2002 NBA Finals

2002 basketball championship series February 2024 2002NBAFinals.png NBA 2002 New Jersey Nets Byron Scott 0 Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson 4 June 5–12 Shaquille O'Neal(Los Angeles Lakers) Lakers:Kobe Bryant (2020) Shaquille O'Neal (2016) Mitch Richmond (2014) Nets:Jason Kidd (2018)Coaches:Phil Jackson (2007)Tex Winter (2011)Officials:Dick Bavetta (2015)Danny Crawford (2025)Broadcaster:Chick Hearn (2003) Nets defeated Celtics, 4–2 Lakers defeated Kings, 4–3 The 2002 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2001–02 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. In a best-of-seven series, the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers swept the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets to three-peat as NBA champions, winning their 14th championship in team history. The Lakers became the first team since the Chicago Bulls to achieve a three-peat in NBA history. The series began on June 5 and ended on June 12. Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his ninth ring, tying him with Red Auerbach for most all-time. During the series, he surpassed Pat Riley for most career playoffs wins with 156. Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third consecutive year, after dominant performances averaging 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.Sports Illustrated http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/12/shaq_mvp_ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20021009223809/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/12/shaq_mvp_ap/ dead October 9, 2002 Shaq, MJ only players to win three straight Finals MVPs Associated June 13, 2002 May 16, 2009June 13, 2002 Lakers' Jackson has reached new heights in coaching http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/12/jackson_top_ap/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090623181035/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/12/jackson_top_ap/ June 23, 2009 May 16, 2009 Sports Illustrated Associated Press This was the last Finals to date to be broadcast by NBC, as ABC would acquire the broadcast rights starting in 2003. , the Lakers are the most recent team in the four North American major professional sports leagues to accomplish a three-peat. Background After the September 11th terrorist attack, NBA jerseys during the 2001–02 season included a memorial patch. For the 2002 Finals, because a memorial patch was already placed on the right chest, the Finals patch was simplified and integrated with the NBA logoman left side of the jerseys.2025-06-26 NBA Finals Patch Guide (1990s–Now) — Read This Before You Add One to Your Jersey - Hoop Jersey Store https://hoopjersey.com/blogs/nba-jersey-wiki/nba-finals-patch-guide-1990s-now-read-this-before-you-add-one-to-your-jersey/ 2026-06-22 hoopjersey.com New Jersey Nets 2001–02 New Jersey Nets season thumb|150px|Jason Kidd, New Jersey's prized acquisition in the summer of 2001 Entering the 2001–02 season, the New Jersey Nets were enduring a three-year playoff drought and had a 73–141 record over that span. In 1999, the Nets hired Rod Thorn as team president and immediately, he hired the recently retired Byron Scott to coach New Jersey. Thorn then dealt for Stephon Marbury in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, trading Sam Cassell away to the Bucks.Nets Trade History https://web.archive.org/web/20070420121153/http://www.nba.com/nets/history/trade_history.html April 20, 2007 NBA.com/nets Due to the Nets' 31–51 season in 1999–2000 season, they had the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, which they used to select power forward Kenyon Martin out of the University of Cincinnati.Holding to form: Nets take Martin with first pick SportsIllustrated.com Despite the reshuffling of the roster and an NBA All-Rookie Team season for Martin, New Jersey struggled, ending the season with a 26–56 (26 56) record, and owned the 7th pick in the upcoming draft. With another lottery pick, Thorn dealt it to the Houston Rockets for draftees Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong. The next day, Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo announced a franchise-shaking trade; Phoenix would swap their point guard Jason Kidd for his New Jersey counterpart Stephon Marbury.Kidd, Marbury primary players in trade, USA Today With the