2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season

2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coach Phil Jackson
General manager Mitch Kupchak
Owner(s) Jerry Buss
Arena Staples Center
Results
Record 56–26 (.683)
Place Division: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finish NBA Finals
(Lost to Pistons 1–4)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television Fox Sports Net West, KCAL
Radio AM 570 KLAC
Horace Grant battles for a jump ball versus Memphis Grizzlies Pau Gasol in November 2003.

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 2nd round exit to the San Antonio Spurs. During the offseason, Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal successfully recruited veteran free agents and former All-Stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Lakers, in the hopes of getting the two an NBA ring; the team was also able to re-sign free agent Horace Grant during the off-season.[2][3] Following these acquisitions, the Lakers were considered heavy favorites to win the title, but problems arose that would set the tone for the season to come.[4][5]

During the 2003 off-season, superstar guard Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault in Colorado. The media attention surrounding the case would prove to be an ongoing distraction for the team, as Kobe would miss certain games because he could not fly back in time from Colorado, where the trial was held. On top of the trial, Kobe's feud with Shaq would reach a peak during the season, as both players would consistently criticize each other to the media for their respective leadership roles on the team. Shaq questioned Kobe's leadership roles and often refused to acknowledge his presence on the team during press conferences and media statements, while Kobe targeted Shaq's public efforts to have his contract extended by the Lakers, and criticized Shaq's lack of contact with him during the off-season.[6] The team's big free agency signings weren't faring much better, as Payton struggled with coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, which limited his ball-handling and post-up opportunities, and Malone would deal with injury issues that kept him off the court for extended periods of time.[7][8][9] In total, O'Neal, Bryant, Malone, and Payton would play only 20 games together.

Despite all of the setbacks, however, the Lakers still managed a 56–26 record and entered the playoffs as the number two seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they defeated the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Minnesota Timberwolves to advance to the NBA Finals where they would meet the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers entered the Finals as the heavy favorites, but the team unraveled, as the Pistons' strong defense and teamwork triumphed the Lakers in just five games. The tension continued into the off-season, as the Lakers would see major changes in the 2004 off-season. The Lakers opted not to extend Phil Jackson's contract, resulting in his dismissal from the team.[10] Shaquille O'Neal requested a trade, to which he was traded to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster deal, allowing Kobe Bryant to sign an extension with the Lakers, enabling him full leadership of the team.[11] Gary Payton and Rick Fox were both traded to the Boston Celtics, and Karl Malone opted not to re-sign with the team; he would retire the following year.

Despite their feud and Kobe's ongoing trial, O'Neal and Bryant were voted to play in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, which was hosted in Los Angeles; O'Neal was named the game's MVP. The team's season roster is featured in NBA 2K18.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 24 Brian Cook F  United States Illinois
2 32 Luke Walton F  United States Arizona

Roster

Los Angeles Lakers roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
G/F 8 United States Bryant, Kobe 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1978–08–23 Lower Merion HS (PA)
F 7 United States Cook, Brian 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 234 lb (106 kg) 1980-12-04 Illinois
G 2 United States Fisher, Derek 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1974-08-09 Arkansas-Little Rock
F 17 Canada Fox, Rick 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1969-07-24 North Carolina
F 3 United States George, Devean 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1977-08-29 Augsburg
F/C 54 United States Grant, Horace  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1965-07-04 Clemson
F 11 United States Malone, Karl 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1963-07-24 Louisiana Tech
F 14 Ukraine Medvedenko, Slava 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 253 lb (115 kg) 1979-04-04 Ukraine
C 34 United States O'Neal, Shaquille 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 325 lb (147 kg) 1972-03-06 LSU
G 20 United States Payton, Gary 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1968-07-23 Oregon State
G 21 United States Rush, Kareem 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1980-10-30 Missouri
F 9 United States Russell, Bryon 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1970-12-31 Long Beach State
F/C 31 United States Sampson, Jamal  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1983-05-13 California
F 4 United States Walton, Luke 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1980-03-28 Arizona
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: 2004-01-30

Regular season

Season standings

By division

Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 5626.683–34–722–1915–9
x-Sacramento Kings 5527.671134–721–2016–8
Portland Trail Blazers 4141.5001525–1616–2513–11
Seattle SuperSonics 3745.4511921–2016–2511–13
Golden State Warriors 3745.4511927–1410–3112–12
Phoenix Suns 2953.3542718–2311–309–15
Los Angeles Clippers 2854.3412818–2310–318–16

