George Mikan. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. For decades, the Lakers had been home to the best pivot men in league history. The Suns' own pedigree in the paint hadn't been terrible -- Neal Walk and Alvan Adams had All-Star caliber seasons in their own right -- but Phoenix had simply never been able to go pound-for-pound against the purple-and-gold.
This was a big reason why Phoenix failed to "beat L.A." when it mattered most. Leading into 1990, the Suns were 0-6 all-time in postseason series against the Lakers. The streak was even longer for then-Phoenix head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, who hadn't won on L.