- 2002 NBA Finals
NBA Finals summary
caption =
year = 2002
runnerup =New Jersey Nets
runnerup_coach =Byron Scott
runnerup_games = 0
champion =Los Angeles Lakers
champion_coach =Phil Jackson
champion_games = 4
date=June 5th –June 12th
MVP =Shaquille O'Neal
(Los Angeles Lakers)
television = NBC (U.S.)
announcers =Marv Albert ,Bill Walton and Steve "Snapper" Jones
HOFers = Coaches:Phil Jackson (2007)
radio_network =
radio_announcers =
referees_1 =Joe Crawford , Ron Garretson and Jack Nies
referees_2 =Steve Javie ,Bennett Salvatore , Don Vaden
referees_3 =Dick Bavetta ,Dan Crawford ,Bob Delaney
referees_4 = Ted Bernhardt ,Bernie Fryer ,Eddie F. Rush
ECF result = New Jersey def. Boston 4–2
WCF result = Los Angeles def. Sacramento 4–3The 2002 NBA Finals was the 56th championship round of the
National Basketball Association (NBA). The series started onJune 5th ,2002 and ended onJune 12 , marking the conclusion of the2002 NBA Playoffs and2001-02 NBA season . The first two games of the Finals were played at theStaples Center inLos Angeles ,California , and the other two games were played atContinental Airlines Arena inEast Rutherford ,New Jersey .Western Conference champions
Los Angeles Lakers swept the
Eastern Conference championNew Jersey Nets in four games in a best-of-seven series. The Lakers became only the third NBA franchise, joining the 1960sBoston Celtics and 1990sChicago Bulls , to win three straight championships after their 2000 and 2001 victories.Following the conclusion of Game 4 in New Jersey, Lakers'
Shaquille O'Neal , who averaged 36 points and 12 rebounds in the Finals, was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player of the Finals for the third consecutive time, joiningMichael Jordan andMagic Johnson as the only players with three. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/12/shaq_mvp_ap/ CNNSI.com - Shaq, MJ only players to win three straight Finals MVP] Sports Illustrated.com] Lakers coachPhil Jackson won his ninth ring, tying him with Celtics' legendary headmanRed Auerbach for most all-time. During the series, he passed coachPat Riley for most all-time playoffs wins with 156 with nearly 50 fewer losses. [ [http://www.nba.com/finals2002/Jackson_Nears_AllTime_Coachin-46220-277.html Jackson Takes All-Time Lead in Playoff Wins] NBA.com] [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/12/jackson_top_ap/ Lakers' Jackson has reached new heights in coaching] Sports Illustrated.com] The Lakers won their 14th championship, three shy of the NBA franchise with most championships, the Boston Celtics.After twelve seasons, this series was the last broadcast by NBC. Five months earlier, the league's broadcast rights were awarded to ABC/ESPN in a six-year deal.
Recap
East Conference's
New Jersey Nets (0) vs. Western Conference'sLos Angeles Lakers (4)The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with
home court advantage . The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985.Background
Regular season series
The
Los Angeles Lakers andNew Jersey Nets split both games in the regular season, each winning on their home court. basketballbox
bg=#fff
date = March 5
report = [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220305013 Recap]
team1 =New Jersey Nets |score1=92
team2 =Los Angeles Lakers |score2=101
place =Staples Center , Los Angeles
TV = KCAL basketballbox
date = April 2
report = [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220403017 Recap]
team1 =Los Angeles Lakers |score1=92
team2 =New Jersey Nets |score2=94
place =Continental Airlines Arena , East Rutherford
TV = KCALNew Jersey Nets
Entering the 2001-02 season, Nets were enduring a three-year playoff drought and a 73-141 record over that span. In 1999, the Nets hired
Rod Thorn as team president. Almost immediately, he hiredByron Scott to coach New Jersey. He then dealt forStephon Marbury in a three-team trade with theMilwaukee Bucks andMinnesota Timberwolves , tradingSam Cassell away to the Bucks. [http://www.nba.com/nets/history/trade_history.html Nets Trade History] NBA.com/nets] Due to the Nets' dismal 31-51 season in 1999-00, they had the first overall pick in the2000 NBA Draft , which they used to select power forwardKenyon Martin out of the University of Cincinnati. The following year with Marbury and Martin, New Jersey were still a mediocre team. Ending up 26-56, they won the 7th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.With yet another lottery pick, Thorn decided to trade it, dealing it to the