By conference

# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Minnesota Timberwolves5824.707–
2 y-Los Angeles Lakers5626.6832
3 x-San Antonio Spurs5725.6951
4 x-Sacramento Kings5527.6713
5 x-Dallas Mavericks5230.6346
6 x-Memphis Grizzlies5032.6108
7 x-Houston Rockets4537.54913
8 x-Denver Nuggets4339.52415
9 Utah Jazz4240.51216
10 Portland Trail Blazers4141.50017
11 Seattle SuperSonics3745.45121
12 Golden State Warriors3745.45121
13 Phoenix Suns2953.35429
14 Los Angeles Clippers2854.34130

Record vs. opponents

2003-04 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MEM MIA MIL MIN NJN NOH NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA WAS
Atlanta —3–13–11–32–02–01–30–20–20–40–21–10–21–32–21–11–32–20–31–31–21–10–20–21–11–11–30–22–2
Boston 1–3—1–23–11–12–00–32–01–11–30–20–21–12–21–31–12–20–41–33–13–11–10–21–10–21–13–11–13–1
Chicago 1–32–1—2–20–20–20–41–10–21–31–10–20–20–41–30–20–32–22–23–10–41–10–20–20–20–24–01–11–3
Cleveland 3–11–32–2—0–20–22–20–20–21–31–10–20–22–22–20–21–23–14–02–13–10–21–10–21–12–01–31–12–2
Dallas 0–21–12–02–0—2–21–13–13–10–22–22–22–21–11–12–22–02–02–02–01–13–13–13–13–13–11–12–21–1
Denver 0–20–22–02–02–2—0–23–12–20–22–21–32–21–12–01–30–21–11–11–12–04–04–02–21–32–20–23–12–0
Detroit 3–13–04–02–21–12–0—1–11–11–32–01–12–04–03–10–22–21–33–13–12–22–02–00–21–11–13–11–13–0
Golden State 2–00–21–12–01–31–31–1—2–20–22–21–31–31–11–12–20–20–22–01–11–12–22–22–22–23–11–12–21–1
Houston 2–01–12–02–01–32–21–12–2—1–14–02–21–31–12–02–21–12–02–02–02–01–33–10–40–41–31–12–22–0
Indiana 4–03–13–13–12–02–03–12–01–1—2–01–11–13–01–31–13–12–23–13–14–02–01–10–21–12–04–02–02–1
L.A. Clippers 2–02–01–11–12–22–20–22–20–40–2—1–30–40–22–00–40–21–11–12–01–13–12–20–41–30–41–11–30–2
L.A. Lakers 1–12–02–02–02–23–11–13–12–21–13–1—2–22–02–01–32–01–12–02–01–13–12–21–33–13–12–03–12–0
Memphis 2–01–12–02–02–22–20–23–13–11–14–02–2—1–11–11–32–01–11–12–02–02–22–22–23–11–32–01–32–0
Miami 3–12–24–02–21–11–10–41–11–10–32–00–21–1—1–20–23–23–11–34–01–31–10–21–10–22–02–11–14–0
Milwaukee 2–23–13–12–21–10–21–31–10–23–10–20–21–12–1—0–23–11–32–23–12–11–11–11–11–10–23–11–13–1
Minnesota 1–11–12–02–02–23–12–02–22–21–14–03–13–12–02–0—1–12–01–12–01–14–01–33–12–23–12–02–22–0
New Jersey 3–12–23–02–10–22–02–22–01–11–32–00–20–22–31–31–1—2–13–14–03–11–10–21–10–22–02–21–14–0
New Orleans 2–24–02–21–30–21–13–12–00–22–21–11–11–11–33–10–21–2—1–24–02–21–12–00–21–10–21–31–13–1
New York 3–03–12–20–40–21–11–30–20–21–31–10–21–13–12–21–11–32–1—3–13–11–11–11–10–21–13–10–24–0
Orlando 3–11–31–31–20–21–11–31–10–21–30–20–20–20–41–30–20–40–41–3—2–21–10–20–20–20–21–21–14–0
Philadelphia 2–11–34–01–31–10–22–21–10–20–41–11–10–23–11–21–11–32–21–32–2—1–11–10–22–01–11–30–22–2
Phoenix 1–11–11–12–01–30–40–22–23–10–21–31–32–21–11–10–41–11–11–11–11–1—2–21–30–42–20–21–31–1
Portland 2–02–02–01–11–30–40–22–21–31–12–22–22–22–01–13–12–00–21–12–01–12–2—3–10–42–21–12–21–1
Sacramento 2–01–12–02–01–32–22–02–24–02–04–03–12–21–11–11–31–12–01–12–02–03–11–3—2–23–12–03–11–1
San Antonio 1–12–02–01–11–33–11–12–24–01–13–11–31–32–01–12–22–01–12–02–00–24–04–02–2—4–02–04–02–0
Seattle 1–11–12–00–21–32–21–11–33–10–24–01–33–10–22–01–30–22–01–12–01–12–22–21–30–4—1–11–31–1
Toronto 3–11–30–43–11–12–01–31–11–10–41–10–20–21–21–30–22–23–11–32–13–12–01–10–20–21–1—1–11–3
Utah 2–01–11–11–12–21–31–12–22–20–23–11–33–11–11–12–21–11–12–01–12–03–12–21–30–43–11–1—1–1
Washington 2–21–33–12–21–10–20–31–10–21–22–00–20–20–41–30–20–41–30–40–42–21–11–11–10–21–13–11–1—

