2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers season
| 2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
| Head coach | Phil Jackson |
| General manager | Mitch Kupchak |
| Owner(s) | Jerry Buss |
| Arena | Staples Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 58–24 (.707) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Pacific) Conference: 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Nets 4–0) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | |
| Radio | KLAC |
The 2001–02 NBA season was the Lakers' 54th season in the National Basketball Association, and 42nd in the city of Los Angeles.[1] The Lakers entered the season as the two-time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the 2001 NBA Finals, winning their thirteenth NBA championship.
Off-season
[edit]During the off-season, the Lakers signed free agents, All-Star guard Mitch Richmond and Samaki Walker,[2][3][4][5] and acquired Lindsey Hunter from the Milwaukee Bucks.[6][7][8] For the season, they added new logo changed from a lighter purple to a darker purple still remained with the gold and black color. They remained in use as of 2023.
Results
[edit]The team got off to a fast start winning their first seven games, leading to a successful 16–1 start after a nine-game winning streak between November and December, and holding a 33–13 record at the All-Star break.[9] The Lakers finished second in the Pacific Division with a 58–24 record.[10] Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were both selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, in which Bryant won MVP honors despite being booed by the hometown crowd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[11][12][13][14][15] but O'Neal did not participate in the All-Star game due to an injury for the second year in a row.[16][17][18][19]
After sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers, 3–0 in the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs,[20][21][22][23] then defeating the 2nd-seeded San Antonio Spurs, 4–1 in the Western Conference Semi-finals,[24][25][26][27] the Lakers were pushed to the brink once more in the Western Conference Finals by the top-seeded Sacramento Kings, trailing 3–2,[28][29][30] but managed to win the series in seven games.[31][32][33][34] Game 6 of the Lakers-Kings series was one of the most controversial games in NBA history, due to the calls made by the referees (most of which were to the detriment of the Kings), and with the Lakers winning, 106–102 at home.[35][36][37][38][39][40] Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on June 2 brought in a total of 23.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched Western Conference Finals game in NBA history.[41][42]
The Lakers then went on to win the NBA Finals, defeating and sweeping the New Jersey Nets in four straight games for their second three-peat in franchise history, the first since 1952–54. The season marked the third and last of the Lakers' three-peat championships into the new millennium. O’Neal was named Finals MVP for the third straight year.[43][44][45][46][47]
Player statistics
[edit]Bryant averaged 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while O’Neal averaged 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, and Derek Fisher provided the team with 11.2 points per game. In addition, Rick Fox contributed 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, while Robert Horry provided with 6.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and Walker averaged 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.[48]
Both Bryant and O'Neal were named to the All-NBA First Team, while Bryant was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Shaq finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting with 15 first-place votes (696 points),[49][50] and Kobe finished in fifth place in MVP voting with 1 first-place vote.[51] Bryant also finished tied in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.[52][53]
Aftermath
[edit]Following the season, Richmond retired ending his fourteen-year career in the NBA,[54] and Hunter was traded to the Toronto Raptors.[55][56] The Lakers would not win another title until 2009, in which they defeated the Orlando Magic in five games. As of 2024, the Lakers are the most recent NBA team to have accomplished a three-peat.
Draft picks
[edit]- The Los Angeles Lakers did not have any Draft Picks.
- The Lakers owned the 27th Pick Overall and it was sent to New York.
- They also owned the 56th Pick Overall and it was sent to San Antonio.
