The 2003–04 NBA season was the Lakers' 56th season in the National Basketball Association and 44th in the city of Los Angeles.[1]
The Lakers entered the season following a disappointing second-round loss to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 playoffs. During the offseason, the Lakers signed star free agents Karl Malone and Gary Payton and re-signed free agent power forward Horace Grant.[2][3] Following these acquisitions, the Lakers became the instant favorites to win the NBA title.[4][5]
Despite major acquisitions, key moves, and becoming overnight title favorites, the Lakers would run into major setbacks to begin the season. During the 2003 off-season, superstar guard Kobe Bryant had been accused of sexual assault in Colorado. Media attention surrounding the case would prove to be an ongoing distraction for the team, and Bryant missed games during his trial. In addition, Bryant's feud with Shaquille O'Neal reached a peak during the season, as both players criticized each other in the media.[6] Payton struggled with coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, and Malone missed significant time due to injuries.[7][8][9]
Despite the setbacks, the Lakers finished the season with a 56–26 overall record, good enough to clinch the second seed in the Western Conference en route to the playoffs.[10] In the playoffs, they defeated the Houston Rockets, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, and the Minnesota Timberwolves to earn the franchise its 28th appearance in the NBA Finals. The Lakers entered the Finals against the Detroit Pistons as favorites.[11][12]This was the third meeting between the Lakers and the Pistons in the NBA Finals, after both franchises met in 1988 and 1989. However, the underdog Pistons' strong defense and teamwork propelled them to their third championship in franchise history, and the star-studded Lakers would collapse in five games.[13][14] After the season, Jackson and the team mutually agreed to part ways[15] and O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.[16]
The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 format, where the first two and last two games are held at the venue of the team with home court advantage. This was only used in the Finals.
The Lakers had a star-studded lineup that included offseason acquisitions Karl Malone and Gary Payton as well as mainstays Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Malone and Payton were perennial All-Stars; Payton had led the Seattle SuperSonics to the Finals in 1996, while Malone's Utah Jazz reached the Finals in 1997 and 1998.[17] However, both had been defeated by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. By 2003, Malone and Payton were in the latter stages of their respective careers and were no longer playing on championship-contending teams.[17][18] Both Malone and Payton took pay cuts to sign with the Lakers in an effort to win a championship.[19]
Sunday, June 6, 2004, 14:30 at the Staples Center.
Detroit stunned Los Angeles with imposing defense.[20] They held the Lakers to 39% shooting. Outside of O'Neal and Bryant, the rest of the Lakers only managed to score 16 points.
The Pistons trailed the Lakers 41–40 at halftime, but a 10–4 surge in the third quarter gave them the lead and they never relinquished it. By the fourth quarter, their lead had increased to 13.
Box Score
Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 15:04 at the Staples Center.
The Lakers led by eight after the first half. However, Detroit scored 30 points in the third quarter to keep the game close. With 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant hit a three-point shot to tie the score at 89. The game went to overtime and the Lakers outscored the Pistons 10–2 to win their only game of the series.
Thursday, June 10, 2004, 14:31 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Pistons beat the Lakers by 20 in their first NBA Finals appearance at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1990[21] to take a 2–1 lead in the series. Karl Malone sprained his knee and was limited to 18 minutes. The 68 points scored by the Lakers set a franchise record for the fewest points scored in a playoff game. The previous night, a group of overzealous Pistons fans made it difficult for the Lakers to get their rest by harassing them until 4am at their hotel in nearby Birmingham. Fans were screaming outside the building until hotel management called the police.[22]
Sunday, June 13, 2004, 14:49 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Pistons defeated the Lakers, this time by eight, to take a 3–1 series advantage. Shaquille O'Neal scored 36 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, but the rest of the Lakers shot 17/57 from the field. [23]
Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 14:32 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
In Game 5, the Pistons won their first championship since 1990 and Larry Brown won his first title as an NBA coach. The Pistons defense had overcome the high-scoring Lakers offense, winning the game by 13 and the series 4-1. In four of the five games, the Lakers were held to less than 90 points.
After the series, Phil Jackson stepped down as coach (he would return for the 2005-06 season). Shaquille O'Neal was traded to Miami. Gary Payton and Rick Fox were traded to Boston. Karl Malone, who did not dress for Game 5, would have surgery on his knee and eventually retired the following February.
Led by their trademark daunting defense