Playoffs

West First Round

(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Houston Rockets: Lakers win series 4–1

Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 3-1)

West Conference Semifinals

The Lakers playing against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals at the SBC Center.

(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs: Lakers win series 4–2

Last Playoff Meeting: 2003 Western Conference Semifinals (San Antonio won 4-2)

West Conference Finals

(1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers win series 4–2

Last Playoff Meeting: 2003 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 4-2)

NBA Finals

Series Summary

Team/Game 1 2 (OT) 3 4 5 Wins
Los Angeles (West) 75996880 871
Detroit (East) 87918888 1004
  • (OT) denotes a game that required overtime.

The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. This is only used in the Finals, all other playoff games are held in a 2-2-1-1-1 format (the team with home court advantage starts).[12]

Aspects

The Lakers had a lineup of stars such as Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal - their offensive capability was expected to overpower Detroit's defensive-based gameplan.

Payton and Malone also added to the publicity of the Finals. Perennial All-Stars who had both previously reached the Finals, Payton had led the Seattle SuperSonics there in 1996, while Malone had led the Utah Jazz there in 1997 and 1998.[13] However, Michael Jordan and the Bulls denied them championship rings a total of three times. By the time of Jordan's retirement in 2003, the two veterans were aged and failed to lead their teams deep into the playoffs.[13][14] Thus, this Finals series was seen as the last chance for two of the greatest players in NBA history to finally become NBA champions (Later on, Malone retired while Payton became a champion as a key bench player for the Miami Heat).

Game One

Sunday, June 6, 2004, 14:30 at the Staples Center.

Considered to be a stunning upset by most of the NBA world, the Detroit Pistons managed to defeat the Lakers with imposing defense.[15] Defensively clamping down on everyone but Bryant and O'Neal, the Pistons managed to hold everyone else to a total of 16 points.

The Pistons trailed the Lakers 41–40 at halftime, but a 10–4 surge capped by Billups's 3-pointer gave the Pistons the lead. O'Neal's foul trouble furthered the scoring gap, with the Pistons leading by 13 points early in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Detroit 221824 2387
Los Angeles 192217 1775

Game Two

Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 15:04 at the Staples Center.

The second game was close throughout the first half, but in the third quarter Detroit would score 30 points, cutting the deficit 68–66. However, at the end of the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant's 3-point shot at 2.1 seconds to go would tie the game at 89–89. The Lakers and Pistons would then go to overtime, with the Lakers outscoring the Pistons 10–2.

Box Score

Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. OT Total
Detroit 162030 23291
Los Angeles 182624 211099

Game Three

Thursday, June 10, 2004, 14:31 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons beat Los Angeles by 20 in their first NBA Finals appearance together at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1989[16] to take a 2–1 lead in the series. The 68 points scored by the Lakers set a franchise record for the fewest number of points scored in a playoff game. 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 management at the hotel called the police.[17]

Box Score

Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Los Angeles 161619 1768
Detroit 241524 2588

Game Four

Sunday, June 13, 2004, 14:49 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Again, the Pistons defeated the Lakers, although this time by eight, to take a 3–1 series advantage.