Roster
[edit]| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Regular season
[edit]Season standings
[edit]| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Sacramento Kings | 61 | 21 | .744 | – | 36–5 | 25–16 | 15–9 |
| x-Los Angeles Lakers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 3 | 34–7 | 24–17 | 16–8 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 12 | 30–11 | 19–22 | 14–10 |
| x-Seattle SuperSonics | 45 | 37 | .549 | 16 | 26–15 | 19–22 | 13–11 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 | 25–16 | 14–27 | 9–15 |
| Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 25 | 23–18 | 13–28 | 12–12 |
| Golden State Warriors | 21 | 61 | .256 | 40 | 14–27 | 7–34 | 5–19 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Sacramento Kings | 61 | 21 | .744 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 58 | 24 | .707 | 3 |
| 3 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 3 |
| 4 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 57 | 25 | .695 | 4 |
| 5 | x-Minnesota Timberwolves | 50 | 32 | .610 | 11 |
| 6 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 12 |
| 7 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 45 | 37 | .549 | 16 |
| 8 | x-Utah Jazz | 44 | 38 | .537 | 17 |
| 9 | Los Angeles Clippers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 |
| 10 | Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 25 |
| 11 | Houston Rockets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 33 |
| 12 | Denver Nuggets | 27 | 55 | .329 | 34 |
| 13 | Memphis Grizzlies | 23 | 59 | .280 | 38 |
| 14 | Golden State Warriors | 21 | 61 | .256 | 40 |
Record vs. opponents
[edit]| 2001–02 NBA records | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN | NJN | NYK | ORL | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | TOR | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–3 |
| Boston | 2–2 | – | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Charlotte | 2–2 | 1–2 | – | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Chicago | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | – | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| Cleveland | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 3–1 | – | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Dallas | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 4–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | – | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Detroit | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 | – | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | – | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Indiana | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| L.A. Clippers | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | – | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
| L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | – | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Memphis | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 |
| Miami | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Milwaukee | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | – | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Minnesota | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| New Jersey | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | – | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| New York | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | – | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Orlando | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | – | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Philadelphia | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | – | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Sacramento | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | – | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 |
| Seattle | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | – | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Toronto | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Utah | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 |
| Washington | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | — |
Game log
[edit]Pre-season
[edit]| 2001 preseason game log Total: 4–4 | |
|---|---|
Preseason | |
| 2001–02 season schedule | |
Regular season
[edit]Playoffs
[edit]| 2001–02 game log Total: 15–4 (Home: 8–2; Road: 7–2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
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Conference Semi-finals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
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Conference Finals: 4–3 (home: 2–1; road: 2–2)
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NBA Finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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| 2002 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Finals
[edit]Summary
[edit]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 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (West) | 99 | 106 | 106 | 113 | 4 |
| New Jersey (East) | 94 | 83 | 103 | 107 | 0 |
Aspects
[edit]Amid tensions between co-captains Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the franchise had another stellar season, finishing 58–24 (.707), good for second in the Pacific Division and earning the third seed in the Western Conference. Bryant and O'Neal were voted starters in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, where Bryant won the game MVP trophy in his hometown Philadelphia.[57] The duo appeared on the All-NBA First Team and Bryant was honored with an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.[58][59]
Entering the 2001–02 season, the New Jersey Nets were enduring a three-year playoff drought and had a 73–141 record over that span. In 1999, the Nets hired Rod Thorn as team president and immediately, he hired the recently retired Byron Scott to coach New Jersey. Thorn then dealt for Stephon Marbury in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, trading Sam Cassell away to the Bucks.[60] Due to the Nets' 31–51 season in 1999–00 season, they had the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, which they used to select power forward Kenyon Martin out of the University of Cincinnati.[61] Despite the reshuffling of the roster and a Rookie of the Year season for Martin, New Jersey struggled, ending the season with a 26–56 (.317) record, and were bestowed the 7th pick in the upcoming draft.
With another lottery pick, Thorn dealt it to the Houston Rockets for draftees Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong.[60] The next day, Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo announced a franchise-shaking trade; Phoenix would swap their point guard Jason Kidd for his New Jersey counterpart Stephon Marbury.[62]
With the Princeton offense installed from the coaching staff,[63] the Nets rebounded to a 52–30 (.634) mark, a twenty-six-win improvement from the last season, and clinched the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Kidd finished the season awarded with first team spots on both the All-NBA[58] and All-Defensive Teams[59] and was selected for his fifth All-Star game. He also finished runner-up to San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan in the Most Valuable Player voting.[64] Richard Jefferson was an All-Rookie second team selection and Thorn, the architect of the franchise's resurgence, was awarded NBA Executive of the Year.[65]
Game One
[edit]Wednesday, June 5, 2002, 6:00 at the Staples Center.
