Who Won The NBA Finals In 2004?

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2004.

The Teams

The 2004 NBA Finals were the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 2003–04 season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference.

The Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in NBA history, having won 17 NBA championships, their last being in 2010.

The Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons are a professional basketball team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They are members of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and won the NBA championship in 2004. The team’s home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills, which is located in Auburn Hills.

The Series

The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference, with each team having home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, so the first team to win four games would win the series.

Game 1

The first game of the series was played on June 9, 2004, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Lakers were the home team and won the game, 94–84. Shaquille O’Neal was the leading scorer for the Lakers with 28 points, while Chauncey Billups was the leading scorer for the Pistons with 22 points.

Game 2

In one of the most lopsided games in NBA Finals history, the Pistons routed the Lakers 100–87. Detroit led by as many as 31 points in the second half, and seasick L.A. fans booed their team off the court. “We just couldn’t get anything going,” said a dejected Shaquille O’Neal, who missed all four of his free throw attempts and had only eight rebounds. Kobe Bryant (22 points) and Karl Malone (21) were the only Lakers in double figures.”We have to go home now and regroup,” said Bryant, who refused to blame his ailing right knee for his 5-for-18 shooting performance. “We’ll be all right.””This was a must-win game for us, and we played like it,” said Chauncey Billups, who scored 19 points. “Now we have to go out there and take care of business at home.”

Game 3

The Detroit Pistons took Game 3 with a big 89-78 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. This was a very physical game, with several players getting into foul trouble. The Pistons were led by Chauncey Billups, who had 21 points and eight assists. Rasheed Wallace added 19 points and eight rebounds, while Ben Wallace had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points for the Lakers, but shot just 8-for-23 from the field. Shaquille O’Neal fouled out of the game early in the fourth quarter and finished with just 14 points and six rebounds.

Game 4

The fourth and final game of the 2004 NBA Finals was played on June 15, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Detroit Pistons had defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the first three games of the series and were leading the series 3-1. The Pistons were looking to win their first NBA Championship since 1990, while the Lakers were looking to avoid becoming only the second team in NBA history to lose a Finals series after leading 3-1 (the other team being the 1969 Boston Celtics).

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson made a change to his starting lineup for Game 4, replacing power forward Karl Malone with shooting guard Kobe Bryant. The move paid off, as Bryant scored 30 points and Malone scored just two. However, it was not enough to overcome the Pistons, who won the game 92-86 to become NBA Champions.

The Aftermath

The Detroit Pistons had one of the most unlikely NBA Finals victories in recent memory. They were able to take down the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers in just five games. This was a huge upset for many people.

The Legacy of the Lakers

In 2004, the Lakers won their fourth NBA championship in nine years. The team’s success was a result of the combination of several superstar players, including Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Karl Malone. The team’s run of success cemented their place as one of the most successful franchises in NBA history.

While the team’s on-court success is unquestionable, the Lakers’ impact on popular culture is also significant. The team’s 1984 draft class, which included future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is often cited as one of the best in NBA history. The Lakers were also one of the first teams to embrace social media, with Kobe Bryant becoming one of the first athletes to gain a large following on Twitter.

The Lakers’ 2004 championship was the last time the team won an NBA title. Since then, they have failed to make it back to the Finals. In recent years, the team has been plagued by injuries and poor personnel decisions. As a result, they have become one of the worst teams in the league. Despite their struggles, the Lakers remain one of the most popular teams in the NBA and are always a threat to make a deep run in the playoffs.

The Legacy of the Pistons

In 2004, the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons were led by Finals MVP Chauncey Billups and head coach Larry Brown. The win was a massive upset, as the Lakers were favored to win the series. The Pistons’ victory was seen as a triumph for team basketball over individual superstar talent.

The Pistons’ success would not last long, however. After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005, the team began to unravel. Brown left for the New York Knicks, and star players like Billups and Rasheed Wallace were traded away. The Pistons would not return to the NBA Finals for another 14 years.

While the Pistons’ dynasty was short-lived, their 2004 championship is still remembered as one of the most unlikely upsets in NBA history.