Houston Rockets forRichard Jefferson ,Jason Collins andBrandon Armstrong . The next day, then-Phoenix Suns ownerJerry Colangelo announced a franchise shaking trade; the Suns would deal point guardJason Kidd for his New Jersey counterpart Marbury. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/suns/2001-06-28-trade.htm Kidd, Marbury primary players in trade] USA Today]With the core of Kidd, Jefferson and Collins, the Nets rebounded in 2002 to finish 52-30, a twenty-six win improvement from the last season and clinch the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Kidd finished the season with honors such as All-NBA First Team [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/stories/2002-05-01-all-nba.htm Bryant, McGrady are first-time All-NBA selections] USA Today] , All-Defensive first team, [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/stories/2002-04-30-defensive.htm Payton ties mark with ninth All-Defensive slot] USA Today] and an All-Star selection. He also finished runner-up to
San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan in theNBA MVP voting. Richard Jefferson was an All-Rookie Team selection.In the playoffs, New Jersey survived a scare against the
Indiana Pacers , winning game five of the best-of-five series in double overtime to win the series. [ [http://www.nba.com/games/20020502/INDNJN/recap.html Weary Kidd Leads Nets in Double OT Classic] NBA.com] They then dismissed theCharlotte Hornets in five games of a best-of-seven series before meeting their Atlantic Division rivals, theBoston Celtics . [ [http://www.nba.com/games/20020515/CHANJN/recap.html No Kidding, Nets Will Contend for East Title] NBA.com] The Nets and Celtics split the first two games in New Jersey before being tested in Boston. In Game 3 however, New Jersey blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter and was outscored 41-16 in the period to lose 90-94. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220525002 Pierce sparks Celtics after being down 21] ESPN.com] Celtics' small forwardPaul Pierce outscored the Nets himself with 19 of his 28 in the fourth, sparking the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/05/25/nets_celtics_ap/ Nets allow Celtics to pull off biggest comeback ever] Sports Illustrated.com]The Nets rebounded in Game 4, and won 94-92 to tie the series at 2-2. New Jersey then controlled the series and won the next two games to finish off the Celtics in six games and earned the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance.
Los Angeles Lakers
In stark contrast to New Jersey, LA entered the season with high expectations, having won the last two NBA championships. Since
Phil Jackson had arrived to coach the Lakers in 1999, the Lakers had a 123-41 mark in the regular season and a 28-9 record in the playoffs. Los Angeles was coming off having completed a 15-1(.938 winning percentage) run through the2001 NBA Playoffs , the greatest in NBA history besting the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers 12-1(.923) run. [ [http://www.nba.com/finals2001/best_single_season_wins.html?nav=ArticleList A Playoffs for the Ages] NBA.com] The 2001 Lakers also were the first team to go undefeated on the road in the playoffs.Amid tensions between the Laker captains
Shaquille O'Neal andKobe Bryant , Los Angeles had another stellar season, finishing second in the Pacific Division behind instate rivalsSacramento Kings and earned the third seed in the Western Conference of the2002 NBA Playoffs . Bryant and O'Neal were voted starters in the2002 NBA All-Star Game , where Bryant won MVP in hometownPhiladelphia ,Pennsylvania . [ [http://grandline.smackjeeves.com/comics/331401/bad-place-bad-time-185-7/ West Wins! Kobe Stakes Claim in All-Star Lore] NBA.com] The duo appeared on the 1st Team All-NBA and Bryant was honored on the 2nd Team All-Defensive Team.The Lakers had another strong start in the playoffs, finishing the
Portland Trail Blazers in three due to aRobert Horry series-ending shot. TheSan Antonio Spurs were finished in five before Los Angeles met their biggest challenge in the duration of their championship reign in the Western Conference Finals: theSacramento Kings . With the best record in the West, the Kings heldhome court advantage against the Lakers and split the first two games inARCO Arena before the series shifted toStaples Center .Sacramento blew out Los Angeles in Game 3, leading as much as 27; eventually winning 103-90. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220524013 Kings' big lead proves too much for Lakers] ESPN.com] Game 4 looked to be the same, with the Kings leading the Lakers 40-20 at the end of the 1st quarter and as large as 26. The Lakers would then stage a furious comeback in the 2nd half to win on aRobert Horry buzzer beater, 100-99. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220526013 Lakers tie series with Kings on late 3-pointer] ESPN.com] In Game 5, the Kings staged some magical late-game heroics of their own back in Sacramento with aMike Bibby shot with 8.2 seconds remaining. A Kobe Bryant heave fell short at the buzzer as the Kings took a 3-2 series lead. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220528023 Bibby's shot falls, Bryant's misses as Kings win] ESPN.com] With their season on the line, the Lakers returned home for Game 6.In a controversial game, one in which Los Angeles attempted 27
