Shaquille O’Neal cemented his legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers after delivering three consecutive titles during his eight-year stint with the team. But O’Neal also admitted that none of it would be possible if he and the team hadn’t secured the first ring. In an interview with Scoop B Robinson, the big man revealed how vital it was for the team to win the series against the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals.
O’Neal started by recollecting his previous shortcomings in the 1995 NBA Finals against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. He said, “I said to myself: ‘If I ever go back, I gotta put on a performance so dominant that it won’t be a question who the champ is.’”
The Lakers legend did eventually overcome this hurdle after leading the Lakers to a title after a gruesome six-game series against the Pacers as the undisputed best player on the floor.
In light of the victory, he recalled why the win was so important, saying, “There was something I had to prove and set an example. Something that had to be done because if we don’t win that first one, they’ll probably break us up and it’ll be a lot more negative stuff to talk about.”
Having been brought to the Lakers in an attempt to bring silverware to them, the big man and his running mate, Kobe Bryant, delivered in due time.
The 2000 NBA Finals against the Pacers featured O’Neal at the peak of his powers. With an average of 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, he wasn’t simply dominant; he was transcendent. With an average FG% of 61.1%, O’Neal was also bulldozing his way through Indiana’s center, Rik Smits, who, the big man claimed, used to have his way with the Lakers center when he was younger.
Regardless, the Hall of Famer admitted that the task was something that needed to be done “by any means necessary.” And with the title in hand, he was named the NBA Finals MVP for the series, ushering in a new wave of championship glory for the Lakers.
Following the 1999-00 series, Los Angeles built upon their momentum from the previous season and became a more dominant force. With Bryant also developing into a genuine star, forming a lethal one-two punch with O’Neal, the Lakers appeared to be nigh unstoppable.
The result of this new iteration of the Lakers brought two more titles to Los Angeles, extending their reign of dominance and establishing the dynasty. But much like every great team, things started to crumble after the 2001-02 season’s success.
Tensions between Bryant and O’Neal resulted in a slow and gradual fallout, marking the end of the dynasty after their loss in the NBA Finals in 2004. With O’Neal eventually headed to the Miami Heat, the Lakers saw another drought, having to wait seven years before glory found them again.