Princeton offense installed from the coaching staff, The New York Times http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/05/nets_sider_ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20080115034646/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/05/nets_sider_ap/ dead January 15, 2008 PRO BASKETBALL; Nets Get a New Read From the Old School Liz Robbins February 2, 2002 May 16, 2009 the Nets rebounded to a 52–30 (52 30) mark, a twenty-six-win improvement from the last season, and clinched the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Kidd finished the season awarded with first team spots on both the All-NBABryant, McGrady are first-time All-NBA selections, USA Today and All-Defensive TeamsPayton ties mark with ninth All-Defensive slot USA Today and was selected for his fifth All-Star game. He also finished runner-up to San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan in the Most Valuable Player voting.It's official: Duncan captures MVP award USA Today. Retrieved December 28, 2008 Richard Jefferson was an All-Rookie second team selection and Thorn, the architect of the franchise's resurgence, was awarded NBA Executive of the Year.Youngmisuk Ohm Title goes to one sharp Thorn Nets gm honored as wheeler-dealer https://www.nydailynews.com/2002/05/22/title-goes-to-one-sharp-thorn-nets-gm-honored-as-wheeler-dealer/ New York Daily News August 5, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260805175059/https://www.nydailynews.com/2002/05/22/title-goes-to-one-sharp-thorn-nets-gm-honored-as-wheeler-dealer/ August 5, 2026 May 22, 2002 \ In the first round of the playoffs, New Jersey survived a scare against the Indiana Pacers, escaping game five in double overtime to advance.Weary Kidd Leads Nets in Double OT Classic NBA.com It was the Nets' first playoff series win since 1984. They then dismissed the Charlotte Hornets in five games before meeting their Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the conference finals.No Kidding, Nets Will Contend for East Title NBA.com The Nets and Celtics split the first two games in New Jersey before moving to Boston. In game 3, the Nets were dominating the Celtics, leading by as much as 21 in the fourth quarter. However, Boston, led by small forward Paul Pierce, then proceeded to outscore New Jersey 41–16 in the final period, rallying to win 94 to 90. Pierce himself scored 19 points, more than the Nets combined in the fourth, to complete the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history.Pierce sparks Celtics after being down 21 ESPN.comNets allow Celtics to pull off biggest comeback ever https://web.archive.org/web/20120128015102/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/05/25/nets_celtics_ap/ January 28, 2012 Sports Illustrated.com The Nets rebounded in a 94–92 game 4 victory, that saw another Boston comeback, albeit one that fell short because Pierce missed crucial free throws late.Facing Another Collapse, Nets Don't Buckle Accessed June 15, 2009. New Jersey then took control of the series and won the next two games in large fashion to finish off Boston in six games, earning the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance and becoming the third former American Basketball Association (ABA) team to make the Finals (the Spurs and the Pacers being the first two).NBA http://www.nba.com/20020531/NJNBOS/recap.html No Kidding, the Nets are in the NBA Finals! May 31, 2002 May 16, 2009May 2016 medicmedic With averages of 17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game during the six-game conference finals, Kidd become only the fourth player in NBA history to average a triple-double over a course of a series and the second to have at least three.Averaging a Triple-Double in a Playoff Series NBA.com. Retrieved November 10, 2008JockBio: Jason Kidd Biography https://web.archive.org/web/20160614150631/http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Kidd/Kidd_bio.html June 14, 2016 JockBio. Retrieved December 28, 2008 Los Angeles Lakers 2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers season thumb|left|upright=0.7|All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds in the regular season in 67 games. In stark contrast to New Jersey, the Los Angeles Lakers entered the season with high expectations, having won the last two NBA championships. In addition, Los Angeles was coming off