2. Winning the 2000 NBA Finals
The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the most dominant dynasties in basketball history as the threepeat Lakers are one of the greatest teams that the league has ever seen. Despite winning three championships, the Lakers only got to celebrate one championship in front of a home crowd.
The one championship won at the Staples Center was the first one as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals. It was the true start of a dynasty in LA and was the first championship for Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
It was a back-and-forth game that the Lakers were able to edge out in the end and win their first championship since the Showtime Lakers’ last title in 1988. While 12 years is not the longest of gaps it felt like an eternity after the team wadded in mediocrity during the 1990s.
Shaq was absolutely insane in this series. Shaq averaged 38 points and 16.7 rebounds per game in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Kobe’s stat line was not as impressive, averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, but he did what he had to do.
Keep in mind that Bryant was still only 22 at the time of his first championship. It would be only one of two times that Bryant got to celebrate in front of a home crowd, which brings us to the best Los Angeles Lakers moment at the Staples Center.