In the 2004 NBA Finals, the Detroit Pistons were underdogs against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the latter was expected to sweep or finish the series in five games. The series did finish in five, but shockingly, it was the Pistons who dominated the Lakers and won the title. In an Instagram video, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady lauded the 2004 Pistons for pulling off the upset over the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers.
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In his video titled, “The greatest championship of all time”, McGrady said, “The greatest duo, Shaq and Kobe, winning three championships. How they dominated the early 2000s and you as a Detroit Pistons team come and beat them 4-1.”
McGrady also gave his flowers to the Pistons squad for standing up to a roster like that, “That was very impressive to knock off Kobe and Shaq in that era. I just never thought I’d see it while they were together. How they swept through the Western Conference, I mean, just wiped the Western Conference I like that as being the most surprising and tough championship to win. To dethrone Kobe and Shaq.”
O’Neal and Bryant had led the Lakers to three straight championships between 2000 and 2002. In the 2004 playoffs, they thrashed the Yao Ming-led Houston Rockets 4-1 in the first round, beat defending champions San Antonio Spurs 4-2 in the second round, before beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2 in the Conference Finals to book their NBA Finals berth.
The Pistons’ path wasn’t as smooth. After beating the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 in the first round, they trailed 3-2 in the second-round series against the New Jersey Nets. They managed to win the last two games and advance to the Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Conference championship was evenly poised at 2-2 before the Pistons won two straight to head to the NBA Finals.
O’Neal and Bryant were expected to lead the Lakers past the Pistons and win their fourth title together. The Game 1 loss was chalked off as a bump in the road after they won Game 2. However, Detroit went 3-0 in their home stand, shocking the world. The Pistons’ 2004 title win ranks among the best underdog stories in NBA history.
The Lakers’ implosion in 2004
The 2003-04 Lakers were stacked to the brim but the entire season was filled with drama. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s relationship had soured, as both players were embroiled in a power struggle to be the Lakers’ face. O’Neal had signed a three-year, $88.5 million extension with the Lakers in October 2003, and Bryant, who had a player option to become a free agent in the 2004 offseason, was ready to leave the franchise due to his issues with his teammate.
Despite all the drama, the Lakers finished the regular season with a 56-26 record and entered the playoffs as the second seed in the West. The guard attempted 113 shots in five games, while the center was limited to only 84. This was the first time in their four Finals trips together that Bryant took more shot attempts than O’Neal.
Mamba was inefficient with 43-of-113 from the field and only 4-of-23 from beyond the arc, averaging 22.3 points. O’Neal, on the other hand, converted 53-of-84 attempts and averaged 26.6 points. With the duo jacking up the bulk of the shots, the Lakers’ offense struggled. Their third-highest scorer, Derek Fisher, averaged only 6.4 points per game.
Looking at the numbers, it’s no surprise that the Pistons pulled off the upset. Bryant was on a mission to win the NBA Finals before he left the Lakers and sabotaged the team. In the offseason, the franchise stuck with their young guard and parted ways with O’Neal. They traded him to the Miami Heat and gave Bryant a seven-year, $136.4 million contract extension.
The divorce worked out better for O’Neal at first, as he helped the Heat win a title in 2006. However, Bryant led the Lakers to back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, proving they made the right call.
