While Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships in the early 2000s, each of their playoff runs required them to face the Sacramento Kings.
In 2000, they played to five games in a heated first-round matchup. At the time, the first round of the NBA Playoffs had not yet been extended to a best-of-seven series. The following year, the Lakers swept the Kings in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The 2001 playoffs saw Los Angeles win their first 15 games before Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals.