The Los Angeles Lakers were led by two superstars in regular season M-V-P Shaquille O’Neal, and 22-year-old Kobe Bryant, while the Portland Trail Blazers, despite lacking the top tier talent, had three All-Star caliber players in Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, and Steve Smith, as well as a deep bench. The team’s were both top five in offensive and defensive rating that season, further illustrating that their records were no fluke.
There are plenty of fascinating storylines in this series, most notably Scottie Pippen versus Phil Jackson.