1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record
74 April 2 New York W 106-82 Shaquille O'Neal ( 34 ) Shaquille O'Neal ( 12 ) Kobe Bryant ( 8 ) Staples Center 18,997 62-12
75 April 4 @ Phoenix W 84-83 Shaquille O'Neal ( 32 ) Robert Horry ( 11 ) Ron Harper ( 8 ) America West Arena 19,023 63-12
76 April 5 @ Golden State W 111-104 Shaquille O'Neal ( 49 ) Shaquille O'Neal ( 13 ) Kobe Bryant ( 11 ) The Arena in Oakland 18,621 64-12
77 April 8 San Antonio L 80-98 Kobe Bryant ( 26 ) A.C. Green ( 9 ) Kobe Bryant ( 5 ) Staples Center 18,997 64-13
78 April 10 Seattle W 106-103 ( OT ) Kobe Bryant ( 33 ) Kobe Bryant ( 10 ) Bryant & Shaw ( 6 ) Staples Center 18,997 65-13
79 April 14 Sacramento W 121-114 Shaquille O'Neal ( 41 ) Shaquille O'Neal ( 16 ) Ron Harper ( 10 ) Staples Center 18,997 66-13
80 April 16 Minnesota W 101-95 Shaquille O'Neal ( 33 ) Shaquille O'Neal ( 14 ) Kobe Bryant ( 10 ) Staples Center 18,912 67-13
81 April 18 @ Dallas L 102-112 Shaquille O'Neal ( 38 ) Shaquille O'Neal ( 20 ) Brian Shaw ( 9 ) Reunion Arena 18,190 67-14
82 April 19 @ San Antonio L 98-103 ( OT ) Kobe Bryant ( 23 ) Brian Shaw ( 10 ) Brian Shaw ( 7 ) Alamodome 29,447 67-15
The 1999-2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center. During the offseason, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A. C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agent John Salley. Green won championships with the team in the 1980s. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win 5 NBA Championships over the course of the next 12 years. The Lakers posted long winning streaks throughout the entire season finishing the regular season with 67 wins, the most wins since the 1971-72 team won a franchise-record 69 games. The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 25th time in franchise history and the first in nine years. Center Shaquille O'Neal was almost unanimously named the Most Valuable Player of the regular season. The Lakers were then pushed to the limit by the Sacramento Kings whom they defeated in a deciding fifth game, before going on to defeat the Phoenix Suns in five games in the semifinals. In the Western Conference Finals, they defeated a Portland Trail Blazers team featuring Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen and Steve Smith in seven games before going on to win the NBA Finals 4-2 against the Indiana Pacers, earning the franchise its 12th NBA championship. It was the Lakers' first championship since 1988. It was also Phil Jackson's seventh championship as a head coach, and the first with a team besides the Chicago Bulls.