of a 15–1 (15 1 winning percentage) run through the 2001 NBA playoffs, the greatest in NBA history, besting the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers' 12–1 (12 1) run and were the first team to go undefeated on the road in the playoffs.A Playoffs for the Ages NBA.com Since Phil Jackson had arrived to coach the Lakers in 1999, they had a 123–41 mark in the regular season and a 28–9 record in the postseason. Amid tensions between co-captains Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the franchise had another stellar season, finishing 58–24 (58 24), good for second in the Pacific Division and earning the third seed in the Western Conference. Bryant and O'Neal were voted starters in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, where Bryant won the game MVP trophy in his hometown Philadelphia.West Wins! Kobe Stakes Claim in All-Star Lore NBA.com The duo appeared on the All-NBA First Team and Bryant was honored with a Second-Team All-Defensive Team selection. thumb|upright|Kobe Bryant continued to form the league's best 1-2 combo with O'Neal. He averaged 25.2 in 80 games. The Lakers shot out to another quick start in the playoffs, finishing the Portland Trail Blazers in three games with a Robert Horry game-winner.NBA http://www.nba.com/games/20020428/LALPOR/recap.html Horry Continues L.A. Story; Sinks Trey, Blazers April 28, 2002 May 16, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090622235152/http://www.nba.com/games/20020428/LALPOR/recap.html June 22, 2009 live The San Antonio Spurs were dispatched in five games before Los Angeles met their biggest challenge in the duration of their championship reign in the Western Conference finals: the Sacramento Kings. With the best record in the West, the Kings held home court advantage against the Lakers and split the first two games in ARCO Arena before the series shifted to Staples Center, where Sacramento blew out Los Angeles in game 3 and led as much as 27 before settling with a 103–90 decision.Kings' big lead proves too much for Lakers ESPN.com In game 4, Sacramento led Los Angeles 40–20 at the end of the first quarter and held a lead as large as 26. But, the Lakers staged a second-half comeback to win 100–99, punctuated by Horry's buzzer-beating three-point shot.Lakers tie series with Kings on late 3-pointer ESPN.com Back in Sacramento for game 5, the Kings staged some late-game heroics of their own as Mike Bibby nailed a jumper with 8.2 seconds remaining, giving his team not only a 92–91 win, but a 3–2 series advantage.Bibby's shot falls, Bryant's misses as Kings win ESPN.com With their season on the line, the Lakers returned home for game 6. In a controversial contest, one in which the Lakers attempted 27 free throws in the fourth quarter to Sacramento's nine, O'Neal and Bryant had one of their most dominant performances as a duo. O'Neal recorded 41 points and 17 rebounds while Bryant contributed 31 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to force a game 7 in ARCO Arena.O'Neal rises to the occasion; Lakers force Game 7 ESPN.com The outrage was such that politician Ralph Nader demanded an investigation.Ralph Nader Cries Foul Against the NBA NPR.com In game 7, the Lakers prevailed in overtime 112–106 to earn their third straight NBA Finals berth.NBA http://www.nba.com/games/20020602/LALSAC/recap.html Lakers March On as Kings Can't Dethrone Dynasty June 2, 2002 May 16, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20081009024519/http://www.nba.com/games/20020602/LALSAC/recap.html October 9, 2008 dead Road to the Finals 2002 NBA playoffs Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion) New Jersey Nets (Eastern Conference champion)LAL3rd seed in the West, 2nd (tied) best league recordRegular seasonNJN1st seed in the East, 5th best league recordDefeated the (6) Portland Trail Blazers, 3–0First roundDefeated the (8) Indiana Pacers, 3–2Defeated the (2) San Antonio Spurs, 4–1Conference semifinalsDefeated the (4) Charlotte Hornets, 4–1Defeated the (1) Sacramento Kings, 4–3Conference finalsDefeated the (3) Boston Celtics, 4–2 Regular season series The Los Angeles Lakers and New Jersey Nets split both games in the regular season, each winning on their home court. #fff March 5 https://web.archive.org/web/20050212084843/http://www.nba.com/games/20020305/NJNLAL/recap.html February 12, 2005 Recap New Jersey Nets 92 