The Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant era was indeed something special, with the Los Angeles Lakers emerging as the first dynasty of the 21st century. Winning their first championship in 2000, there was no stopping the Purple and Gold duo, who looked to defend their crown during the 2001 playoffs.
Finishing second in the West, the Lakers went on an undefeated streak in the 2001 playoffs, sweeping teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs. Punching their second consecutive Finals ticket, Coach Phil Jackson and crew were closing in on history if everything went well.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn an 11-0 run in the postseason, the 2000-01 Lakers could be the first team to go unbeaten in the playoffs. Ironically, the last time a team had 11 consecutive playoff wins was also the Lakers in 1989. While many in the locker room were wary to talk about it, Rick Fox had no such qualms.
"Yeah, why not? Everyone's afraid to talk about it. I want it. That means we're champions again. And on top of that, it means we're not afraid to set our goals higher than anyone else. You can't be afraid of success. It's the same attitude as, 'We're going to go in and get a split.' That's the wrong attitude, that's accepting mediocrity," stated Fox, who waited to face the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers Eastern Conference Finals series.
Allen Iverson spoiled the party
The series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers went down to the wire, with Philly passing the test of nerves. At the time, the NBA was witnessing the Allen Iverson phenomenon, who was coming off an MVP season. The Answer almost single-handedly took the Sixers to the Finals.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGearing up for the 2001 Finals, the Lakers were undoubtedly the heavy favorites, with home-court advantage too. However, Game One turned out to be a surprise for many, with the 76ers stealing the win on the road. Many thought the pressure to go undefeated got to the Lakers.
It was an Iverson show at the Staples Center, with the 76ers guard dropping 48 points in an overtime win. Adding to it was his iconic step over Ty Lue after crossing him at the baseline. Nevertheless, the Lakers bounced back, winning the next four consecutive games. Oddly enough, losing Game One took a lot of pressure off the Lakers.
Related: Eddy Curry recalls when Charles Oakley bought him a Bentley in his rookie year: "He had a bag of money in the back. I just grabbed 70 racks"
The Zen Master was relieved
Though many felt the Game One loss would be a wake-up call for the Lakers, Coach Jackson felt relieved that the so-called streak ended somehow. He discussed how getting caught up in the race to remain unbeaten would take the focus off the primary goal of repeating as champs.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm kind of relieved that it's over in some way. But it does put some pressure on us to get a win on our home court. We've got to go out on Friday night and find a way to get this series tied up. The streak was great, and now it's time to get back to the business of playing ball here in this series," mentioned Phil.
More than a decade later, the Golden State Warriors would mirror a similar run in the 2017 playoffs, but ultimately settled for a 16-1 record. Thus, we have yet to see a team pull off this extraordinary feat, but it can never be the top priority, as ultimately it's all about winning a championship.
Related: "From that day on, I was done dealing with Kobe" - Shaquille O'Neal admits he never wanted to have a truce with Kobe
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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