loss to Boston in the 1985 NBA Finals, known as the "Memorial Day Massacre."

With their loss in Game 5, the Lakers record in close-out games dropped to 3–6 in the 2000 NBA Playoffs (the other losses coming in Games 3 and 4 in the first round against Sacramento, Game 4 in the series against Phoenix, and Games 5 and 6 versus Portland). As a result, the series returned to California.

[5]

Team	1st Qt.	2nd Qt.	3rd Qt.	4th Qt.	Total
Los Angeles	28	17	22	20	87
Indiana	39	25	22	34	120

Monday, June 19, 2000, 9:00 at the Staples Center.

After the two teams traded blows in the first quarter, Mark Jackson concluded the period with a turn-around half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Pacers a 26–24 advantage. They would not relinquish their lead until the fourth quarter. In the first half, the Pacers would lead by as many as twelve points. However, the Lakers chipped away and entered intermission trailing 56–53. Indiana, however, added two more points to their lead, and entered the final period in a position to force a decisive seventh game.

In the fourth quarter, the momentum shifted. The Lakers got four timely three-pointers from Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, and Rick Fox. The turning point occurred on a play where Brian Shaw stole the ball from Jalen Rose, leading to a fast break where Shaquille O'Neal hit an off-balance shot to give the Lakers the lead. The Pacers never led after that point.

The Lakers would build a seven-point lead, but the Pacers fought back to tie the score at 103. After a timeout, the Lakers scored six unanswered points to regain control. The Pacers made one final valiant effort, but it fell short and the Lakers clinched their first championship in twelve years. Shaquille O'Neal led all scorers with 41 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds. He was awarded the Finals MVP.^[147]

[6]

Team	1st Qt.	2nd Qt.	3rd Qt.	4th Qt.	Total
Indiana	26	30	28	27	111
Los Angeles	24	29	26	37	116

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Kobe Bryant	66	62	38.2	.468	.319	.821	6.3	4.9	1.61	.94	22.5
John Celestand	16	0	11.6	.333	.222	.833	.7	1.2	.44	.00	2.3
Derek Fisher	78	22	23.1	.346	.313	.724	1.8	2.8	1.03	.04	6.3
Rick Fox	82	1	18.0	.414	.326	.808	2.4	1.7	.63	.32	6.5
Devean George	49	1	7.0	.389	.340	.659	1.5	.2	.20	.08	3.2
A.C. Green	82	82	23.5	.447	.250	.695	5.9	1.0	.65	.22	5.0
Ron Harper	80	78	25.5	.399	.311	.680	4.2	3.4	1.06	.49	7.0
Robert Horry	76	0	22.2	.438	.309	.788	4.8	1.6	1.11	1.05	5.7
Sam Jacobson	3	0	6.0	.556	.000	.000	.3	.7	.33	.00	3.3
Travis Knight	63	0	6.5	.390	.000	.607	2.0	.4	.10	.37	1.7
Tyronn Lue	8	0	18.2	.487	.500	.750	1.5	2.1	.38	.00	6.0
Shaquille O'Neal	79	79	40.0	.574	.000	.524	13.6	3.8	.46	3.03	29.7
Glen Rice	80	80	31.6	.430	.367	.874	4.1	2.2	.59	.15	15.9
John Salley	45	3	6.7	.362	.000	.750	1.4	.6	.18	.31	1.6
Brian Shaw	74	2	16.9	.382	.310	.759	2.9	2.7	.47	.19	4.1

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Kobe Bryant	22	22	39.0	.442	.344	.754	4.5	4.4	1.45	1.45	21.1
Derek Fisher	21	0	15.3	.430	.414	.760	1.0	2.0	.52	.05	4.7
Rick Fox	23	0	14.4	.452	.462	.762	1.7	1.2	.39	.00	4.3
Devean George	9	0	5.0	.368	.200	.545	1.1	.2	.11	.00	2.4
A.C. Green	23	23	18.7	.411	.000	.696	4.2	.6	.61	.13	3.9
Ron Harper	23	23	28.0	.431	.231	.702	3.7	3.2	1.00	.57	8.6
Robert Horry	23	0	26.9	.407	.288	.702	5.3	2.5	.87	.83	7.6
Travis Knight	14	0	3.4	.533	.000	.333	.4	.0	.07	.21	1.3
Shaquille O'Neal	23	23	43.5	.566	.000	.456	15.4	3.1	.57	2.39	30.7
Glen Rice	23	23	33.3	.408	.418	.798	4.0	2.1	.65	.17	12.4
John Salley	18	0	4.3	.385	.000	.700	1.2	.2	.06	.33	.9
Brian Shaw	22	1	18.5	.421	.333	.813	2.3	3.0	.50	.18	5.4

• Shaquille O'Neal, NBA Most Valuable Player
• Shaquille O'Neal, All-NBA First Team
• Kobe Bryant, All-NBA Second Team
• Kobe Bryant, NBA All-Defensive First Team
• Shaquille O'Neal, NBA All-Defensive Second Team
• Shaquille O'Neal, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

The Lakers have been involved in the following transactions during the 1999–2000 season.

September 1, 1999	To Los Angeles Lakers A.C. Green	To Dallas Mavericks Sean Rooks 2000 2nd round draft pick
September 21, 1999	To Los Angeles Lakers Melvin Levett	To Detroit Pistons Derek Harper

Briefly, the Lakers considered to trade Kobe Bryant for Grant Hill, but it never came close to consummation.^[148]

Player	Signed	Former Team
Ron Harper	Signed 2-year contract for $4.2 Million[149]	Chicago Bulls
Brian Shaw	Signed 1-year contract for $? Million[150]	Portland Trail Blazers
John Salley	Signed ? year contract for $? Million[151]	N/A

Player	Reason Left	New Team
Ruben Patterson	Free agent	Seattle SuperSonics
J. R. Reid	Free agent	Milwaukee Bucks

Player Transactions Citation:^[152]

• Lakers on Database Basketball
• Lakers on Basketball Reference
• "CNN Sports provided by Bleacher Report – CNN.com". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2014.