free throws in the 4th quarter to Sacramento's 4, O'Neal had one of the most dominant performances of his career with 41 points and 17 rebounds to force aGame 7 in ARCO Arena. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=220531013 O'Neal rises to the occasion; Lakers force Game 7] ESPN.com] The outrage was as such that politicianRalph Nader demanded an investigation. [ [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91461371&ft=1&f=1070 Ralph Nader Cries Foul Against the NBA] [National Public Radio|NPR] .com] The Lakers prevailed on the Kings court in an overtime thriller 112-106 and won the series 4-3 earn their third straightNBA Finals berth.Television and radio broadcasting
The Finals were produced and televised in the
United States onNBA on NBC broadcasting.Marv Albert provided play-by-play calling.Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton and Steve "Snapper" Jones handled color duties. Jim Gray andLewis Johnson roamed the sidelines for the Lakers and Nets' respectively.Bob Costas hosted pregame and postgame shows with analystsTom Tolbert andAhmad Rashad .Brent Musburger andJack Ramsay called the four games onNBA on ESPN Radio .As the conclusion of Game 4, the credits rolled to to a final montage was a highlight package from twelve years of broadcasts. Shown were historic moments in NBA history, including the
Chicago Bulls ' dynasty led byMichael Jordan andScottie Pippen , the retirement ofLarry Bird andMagic Johnson and theLos Angeles Lakers ' newShaquille O'Neal ,Kobe Bryant reign.The final image was an empty gym, showing a basketball sadly bouncing alone, and the message "Thanks for The Memories. NBA on NBC (1990-2002)". After that, NBA broadcasting rights went to ABC and TNT.Radio
2002 NBA Finals Roster
Los Angeles Lakers
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%; #ifeq:NAMESPACE|ns:10|width:100%;"
-! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2002 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster
- style="background-color: #ffcd35;color: #6137ad; text-align: center;"! Players !! Coaches
-
valign="top" | #ifeq:NAMESPACE|ns:10
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
- NBA roster footer
head_coach =
* (college|North Dakota)
asst_coach =
*
roster_url = http://www.nba.com/lakers/stats/2001/index.html
transaction_url =
accessdate = 2008-06-18New Jersey Nets
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%; #ifeq:NAMESPACE|ns:10|width:100%;"
-! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2002 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster
- style="background-color: #ffcd35;color: #6137ad; text-align: center;"! Players !! Coaches
-
valign="top" | #ifeq:NAMESPACE|ns:10
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
- NBA roster footer
head_coach =
* (college|Arizona State)
asst_coach =
*
roster_url = http://www.nba.com/lakers/stats/2001/index.html
transaction_url =
accessdate = 2008-06-18Head Coach: Byron ScottKenyon Martin Jason Kidd Keith Van Horn Todd MacCulloch Richard Jefferson Kerry Kittles |Lucious Harris Aaron Williams Jason Collins Anthony Johnson Brian Scalabrine Brandon Armstrong Donny Marshall Steve Goodrich chedule
*Game 1 -
June 5 , Wednesday 9:00pm ET @Los Angeles, Los Angeles 99, New Jersey 94: "Los Angeles leads series 1-0"
*Game 2 -June 7 , Friday 9:00pm ET @Los Angeles, Los Angeles 106, New Jersey 83: "Los Angeles leads series 2-0"
*Game 3 -June 9 , Sunday 8:30pm ET @New Jersey, Los Angeles 106, New Jersey 103: "Los Angeles leads series 3-0"
*Game 4 -June 12 , Wednesday 9:00pm ET @New Jersey, Los Angeles 113, New Jersey 107: "Los Angeles wins series 4-0"The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with
home court advantage . The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. As of yet, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format.The Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets winning all four games, although the only game that was not close was a 106-83 win in Game 2.
Trivia
*The NBA Finals wordmark logo was removed to a championship trophy logo attach next to the NBA logo. And the first and only Finals that both teams had a red white and blue ribbon on the uniforms.
*At the Lakers victory paradeMark Madsen did a rather novel dance, that was even mentioned byGeorge W. Bush when the Lakers visited the White House.
*Seven Lakers were on all three championship teams from 2000 to 2002:Shaquille O'Neal ,Kobe Bryant ,Robert Horry ,Derek Fisher ,Rick Fox ,Brian Shaw andDevean George .
*Horry joinedDennis Rodman andRon Harper as the only players to be apart of a three-peat with one team and back-to-back titles with another. Rodman and Harper were starters on the Bulls teams that won titles from 1996-98. Rodman's back-to-back came with theDetroit Pistons in 1989 & '90, while Harper was a member of the Lakers title teams in 2000 & '01.References
External links
* [http://www.nba.com/finals2002/ Official website]
* [http://www.nba.com/history/finals/20012002.html NBA History]
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