I still remember the 2000 NBA playoffs like they happened yesterday. That was the year when Shaquille O'Neal finally silenced his critics and completed his journey from dominant regular season force to undeniable playoff legend. The Lakers' championship run wasn't just about basketball—it was about mentality, about that killer instinct Shaq embodied when he said, "I'm active now. I don't pick my opponents. I fight them all." That quote perfectly captures what made that postseason so special, not just for the Lakers but for every team battling through what many consider one of the most physically demanding playoff brackets in modern NBA history.
The Western Conference bracket that year was absolutely brutal. Looking back at the matchups, it's incredible how many future Hall of Famers were battling it out while the Lakers had to navigate through what felt like a gauntlet of legitimate contenders. Their first-round series against Sacramento went the full five games, with Game 4 being particularly nerve-wracking—the Kings took us to overtime before we finally closed it out 113-110. What many people forget is that Sacramento actually outscored us in that series by an average of 98.6 to 97.4 points per game, but we won the games that mattered. That's where Shaq's mentality really showed—he averaged 29.4 points and 16.8 rebounds against the Kings, completely dominating the paint despite Vlade Divic's crafty defense.
Then came the Phoenix series, which I personally think was tougher than the Finals. The Suns had that incredible backcourt of Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway, and they pushed us to the limit in Game 1 before we escaped with a 105-99 victory. What stands out in my memory is Game 3, when Kobe dropped 40 points in what felt like a statement game—he was only 21 years old but played with the poise of a veteran. The series went to a decisive Game 5 where Shaq put up 38 points and 20 rebounds, just an absolute monster performance that demonstrated why he was the most dominant force in basketball.
The Western Conference Finals against Portland might be the most memorable series of that entire postseason. The Blazers had assembled what they called their "Jail Blazer" squad with Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, and Steve Smith—talented but volatile. That series went the full seven games, and I'll never forget Game 7 where we trailed by 15 points entering the fourth quarter. The atmosphere in the Staples Center was tense, you could feel the championship dreams slipping away. Then came that iconic alley-oop from Kobe to Shaq with just over 40 seconds left that put us ahead for good—the place absolutely erupted. Portland shot just 34% from the field in that fourth quarter while we mounted one of the greatest comebacks in conference finals history.
When we finally reached the Finals against Indiana, it felt almost anticlimactic after surviving that Western Conference bloodbath. Reggie Miller's Pacers were tough, don't get me wrong, but they didn't have the same level of physicality we'd faced out West. Game 4 stands out in my memory—Shaq fouled out with just over two minutes left in regulation, and we had to rely on Kobe to close it out in overtime. He scored 8 points in the extra period, including the game-winning shot with 5.9 seconds remaining. That was the moment when Kobe truly arrived as a closer, proving he could deliver when Shaq wasn't on the floor.
Looking back at the statistics, Shaq's dominance throughout those playoffs was staggering—he averaged 30.7 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 56.6% from the field. But what the numbers don't show is the psychological impact he had on opponents. Teams would literally change their entire defensive schemes trying to contain him, often to no avail. I remember talking to some opposing players afterward who admitted they'd basically given up on stopping him and focused instead on limiting everyone else—that's how demoralizing it was to face prime Shaq.
The legacy of that 2000 championship run extends beyond just the Lakers organization. It set the tone for the three-peat, established the Shaq-Kobe dynasty, and demonstrated how a team with two superstars could complement each other perfectly. Shaq's quote about fighting all opponents rather than picking them perfectly encapsulated that team's mentality—they never backed down from challenges, never made excuses, and embraced every obstacle. In today's NBA where load management and strategic resting have become commonplace, that 2000 Lakers team reminds us of an era where stars wanted to play every game, face every challenge, and prove themselves against all comers. That championship wasn't just won on talent—it was won through sheer will and relentless determination.