2000 The First Crown: Shaq’s Coronation

The 2000 NBA Finals matched the Lakers against Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers. It was Phil Jackson’s first season in LA and the starting point of the OK dynasty.

O’Neal was dominant: 38 points and 16.7 rebounds per game on over 61% shooting, destroying Indiana’s interior. In Game 6 at home he posted 41 and 12 in a 116-111 win, taking the series 4-2. He was the clear Finals MVP — his first.

The ring silenced the old "can’t win" doubts from Orlando, where he’d lost twice in the Finals. Young Kobe flashed too; the OK duo set sail.

Averaging 38 in the Finals was Shaq’s announcement: the Shark era had arrived.

Related Reading

• 2000 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 2000 NBA MVP: Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 2001 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 2002 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Shaquille O'Neal: Glory and Idol— When the Strongest Giant Became the Most Likable Symbol