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=101 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California FSN West,FSN New York April 2 https://web.archive.org/web/20050212090338/http://www.nba.com/games/20020403/LALNJN/recap.html February 12, 2005 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 92 New Jersey Nets 94 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey KCAL,FSN New York Rosters Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers 2001–02 8 Kobe Bryant G/F 6 6 220 1978–08-23 Lower Merion HS (PA) 2 Derek Fisher G 6 1 205 1974–08-09 Arkansas-Little Rock 17 Rick Fox F 6 7 235 1969–07–24 North Carolina 3 Devean George F 6 8 240 1977–08–29 Augsburg 5 Robert Horry F 6 10 240 1970–08–25 Alabama 10 Lindsey Hunter G 6 2 195 1970–12–03 Jackson State 35 Mark Madsen basketball F 6 9 245 1976–01–28 Stanford 6 Jelani McCoy F/C 6 10 255 1977–12–06 UCLA IN 14 Stanislav Medvedenko F 6 10 250 1979–04–04 Ukraine 34 Shaquille O'Neal C 7 1 338 1972–03–06 LSU 23 Mitch Richmond G 6 5 220 1965–06–30 Kansas State 20 Brian Shaw basketball G 6 6 205 1966–03–22 UCSB 52 Samaki Walker F/C 6 9 255 1976–02–25 Louisville Phil Jackson (North Dakota) Jim Cleamons (Ohio State) Frank Hamblen (Syracuse) Kurt Rambis (Santa Clara) Tex Winter (Southern California) https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2002.html June 14, 2002 New Jersey Nets New Jersey Nets 2001–02 1 Brandon Armstrong basketball G 6 5 188 1980–06–16 Pepperdine 35 Jason Collins C 7 0 255 1978–12–02 Stanford 12 Lucious Harris G 6 5 190 1970–12–18 LBSU 24 Richard Jefferson F 6 7 222 1980–06–21 Arizona 8 Anthony Johnson basketball G 6 3 190 1974–10–02 Charleston 5 Jason Kidd G 6 4 204 1973–03–23 California 30 Kerry Kittles G 6 5 179 1974–06–12 Villanova 11 Todd MacCulloch C 7 0 280 1976–01–27 Washington 13 Donny Marshall F 6 7 230 1972–07–17 Connecticut 6 Kenyon Martin F 6 9 234 1977–12–30 Cincinnati 21 Brian Scalabrine F 6 9 241 1978–03–18 USC 44 Keith Van Horn F 6 10 220 1975–10–23 Utah 34 Aaron Williams basketball F/C 6 9 220 1971–10–02 Xavier Byron Scott (Arizona State) Lawrence Frank (Indiana) Eddie Jordan (Rutgers) Mike O'Koren (North Carolina) https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/2002.html June 14, 2002 Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 June 5 New Jersey Nets 94–99 (0–1) Los Angeles Lakers Game 2 June 7 New Jersey Nets 83–106 (0–2) Los Angeles Lakers Game 3 June 9 Los Angeles Lakers 106–103 (3–0) New Jersey Nets Game 4 June 12 Los Angeles Lakers 113–107 (4–0) New Jersey Nets Game summaries All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. Game 1 #eee June 5 9:30 pm (6:30 pm PDT) https://web.archive.org/web/20041204073618/http://www.nba.com/games/20020605/NJNLAL/recap.html December 4, 2004 Recap New Jersey Nets 94 99 Los Angeles Lakers 14–29 22–19 27–24 31–27 Jason Kidd 23 Shaquille O'Neal 36 Jason Kidd 10 Shaquille O'Neal 16 Jason Kidd 10 Kobe Bryant 6 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California 18,997 #17 Joe Crawford #10 Ron Garretson #35 Jack Nies NBC Los Angeles leads the series, 1–0 Los Angeles's Staples Center sold out for the inaugural game of the 2002 NBA Finals, with nearly 19,000 on hand. The Nets trotted out a lineup of Jason Kidd, Kerry Kittles, Kenyon Martin, Keith Van Horn, and Todd MacCulloch to hold up against the two-time defending and heavily favored champions. The Lakers brought out Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Shaquille O'Neal, Robert Horry, and Kobe Bryant, who drew the assignment of guarding Kidd. New Jersey head coach Byron Scott, a member of the Showtime Lakers,Scott filled role as mentor for Shaq and Kobe | the Seattle Times https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020607/nba07/scott-filled-role-as-mentor-for-shaq-and-kobeByron Scott calls lack of effort around NBA "scary" https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/byron-scott-calls-lack-of-effort-around-nba-e2-80-9cscary-e2-80-9d 2025-01-04 NBC Sports 2010-12-28 received a standing ovation. Taking advantage of a late arrival to the arena by New Jersey, L.A. dominated the first 17 minutes of play with a 42–19 score by the 6:41 mark in the second quarter. From that point on, the Nets went on a 17–6 run to close the lead to a respectable 12. They had no answer for O'Neal, however, who had bullied MacCulloch into 16 points and 6 