That date saw the Los Angeles Lakers earn a 116-111 Game 6 victory over the Indiana Pacers. With that, they secured the first title for Southern California since the Showtime Lakers hoisted their last Larry O’Brien trophy in 1988.
The 2000 Lakers finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record, as league MVP Shaquille O’Neal, aided by Kobe Bryant and a reliable supporting cast, blitzed through the Western Conference en route to a 67-15 record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. That advantage would be prove critical, as the team was pushed to elimination twice before hosting the Pacers in the NBA Finals.