The early 2000s in the NBA brought an unexpected rivalry for fans between the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers and the young, balanced Sacramento Kings team.
Although the Purple and Gold came out victorious in every playoff battle between these two Western Conference powerhouses, that doesn’t mean the potent Kings team didn’t give them a run for their money.
Shaq was instrumental in the team’s success
As we know, the Lakers were experiencing a renaissance of their franchise, led by prime Shaquille O’Neal and up-and-coming Kobe Bryant . During this period, they secured their third consecutive NBA championship title in 2002. Additionally, the three-time championship squad was joined by seasoned veterans Gary Payton and Karl Malone in hopes of adding more rings to their total count, making the team look even more dangerous on paper.
However, despite all the star power and depth of the Los Angeles’ roster, Chris Webber , the main star of the Sac-Town squad, claimed that their center was the only reason for their success, taking subtle jabs at Kobe in the process…