On the night of June 19th, 2000, the planets finally aligned.
After a 12-year title drought for the franchise, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant earned their first ring together, guiding the Lakers to a 116-111 comeback win against the Indiana Pacers on Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
The team that had won 67 games during the regular season and had survived a tough Blazers team in the Western Conference Finals came through again in dramatic fashion, erasing a double-digit first-half deficit.
It took every last ounce of production from O’Neal, who played all but 31 seconds in the contest.