Los Angeles's Staples Center sold out for the inaugural game of the 2002 NBA Finals, with nearly 19,000 on hand. The Nets trotted out a lineup of Kidd, Kittles, Martin, Van Horn and MacCulloth to hold up against the two-time defending and heavily favored champions. The Lakers brought out Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Shaquille O'Neal, Robert Horry, and Kobe Bryant, who drew the assignment of guarding Kidd. New Jersey head coach Byron Scott, a member of the Showtime Lakers, received a standing ovation.
Taking advantage of a late arrival to the arena by New Jersey, L.A. dominated the first 17 minutes of play with a 42–19 score by the 6:41 mark in the second quarter. From that point on, the Nets went on a 17–6 to close the lead to a respectable 12. They had no answer for O'Neal, however, who had bullied MacCulloth into 16 points and 6 rebounds by half-time. The Nets outscored the Lakers in the third but stood steadfast as Bryant scored 11 of his 22 in the third.
" You can't dig yourself a hole, get down by 19 or 20 points and expect to win. We just dug ourselves a hole against the champions. "
—Lucious Harris, Sports Illustrated[66]
New Jersey battled back, coming as close as three several times in the final quarter. Desperate to take the lead, they utilized the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy midway in the fourth. It backfired, as O'Neal was 5–8 from the free throw line and had 16 points and 9 rebounds in the period alone.
New Jersey was doomed by their late start and poor shooting. The Nets, who shot 45% from the field and 74% on free throws were 39% and 57% respectively.[67] Kidd finished with a triple–double, the 26th in Finals history and the first since Charles Barkley's in the 1993 series.
| Team | 1st Qt. | 2nd Qt. | 3rd Qt. | 4th Qt. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 14 | 22 | 27 | 31 | 94 |
| Los Angeles | 29 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 99 |
Game Two
[edit]Friday, June 7, 2002, 6:00 at the Staples Center.
The second game was more of statement as the Lakers clobbered the Nets by a score of 106-83 thanks to Shaquille O'Neal's 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.
| Team | 1st Qt. | 2nd Qt. | 3rd Qt. | 4th Qt. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 21 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 83 |
| Los Angeles | 27 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 106 |
Game Three
[edit]Sunday, June 9, 2002, 8:30 at the Continental Airlines Arena.
Game Three would prove to a hard-fought game (much like the first game of the series) as the Lakers and Nets would trade leads throughout the game but thanks to Kobe Bryant's 36 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks the Lakers prevail by a score of 106–103 to take a commanding 3–0 series lead.
| Team | 1st Qt. | 2nd Qt. | 3rd Qt. | 4th Qt. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 31 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 106 |
| New Jersey | 23 | 23 | 32 | 25 | 103 |
Game Four
[edit]Wednesday, June 12, 2002, 9:00 at the Continental Airlines Arena.
Despite this being a hard-fought battle (much like the previous game and as well as the first game of the series) the Lakers still won game four and the championship, giving Phil Jackson his Red Auerbach-tying ninth title and the Lakers their third consecutive title (and fourteenth overall) making them the fifth team to win three consecutive titles and denying the Nets their first ever championship since the franchise moved to East Rutherford.