rebounds by half-time. The Nets outscored the Lakers in the third but stood steadfast as Bryant scored 11 of his 22 in the third. New Jersey battled back, coming as close as three several times in the final quarter. Desperate to take the lead, they utilized the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy midway in the fourth. It backfired, as O'Neal was 5–8 from the free throw line and had 16 points and 9 rebounds in the period alone. New Jersey was doomed by their late start and poor shooting. The Nets, who shot 45% from the field and 74% on free throws were 39% and 57% respectively. Kidd finished with a triple-double, the 26th in Finals history and the first since Charles Barkley's in game 4 of the 1993 Finals.Sports Illustrated http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/05/nets_sider_ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20080115034646/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2002/playoffs/news/2002/06/05/nets_sider_ap/ dead January 15, 2008 Nets' slow start costs them dearly in Game 1 Associated Press June 6, 2002 May 16, 2009 Game 2 #eee June 7 9:30 pm (6:30 pm PDT) https://web.archive.org/web/20041209130445/http://www.nba.com/games/20020607/NJNLAL/recap.html December 9, 2004 Recap New Jersey Nets 83 106 Los Angeles Lakers 21–27 22–22 18–28 22–29 Kerry Kittles 23 Shaquille O'Neal 40 Jason Kidd 9 Shaquille O'Neal 12 Jason Kidd 7 Shaquille O'Neal 8 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California 18,997 #12 Don Vaden #15 Bennett Salvatore #29 Steve Javie NBC Los Angeles leads the series, 2–0 Game 3 #eee June 9 8:30 pm https://web.archive.org/web/20080725105042/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/boxscores/2002/06/09/njn_lal/ July 25, 2008 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 106 103 New Jersey Nets 31–23 21–23 26–32 28–25 Kobe Bryant 36 Jason Kidd 30 Shaquille O'Neal 11 Kidd, Van Horn 5 each Derek Fisher 6 Jason Kidd 10 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey 19,215 #26 Bob Delaney #43 Dan Crawford #27 Dick Bavetta NBC Los Angeles leads the series, 3–0 Beginning halfway through the first quarter, the Lakers built up a sizable lead for most of the game. However, the Nets would quickly tie and take the lead at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter with a Kenyon Martin and Jason Kidd two point shot, respectively.Lakers 106-103 Nets (Jun 9, 2002) Final Score https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/220609017/lakers-nets 2025-10-26 ESPN 2002-06-09 With three minutes to go in the fourth, Robert Horry hit a three pointer to give the Lakers a 98–96 lead, which would end up never going away and gave them the edge over the Nets, as they would go on to win 106–103.2002 NBA Finals Game 3: Lakers vs Nets, June 9, 2002 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/pbp/200206090NJN.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20230630123526/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/pbp/200206090NJN.html June 30, 2023 2023-07-06 Basketball-Reference.com Game 4 #eee June 12 9:30 pm https://web.archive.org/web/20080725105042/http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200206120NJN.html/ July 25, 2008 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 113 107 New Jersey Nets 27–34 31–23 26–23 29–27 Shaquille O'Neal 34 Kenyon Martin 35 Shaquille O'Neal 10 Kenyon Martin 11 Kobe Bryant 8 Jason Kidd 12 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey 19,296 Ted Bernhardt Eddie Rush Bernie Fryer NBC Los Angeles wins the NBA Finals, 4–0 Player statistics Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers |- | align="left" | Kobe Bryant || 4 || 4 || 43.8 || .514 || .545 || .806 || 5.8 || 5.3 || 1.5 || 0.8 || 26.8 |- | align="left" | Derek Fisher || 4 || 4 || 33.0 || .515 || .667 || .643 || 3.5 || 3.8 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 12.8 |- | align="left" | Rick Fox || 4 || 4 || 36.0 || .522 || .455 || .833 || 6.3 || 3.5 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 9.8 |- | align="left" | Devean George || 4 || 0 || 18.0 || .435 || .600 || 1.000 || 4.8 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 6.5 |- | align="left" | Robert Horry || 4 || 4 || 39.8 || .458 || .455 || .833 || 7.3 || 4.3 || 2.8 || 1.8 || 8.0 |- | align="left" | Lindsey Hunter || 3 || 0 || 3.7 || .200 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.7 |- | align="left" | Mark Madsen Mark Madsen (basketball) || 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Slava Medvedenko || 2 || 0 || 4.5 || 1.000 || .000 || .000 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Shaquille O'Neal || 4 || 4 || 41.5 || .595 || .000 || .662|| 12.3 || 3.8 || 0.5 || 2.8 || 36.3 |- | align="left" | Mitch Richmond || 1 || 0 || 1.0 || 1.000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | Brian Shaw Brian Shaw (basketball) || 4 || 0 || 16.3 || .286 || .222 || .000 || 1.8 || 2.5 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 3.5 |- | align="left" | Samaki Walker || 4 || 0 || 6.0 || .250 || .000 || 1.000|| 2.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 1.0 New Jersey Nets New Jersey Nets |- | align="left" | Jason Collins || 4 || 0 || 18.8 || .500 || .000 || .875 || 2.5 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 4.3 |- | align="left" | Lucious Harris || 4 || 0 || 22.8 || .344 || .200 || .800 || 2.8 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 7.8 |- | align="left" | Richard Jefferson || 4 || 0 || 24.3 || .524 || .000 || .455 || 4.5 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 6.8 |- | align="left" | Anthony Johnson basketball || 4 || 0 || 5.3 || .333 || .000 || .500 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.3 |- | align="left" | Jason Kidd || 4 || 4 || 42.0 || .438 || .300 || .636 || 7.3 || 9.8 || 2.3 || 0.8 || 20.8 |- | align="left" | Kerry Kittles || 4 || 4 || 26.5 || .452 || .313 || .700 || 2.0 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 12.5 |- | align="left" | Todd MacCulloch || 4 || 4 || 18.5 || .500 || .000 || 0.5 || 5.0 || 0.5 || 0.8 || 1.0 || 7.5 |- | align="left" | Donny Marshall || 2 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Kenyon Martin || 4 || 4 || 39.5 || .467 || .200 || .654 || 6.5 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 22.0 |- | align="left" | Brian Scalabrine || 1 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Keith Van Horn || 4 || 4 || 30.3 || .386 || .417 || .750 || 5.8 || 2.3 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 10.5 |- | align="left" | Aaron Williams basketball || 4 || 0 || 11.5 || .375 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 3.5 Media coverage The Finals were produced and televised in the United States by NBC. The local NBC stations for the competing teams were East Coast flagship WNBC in the New York metropolitan area and West Coast flagship KNBC in Los Angeles. Marv Albert provided play-by-play calling. Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton and Steve "Snapper" Jones handled color duties. Jim Gray and Lewis Johnson roamed the sidelines for the Lakers and Nets respectively. Bob Costas hosted pregame and half-time shows with analyst Tom Tolbert.Costas will anchor NBC's NBA swan song USA Today. Retrieved December 28, 2008. Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley from TNT's Inside the NBA made special guest appearances during halftime of game 1. Brent Musburger and Jack Ramsay called the four games on ESPN Radio. Hannah Storm hosted the post-game show. The finals also had Spanish-language television and radio broadcasts in the United States.NBA Finals 2002 to be broadcast on TV, radio, Internet - NBA, May 29, 2002Telemundo to Air NBA en Español - R. Thomas Umstead, Multichannel, August 25, 2002 Until 2025, the series was also NBC's final broadcast of the NBA. In January 2002, the league's broadcast rights were awarded to ABC and ESPN in a six-year deal,SportsBusiness Daily http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.main&storyId=SBD2002012307 NBA Finalizes Cable-Heavy TV Deal, Sees 25% Fee Increase June 13, 2002 May 16, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090605205038/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.main&storyId=SBD2002012307 June 5, 2009 dead which was renewed for an additional eight years in 2007.http://www.nba.com/news/nba_tv_extensions.html NBA Extends and Expands Partnership NBA June 27, 2007 May 16, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090628043836/http://www.nba.com/news/nba_tv_extensions.html June 28, 2009 live For the 2025–26 season, NBC signed an 11-year deal marking a return to the NBA, but ABC will continue to exclusively broadcast the NBA Finals.Reardon Logan NBA unveils new media rights