On this day in Lakers history, June 15th, 2001, they did just that, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in order to win their 13th NBA title and second in a row.

The Lakers had been perfect during their playoff run, sweeping their Western Conference foes the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs in what was a truly awe-inspiring run to the Finals.

The Lakers were led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, their unstoppable inside-out tandem that managed to overcome a spirited attempt by the legendary Allen Iverson and shot-swatting Dikembe Mutombo to deny Los Angeles their destiny.

The 76ers even managed to stop the Lakers’ winning streak, stealing Game 1 of the series and robbing Los Angeles of the chance to be the only team to ever get through the NBA playoffs undefeated.

After that, however, the Lakers went back to their winning ways, reeling off four straight victories to finish the season.

In the final game, Bryant and O’Neal led the way with 26 and 29 points, respectively, while Rick Fox netted 20 of his own and Derek Fisher went for 18. Bryant and O’Neal also gobbled up over half of the team’s 47 rebounds, with Bryant snagging 12 and O’Neal 13. O’Neal would ultimately win Finals MVP, his second consecutive time winning the award.

The score was close at halftime with the 76ers trailing 52-48, but a 31-20 third-quarter surge by the Lakers all but put the game and the series out of reach for Philadelphia. When the final buzzer sounded, the Lakers were on top, 108-96, and the celebration began.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

Yet, on this day in Lakers history, it wasn’t a superstar who shined the brightest. Instead, it was a role player long-known for his defensive skills that managed to go on a scoring spree that ultimately defeated the Celtics.

It was June 4, 1987, the date of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. With all eyes fixed on legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kevin McHale, it was something of a shock when lockdown defender Michael Cooper went on a tear.

The Celtics went into game two hoping to slow down Johnson, who had erupted in Game 1 for 29 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists to go with zero turnovers. Boston assigned Danny Ainge with the task of guarding Johnson, though it was futile.

The Lakers held just a four-point lead coming out of the first quarter, but they then went on a 20-10 run in the second that blew the game open.

Amazingly, on a floor that featured some of the greatest talents to ever lace up their high tops on an NBA floor, it was Cooper who either scored or assisted on all 20 points during that critical run. Cooper would eventually finish the game with 21 points including 6-of-7 from three, nine assists, and three steals in just 26 minutes.

Coopers six 3-pointers set what was then an NBA Finals record. That spark, combined with another stellar performance from Johnson who dropped 22 points and 20 assists, allowed the Lakers to cruise to a 141-122 victory.

Johnson’s 20 assists were one shy of tying his own NBA Finals record, while the Lakers shot 61.5 percent from the field which at the time set a record for highest in the Finals.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

Magic Johnson’s junior sky hook in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant’s 81 points, Derek Fisher’s 0.4 shot. Bryant’s 60-point final performance. The list goes on. Another such moment took place on May 26, 2002.

That was when Robert Horry stepped into a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Lakers a one-point victory over the Sacramento Kings in game four of the Western Conference Finals, instantly becoming one of the most iconic scenes in the team’s illustrious history.

While today the game is a fond memory for Lakers fans, it started out as a nightmare. With the Kings leading the series, 2-1, the Lakers badly needed to win a pivotal game four and even things up.

Sacramento jumped all over Los Angeles right from the start, surging out to a 40-20 lead after the first quarter. All looked lost as the Kings hit shot after shot.

The Lakers, however, kept their poise. Shaquille O’Neal and Bryant kept attacking while Horry battled Kings star Chris Webber in the post.

The Kings’ 20-point lead was cut to 14 at halftime, then seven by the end of the third. Little by little, Los Angeles inched closer to getting themselves back into the game.

With just 11 seconds remaining in the game and Sacramento up one, the Lakers fouled Vlade Divac, sending him to the line. He missed one of the two free throws, setting up what would be a classic finish.

The Lakers put the ball in Bryant’s hands, but as the clock wound down his driving floater missed. O’Neal tried to follow with a tip-in but also couldn’t get it to go. Divac slapped the ball out of the paint, and for a painful second, it appeared that the game was over.

Fate, however, had other plans.

The ball bounced to the capable hands of Horry, who was behind the 3-point line just off-center of the basket. Webber rushed to close out but Horry calmly stepped into his shot and let it fly. The buzzer sounded with the ball in the air as time stood still.

Swish.

The Staples Center went wild as their team’s improbable come-from-behind win washed over a sea of Lakers fans.

The Lakers went on to defeat the Kings in seven games and then bring home a third straight NBA championship, but it was that moment, that shot by Horry, that no one will ever forget.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

Such was the case on May 23, 2009, when a clutch steal from Trevor Ariza sealed a road win against the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The victory gave the Lakers a crucial 2-1 series lead.

The Lakers and Nuggets had split the first two games at Staples Center, and both were nail-biters that were decided by two and three points, respectively. Most assumed the Nuggets would get a boost from returning home to the high altitude of Denver but the young Lakers proved to be up to the task.

Los Angeles got a virtuoso performance out of Kobe Bryant, who exploded for 41 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. He also nailed four clutch free throws down the stretch that would extinguish any hope of a comeback for Denver.

Bryant wasn’t the only one pitching in, as Pau Gasol poured in 20 points and 11 rebounds while Ariza had 16 of his own while hitting 3-of-5 from downtown.

Still, despite Bryant’s brilliance and a solid night from the rest of the Lakers, the Nuggets hung close, relying on veteran point guard Chauncey Billups to lead them through the fire while star forward Carmelo Anthony had a forgettable outing.

Anthony shot just 4-of-13 from the field but managed to chip in 21 points thanks to 14 trips to the free throw line. Billups added 18 points and seven assists of his own.

With 36 seconds left and the Lakers up by just two, 97-95, the Nuggets put the ball in the hands of Kenyon Martin to inbound it on the sideline. Ariza read Martin’s pass perfectly, taking advantage of a miscue between Martin and his intended target Anthony to lunge forward and get the steal.

Anthony was forced to foul Ariza to prevent the breakaway, but he calmly sank both free throws, which would ultimately seal the game.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

However, on May 17, 2016, the basketball gods smiled upon the Lakers and awarded them the second overall pick in the draft. It was a moment of relief for the Lakers, who had been in jeopardy of losing the pick altogether unless it landed in the top three.

As part of the ill-fated Steve Nash trade in 2012, the first-round pick that the Lakers owed the Phoenix Suns (which was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers) would stay in the possession of the Lakers only if it fell in the top three.

Most saw this condition as an afterthought, as surely the Lakers would stay near the top of the league, but a difficult rebuilding period made the protection suddenly very relevant.

In 2015, the Lakers finished with the fourth-worst record, but their pick was only top-five protected that season, creating some drama over whether or not they would have anything to show for a difficult season. They ultimately jumped up two spots to the second pick and took D’Angelo Russell.

The next year, however, the odds were worse and so was the team’s record. The Lakers had fallen to the second-worst record in the league but had just a 55.8 percent chance of keeping their pick because the protection dropped to top-three.

To lose it after what had been the worst season in the team’s history would have been devastating for a franchise that badly needed young talent to rebuild around.

Fortunately for them, the draft order did not change, leaving them with the second pick for the second year in a row. They would go on to select Brandon Ingram out of Duke with the pick.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!