Los Angeles Lakers: The five best playoff moments since 2000
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most historic franchises in the NBA and the team has had countless postseason success in its long history. The Lakers have the second-most championships of any NBA team (16), trailing just the Boston Celtics, who have 17.
The Lakers also have the most stars to play for one franchise. Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James are all arguably top-10 players of all-time.
That is not including the likes of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and James Worthy.
Throughout the franchise’s long history and postseason success has come countless memorable moments. Today, we decided to break down the team’s best postseason moments of the 21st century.
Los Angeles Lakers best playoff moments since 2000: 5. Kobe Bryant’s clutch shots vs. Phoenix, 2006, first round
Kobe Bryant had arguably the most impressive pair of shots in his NBA career against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. Entering as heavy underdogs as the seventh seed, the Lakers were up two games to one in the series heading into Game 5.
The Suns appeared to have the game in hand to even the series at two, but Bryant thought otherwise. Steve Nash lost the ball with six seconds in the game with a two-point lead and after a frantic sequence, Kobe hit a beautiful euro step floating layup at the buzzer to tie the game and send it into overtime.
It did not stop there. With a one-point deficit and 6.1 seconds in the game, Laker caught the deflected jump ball, took it up the court himself and hit an elbow jumper with not one, but two, hands in his face.
This was prime Kobe doing prime Kobe things. The moment is not as high as it was the first round of the playoffs and the Lakers went on to blow the 3-1 lead, but that moment, in itself, is the perfect showcase of how clutch Kobe was.