deal for 2025: NBC, Amazon join ESPN as broadcasters https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/nba/nba-media-rights-deal-2025-nbc-amazon-espn-tnt/5409045/ NBC New York August 16, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240729170028/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/nba/nba-media-rights-deal-2025-nbc-amazon-espn-tnt/5409045/ July 29, 2024 July 24, 2024 thumb|The 2002 series was Marv Albert's last NBA Finals. At the conclusion of game 4, NBC presented highlights of the twelve years of their NBA broadcasts; among them the Chicago Bulls' dynasty led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the retirements of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers' current Shaq/Kobe reign, as the credits rolled. NBC also played "Winning It All" by The Outfield, which they had used for the close of their NBA Finals broadcasts from 1992 to 1996. The last image displayed was of an empty gym, showing a basketball bouncing into the background, as "To The Flemish Cap" from the soundtrack to the film The Perfect Storm played. NBC ended the broadcast (and their 12-year run broadcasting NBA basketball) by displaying over the shot the message "Thanks for the memories".McCarthy Michael NBC and the NBA Was a 'Perfect Storm.' Will History Repeat Itself? https://frontofficesports.com/nbcs-time-with-the-nba-was-a-perfect-storm-will-history-repeat-itself/ 2026-06-26 Front Office Sports 2024-05-23https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFi-UQn0eSo NBA on NBC final sign off 2002 #nba #nbaonnbc #peacock #jordan 2025-10-15 Hoopshistory26 2026-06-26 YouTube The 2002 Finals was also Marv Albert's last NBA Finals assignment. After the series, Albert's national television duties continued with TNT and Albert remained with TNT until his retirement in 2021, but only called games until the conference finals each season.Traina Jimmy Marv Albert on the Knicks' Incredible Run to the Finals, Turning Down NBC Offer https://www.si.com/media/marv-albert-on-knicks-incredible-run-nba-finals 2026-06-26 SI 2026-06-01 Will Lyman narrated the season-ending documentary for NBA Entertainment.2001-2002 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Champions https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5773616/ 2026-06-26 www.imdb.com 2002 NBA Finals ratings Game 1Game 2Game 3Game 410.6/20 9.1/18 10.2/18 10.8/19 Impact and aftermath thumb|100px|Shaquille O'Neal (2002) is still the only player other than Michael Jordan to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in three consecutive seasons (Jordan accomplished the feat on two occasions). Lakers The Lakers victory in this year's Finals would also mark the beginning of what would become a successful year for professional sports teams in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The nearby Anaheim Angels would later claim their first World Series championship four months later.http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/31/sports/sp-year31/2 https://web.archive.org/web/20160113173417/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/31/sports/sp-year31/2 dead January 13, 2016 What a Wonderfully Wacky Time It Was October 30, 2011 December 31, 2002 Los Angeles Times Mike Penner It marked the second occurrence that a city/metropolitan area won both NBA and Major League Baseball (MLB) championships in the same calendar year. The last time this occurred was in 1988, when the Lakers won that year's NBA Finals in June, and the Dodgers followed suit with a World Series victory four months later.OLD PROS EARN DODGERS REAL BASH October 22, 1988 Jerome Holtzman The Chicago Tribune 1 In relation to sports of smaller leagues, the Los Angeles Sparks won the WNBA Finals two months after the Lakers' 2002 Finals victory; the Los Angeles Galaxy won the MLS Cup exactly one week prior to the Angels' World Series victory in October. The successes of Los Angeles area teams led Sporting News magazine to declare Anaheim/Los Angeles as "Best Sports City" in 2003.http://aol.sportingnews.com/125/story/2011-10-16/best-sports-city-2003-we-love-greater-la Best Sports City 2003: We love Greater LA! August 19, 2003 Bob Hille Sporting News November 1, 2011September 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes 2026, the Lakers are the last team to successfully accomplish a three-peat in the "Big Four" North