Box Score

Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Los Angeles 221717 2480
Detroit 212015 3288

Game Five

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 finally won his title. The Pistons defense had overcome the high-scoring Laker offense, winning the game by 13, winning the series 4-1, and also ending a long Laker dynasty that lasted for many years. The game saw the end of Phil Jackson's first run as the coach (he returned for the 2005-06 season), and saw O'Neal, Payton, and Malone's last games in Laker uniforms (O'Neal and Payton were both acquired by the soon-to-be NBA Champions Miami Heat and Malone retired).

Box Score

Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Los Angeles 242114 2887
Detroit 253027 18100

Player stats

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Regular season

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kobe Bryant 656437.6.438.327.8525.55.11.7.424.0
Maurice Carter 4012.5.357.333.917.8.5.0.05.5
Brian Cook 35212.6.475.000.7502.9.6.5.54.4
Derek Fisher 82321.6.352.291.7971.92.31.3.07.1
Rich Fox 383422.3.392.246.7332.72.6.8.14.8
Devean George 824823.8.408.349.7604.01.41.0.57.4
Horace Grant 551020.1.411.000.7224.21.3.4.44.1
Karl Malone 424232.7.483.000.7478.73.91.2.513.2
Stanislav Medvedenko 683821.2.441.000.7675.0.8.6.38.3
Shaquille O'Neal 676736.8.584..49011.52.9.52.521.5
Jannero Pargo 1304.8.375.500..5.8.2.01.1
Gary Payton 828234.5.471.333.7144.25.51.2.214.6
Kareem Rush 721517.3.440.348.5961.3.8.5.36.4
Bryon Russell 72113.1.402.384.7692.01.0.4.24.0
Jamal Sampson 10213.0.478..5835.2.7.2.42.9
Ime Udoka 407.0.333.000.5001.3.5.5.32.0
Luke Walton 72210.1.425.333.7051.81.6.4.12.4

Playoffs

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kobe Bryant 222244.2.413.247.8134.75.51.9.324.5
Brian Cook 1303.5.333.1.000.9.1.1.0.9
Derek Fisher 22023.0.405.418.6572.52.2.8.07.5
Rich Fox 1639.1.400.143.5001.41.1.2.11.1
Devean George 221921.4.430.373.6502.3.51.0.45.5
Karl Malone 212138.0.450.000.6308.83.41.1.111.5
Stanislav Medvedenko 21111.3.440..8102.5.5.2.24.0
Shaquille O'Neal 222241.7.593..42913.22.5.32.821.5
Gary Payton 222235.1.366.250.7503.35.31.0.27.8
Kareem Rush 22014.3.385.400.667.7.8.5.13.7
Bryon Russell 602.7.000.000..2.3.2.0.0
Luke Walton 1707.9.345.385.7001.31.5.4.11.9

Award winners

See also

References

  1. ↑ 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers
  2. ↑ "Lakers Sign Free Agents Gary Payton and Karl Malone". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 16, 2003. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  3. ↑ Lazenby, Roland (2006). The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-07-143034-0.
  4. ↑ Wise, Mike (October 4, 2003). "Pro Basketball; With Bryant Absent, Lakers Begin Practicing". The New York Times. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  5. ↑ May, Peter (October 28, 2003). "Lakers are a lock -- for turmoil". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  6. ↑ Buerge, Daniel. "A Complete Timeline of the Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant Feud". Lakers Nation. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  7. ↑ DuPree, David (May 4, 2004). "Changing of guard not easy". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012.
  8. ↑ Adande, J. A. (November 6, 2012). "West Side: Mike Brown's O is working". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012.
  9. ↑ Brown, Tim. "Malone Out for a While". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 January 2004.
  10. ↑ "Coach could move to another Lakers job". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved 21 June 2004.
  11. ↑ "Kobe remains with Lakers". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved 16 July 2004.
  12. ↑ "Basketball: NBA Playoffs 2007 preview". betinf.com. Retrieved 2007-09-03.
  13. 1 2 "Utah Jazz". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  14. ↑ "Seattle Supersonics". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on 26 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  15. ↑ "Billups, Pistons Swipe Home-Court Advantage". NBA. Retrieved 2007-09-04. Led by their trademark daunting defense
  16. ↑ "DETROIT PISTONS HISTORY". Basketball Tickets. Archived from the original on 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-09-03.
  17. ↑ Press, From Associated (2004-06-13). "Lakers Facing Uphill Battle". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
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