2000 NBA Finals

Team Coach Wins Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson 4 Indiana Pacers Larry Bird 2
Dates	June 7–19
MVP	Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Hall of Famers	Lakers: Kobe Bryant (2020) Shaquille O'Neal (2016) Pacers: Reggie Miller (2012) Chris Mullin (2011) Coaches: Larry Bird (1998, player) Phil Jackson (2007) Officials: Dick Bavetta (2015) Hugh Evans (2022)
Eastern Finals	Pacers defeated Knicks, 4–2
Western Finals	Lakers defeated Trail Blazers, 4–3
← 1999 NBA Finals 2001 →

The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the Lakers holding home court advantage. The series featured the number one seeds from both conferences. Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series, his first of three consecutive honors, in arguably one of the best NBA Finals performances in history putting up 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.^[1]

Background

Los Angeles Lakers

Although the Lakers were one of the more talented teams in the NBA the previous year, they failed to win a single game against the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA playoffs. Twenty-four days after being swept by the eventual league champion, the Lakers signed Phil Jackson as head coach. Jackson, famous for coaching Michael Jordan and the six-time champion Chicago Bulls, would build his triangle offense around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. General Manager Jerry West surrounded O'Neal and Bryant with effective role players such as Glen Rice, Ron Harper (who had experience with Jackson's triangle offense as part of the 1996–1998 Bulls),^[2] and A.C. Green (member of the last two Lakers championship teams).^[3]

Along with these starters, the Lakers also possessed a strong bench. Robert Horry not only had championship experience with the Houston Rockets but also was a threat on the perimeter and a defensive star.^[4] Derek Fisher was a defensively minded point-guard with the ability to shoot well from long range. Rick Fox, acquired after being released by the Boston Celtics,^[5] was the Lakers' sixth man.

With a healthy O'Neal, the Lakers dominated the regular season. They posted a 33–7 record after 40 games, the second-best record after 40 games in franchise history, trailing only the 1971-72 Lakers who posted a record of 37-3 after 40 games. They posted winning streaks of 11, 16, and 19 en route to a 67–15 record, tying the 1992 Chicago Bulls and 1986 Boston Celtics as the fifth best record in NBA regular season history.^[6]

Although many expected the Lakers to reach the Finals, the road would be a rocky one. In the first round, the Lakers won the first two games against the Sacramento Kings, only to drop the next two games in Sacramento.^[7] The Lakers then defeated Sacramento in Game 5, 113–86, to face the Phoenix Suns in the conference semifinals.^[8] The Lakers clobbered the Suns, winning the series 4–1 (with their only loss coming in Game 4).^[9][10] In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, Rasheed Wallace earned two technical fouls and was ejected; the Lakers took advantage of Wallace's absence and secured victory.^[11] The Trail Blazers stormed back in the next game, giving the Lakers their worst home loss of the season in a 106–77 shellacking.^[12] This setback did not affect Los Angeles, as they assembled a 3–1 series lead by winning the next two games in Portland.^[13] The Lakers underestimated the Trail Blazers, however. Led by former Jackson linchpin Scottie Pippen, Portland won back-to-back elimination games and forced a series-deciding Game 7.^[14][15] Amid several controversial foul calls by referee Dick Bavetta against members of the Trail Blazers,^[16] Portland relinquished a 75–60 fourth quarter lead.^[17] Rallying back with a 25–4 run, the Lakers won the game and secured a berth in the NBA Finals.^[18][19]

Indiana Pacers

In the 1997–1998 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls narrowly defeated the Pacers, 4 games to 3, in the Eastern Conference Finals.^[20] The 1998–1999 NBA season began with a lockout but saw Indiana return to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the New York Knicks.^[21] The 1999–2000 NBA season brought several major changes to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse,^[22] as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.^[23] Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award,^[24] while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man.^[25]

The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home.^[26] The Pacers, like the Lakers, struggled in the playoffs. They needed a clutch Travis Best three-pointer to dispatch the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.^[27] Indiana faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and took the series in six games, earning a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.^[28] The Pacers would face their rival Knicks,^[29] winning a memorable six-game series in a reversal of fortunes from years past.^[30] With the victory, Indiana advanced to the first NBA Finals in franchise history, becoming the second former ABA team to do so after the Spurs the previous season.

Road to the Finals

Regular season series

Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team:

2000 NBA Finals rosters

Los Angeles Lakers