American professional sports leagues. Since then, only two NBA teams unsuccessfully tried to achieve a three-peat: the Miami Heat, who lost to the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 after winning in 2012 and 2013, and the Golden State Warriors, who won two titles in 2017 and 2018 before losing in 2019 to the Toronto Raptors."LeBron James Joined The Heat And Kevin Durant Joined The Warriors But They Didn't Win 3 Championships In A Row": Michael Jordan's Bulls & Kobe Bryant & Shaq's Lakers Greatly Outshine Lakers And Nets Stars' Superteams https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-lebron-james-joined-the-heat-and-kevin-durant-joined-the-warriors-but-they-didnt-win-3-championships-in-a-row-michael-jordans-bulls-kobe-bryant-shaqs-lakers-greatly-outshine-lakers-and-nets/ July 26, 2021 The SportsRush June 9, 2021Golden State Warriors: This mistake ruined the three-peat https://bluemanhoop.com/2019/06/14/golden-state-warriors-this-mistake-ruined-the-three-peat/ July 26, 2021 Blue Man Hoop June 14, 2019 Outside the NBA, the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Colorado Avalanche in their third straight Stanley Cup Final in 2022, and the National Football League (NFL)'s Kansas City Chiefs attempted to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX (2024 season). The Lakers were off to a slow start in the 2002–03 NBA season. By this time, the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal began to show cracks. Injuries were also starting to slow the Lakers down. Nevertheless, the Lakers won 50 games, but would only earn the fifth seed, thereby not earning the home-court advantage. Still, the Lakers took down the fourth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in six games. However, they were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs, who finally earned revenge after their previous two defeats to the Lakers in the 2001 and 2002 NBA playoffs. In game 5, Robert Horry, a perennial clutch threat in the playoffs, missed a game-winning three that would've given the Lakers a 3–2 series lead. The miss eventually led to Horry's free-agent defection to the Spurs the following season.2003-07-24 Horry signs with Spurs https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/horry-signs-with-spurs-755719.php 2026-06-22 Beaumont Enterprise Nets The Nets made it back to the Finals in 2003. They won 49 games and the Atlantic Division title, and heading into the Finals they won 10 straight games, two in the six-game first round win over the Milwaukee Bucks, and two four-game sweeps of the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. However, they still came up short, losing in six games to the Spurs, in the first NBA Finals series featuring former ABA teams. Rookies Richard Jefferson and Brian Scalabrine would later win NBA championships in their career (Scalabrine with the 2007–08 Boston Celtics and Jefferson with the 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers). Star point guard Jason Kidd also won a championship with the 2010–11 Dallas Mavericks.Shoals Bethlehem Don't Forget, Jason Kidd Won a Title with the Dallas Mavericks https://bleacherreport.com/articles/921622-dont-forget-jason-kidd-won-a-title-with-the-dallas-mavericks 2026-06-22 bleacherreport.com Byron Scott later coached the Lakers from 2014 to 2016, the last few years of Kobe Bryant's career.Lakers Announce Hiring of Byron Scott as Head Coach Los Angeles Lakers https://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/140728byronscott_headcoach 2026-06-22 www.nba.com References External links http://www.nba.com/finals2002/ Official website NBA.com May 27, 2007 bot: unknown https://web.archive.org/web/20100321175200/http://www.nba.com/finals2002/ March 21, 2010 http://www.nba.com/history/finals/20012002.html A Sweeping Statement NBA.com May 17, 2008 bot: unknown https://web.archive.org/web/20101203184404/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/20012002.html December 3, 2010: NBA Encyclopedia article about 2002 Finals Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:2002 in American television Category:Sports competitions in East Rutherford, New Jersey NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Los Angeles Category:21st century in East Rutherford, New Jersey Category:Meadowlands Sports Complex Category:Basketball competitions in New Jersey