NBA Champions ·
2000 Los Angeles Lakers
Phil Jackson's first Lakers team went 67-15 and beat the Indiana Pacers in six for the franchise's first title since 1988. Shaquille O'Neal swept the regular-season MVP, the All-Star MVP, and the Finals MVP in the same year. He scored 41 to close out Game 6.
Jerry West's roster had the talent but no playoff breakthrough until Jackson arrived and installed the triangle offense. O'Neal answered with the best season of his career, averaging 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds and taking the MVP by all but one vote.
Kobe Bryant, 21, became the clear second option, with Glen Rice spacing the floor and veterans Ron Harper, Brian Shaw, and A.C. Green steadying the rotation. The team won 67 games and 19 of its last 20 to close the season.
The playoffs were not smooth. Sacramento pushed the Lakers to five in the first round, and Portland led by 15 in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the conference finals before Los Angeles stormed back, capped by the Bryant-to-O'Neal alley-oop. In the Finals, O'Neal dominated Indiana inside, and the Lakers took it in six with a 116-111 Game 6 win.
O'Neal's 41-point closeout sealed the first of three straight. The title was the franchise's first in 12 years and Jackson's seventh as a coach, the first away from Chicago.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Derek Fisher | PG | 71 |
| Kobe Bryant | SG | 88 |
| Glen Rice | SF | 79 |
| A.C. Green | PF | 70 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | C | 98 |
| Robert Horry | 6th man | 78 |
| Phil Jackson | Coach | 93 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Harper | G | |
| Brian Shaw | G | |
| Rick Fox | F | |
| Devean George | F | |
| John Salley | C | won titles with three franchises |