| Team | 1st Qt. | 2nd Qt. | 3rd Qt. | 4th Qt. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 27 | 31 | 26 | 29 | 113 |
| New Jersey | 34 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 107 |
Player statistics
[edit]| 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 |
Season
[edit]| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe Bryant | 80 | 80 | 38.3 | .469 | .250 | .829 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.48 | .44 | 25.2 |
| Derek Fisher | 70 | 35 | 28.2 | .411 | .413 | .847 | 2.1 | 2.6 | .94 | .13 | 11.2 |
| Rick Fox | 82 | 82 | 27.9 | .421 | .313 | .824 | 4.7 | 3.5 | .82 | .26 | 7.9 |
| Devean George | 82 | 1 | 21.5 | .411 | .371 | .675 | 3.7 | 1.4 | .87 | .51 | 7.1 |
| Robert Horry | 81 | 23 | 26.4 | .398 | .374 | .783 | 5.9 | 2.9 | .95 | 1.10 | 6.8 |
| Lindsey Hunter | 82 | 47 | 19.7 | .382 | .380 | .500 | 1.5 | 1.6 | .80 | .23 | 5.8 |
| Mark Madsen | 59 | 5 | 11.0 | .452 | .000 | .648 | 2.7 | .7 | .27 | .22 | 2.8 |
| Jelani McCoy | 21 | 0 | 5.0 | .571 | .000 | .250 | 1.2 | .3 | .00 | .24 | 1.2 |
| Slava Medvedenko | 71 | 6 | 10.3 | .477 | .000 | .661 | 2.2 | .6 | .41 | .15 | 4.7 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 67 | 66 | 36.1 | .579 | .000 | .555 | 10.7 | 3.0 | .61 | 2.04 | 27.2 |
| Mike Penberthy | 3 | 0 | 4.0 | .500 | .000 | .750 | .7 | .7 | .67 | .00 | 1.7 |
| Mitch Richmond | 64 | 2 | 11.1 | .405 | .290 | .955 | 1.5 | .9 | .28 | .09 | 4.1 |
| Brian Shaw | 58 | 0 | 10.9 | .353 | .330 | .692 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .43 | .05 | 2.9 |
| Samaki Walker | 69 | 63 | 24.0 | .512 | .000 | .667 | 7.0 | .9 | .41 | 1.28 | 6.7 |
Playoffs
[edit]| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe Bryant | 19 | 19 | 43.8 | .434 | .379 | .759 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 1.42 | .89 | 26.6 |
| Derek Fisher | 19 | 19 | 34.2 | .357 | .358 | .786 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.00 | .05 | 10.2 |
| Rick Fox | 19 | 19 | 34.3 | .482 | .349 | .755 | 5.4 | 3.4 | 1.11 | .32 | 9.8 |
| Devean George | 19 | 0 | 17.2 | .365 | .229 | .733 | 3.6 | .6 | .58 | .53 | 5.0 |
| Robert Horry | 19 | 14 | 37.0 | .449 | .387 | .789 | 8.1 | 3.2 | 1.74 | .84 | 9.3 |
| Lindsey Hunter | 18 | 0 | 7.3 | .311 | .276 | .000 | .4 | .6 | .11 | .00 | 2.0 |
| Mark Madsen | 7 | 0 | 1.4 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .3 | .0 | .00 | .00 | .0 |
| Slava Medvedenko | 7 | 0 | 3.0 | .600 | .000 | .000 | .6 | .0 | .00 | .00 | .9 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 19 | 19 | 40.8 | .529 | .000 | .649 | 12.6 | 2.8 | .53 | 2.53 | 28.5 |
| Mitch Richmond | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.000 | .000 | .500 | .5 | .0 | .00 | .00 | 1.5 |
| Brian Shaw | 19 | 0 | 12.5 | .333 | .281 | 1.000 | 1.8 | 1.6 | .26 | .32 | 2.9 |
| Samaki Walker | 19 | 5 | 12.6 | .462 | 1.000 | .765 | 4.1 | .2 | .11 | .32 | 3.3 |
Award winners
[edit]- Shaquille O'Neal, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player
- Shaquille O'Neal, All-NBA First Team
- Shaquille O'Neal, League Leader, FG%, 57.9
- Kobe Bryant, All-NBA First Team
- Kobe Bryant, NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Kobe Bryant, NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
Legacy
[edit]- By winning the third straight Finals MVP, Shaquille O'Neal became only the second player to achieve this feat, after Michael Jordan doing it twice in 1991-93 and 1996–98.
Transactions
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (July 2021) |
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