The 2004 NBA Finals was the
championship round of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
's (NBA)
2003–04 season, and the conclusion of the
season's playoffs. This season's
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
was contested between the
Western Conference playoff champion
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
and the
Eastern Conference playoff champion
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. The Lakers held
home court advantage, and the series was played under a
best-of-seven format.
Although the Lakers, headed by
Kobe Bryant and
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
, were considered the heavy favorites,
the underdog Pistons handily won the series in five games. The series is commonly referred to as a "five-game sweep" because Detroit dominated in each of their four wins while the Lakers barely managed to win Game 2 in overtime. This marked the Pistons' fifth championship victory overall as a franchise (including two NBL championships in 1944 and 1945 as the Fort Wayne Pistons), and their first since their back-to-back championships in
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
and
1990. The series ultimately featured the perceived underdog Pistons
dominating a Lakers team that included four future Hall of Famers.
Pistons owner
William Davidson became the first owner in American sports history to win two championships in one calendar year; eight days earlier, his
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
defeated the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
to win the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
's
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
in seven games.
Background
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers had won three consecutive championships from
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
to
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
but lost to the
eventual champions, the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, in the Western Conference semifinals in 2003 to end their streak at three. The Spurs beat the Lakers in 6 games.
In the 2003
offseason, the Lakers made major changes with initially varying results. Needing to find a point guard and a
power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
to defend against
Tim Duncan and the Spurs, the Lakers signed veteran stars
Gary Payton and
Karl Malone for well below market value; they also hoped to give both veterans their first championship ring. The Lakers were afterwards considered the favorites to win the NBA title.
During the regular season, after starting the season 18–3, the Lakers were afflicted by numerous injuries and stumbled to a 56–26 record to finish the season with the second seed in the Western Conference.
The Lakers breezed past their first-round opponent, the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, headlining a matchup between
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
and a young
Yao Ming
Yao Ming ( zh, c=姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Baske ...
. They defeated the squad 4–1 but then lost the first two games in their series against the
Spurs before a dramatic comeback that saw them win 4–2. They then faced the
Minnesota Timberwolves and league MVP
Kevin Garnett. The Lakers won the series 4–2 to advance to the Finals.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons won two back-to-back championships in
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
and
1990, but with retirements and departures of several stars, they faded from relevance.
The team hired former star
Joe Dumars as general manager of the team in 2000, and he began stockpiling draft picks and trading players. He landed defensive stalwart
Ben Wallace and guard
Richard Hamilton by trading established stars in controversial trades, signed Chauncey Billups who was considered an underachiever, and drafted
Tayshaun Prince with the 23rd pick in the
2002 draft. He was named the
NBA Executive of the Year in 2003 for returning the Pistons to prominence.
The Pistons made another major—perhaps, riskier—coaching change, firing
head coach
A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
Rick Carlisle
Richard Preston Carlisle ( ; born October 27, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously served as head coach of the Detroi ...
, who had led the Pistons to consecutive Central Division titles, 100 regular season wins, and had received the
NBA Coach of the Year Award in
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
. In his place, Dumars hired legendary coach
Larry Brown, who had most recently led the
Philadelphia 76ers to the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
in
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
against the
Lakers.
In a three-team trade involving the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
and
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
at the trade deadline, Dumars traded
Chucky Atkins,
Lindsey Hunter,
Bobby Sura,
Željko Rebrača
Željko Rebrača ( sr-Cyrl, Жељко Ребрача; born 9 April 1972) is a Serbian former professional basketball player and currently the president of KK Vojvodina, Vojvodina basketball club. After playing in Europe and the National Basketba ...
, and other considerations for guard
Mike James and forward
Rasheed Wallace, who had been traded from the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
to the Hawks and then to the Pistons at the trade deadline. They proved to be the final pieces of the championship team. Lindsey Hunter would rejoin the Pistons a week later after being waived by the Celtics and be partnered with Mike James to create a formidable guard tandem off the bench dubbed "The Pit Bulls". They became the first team in NBA history to hold five consecutive opponents under 70 points, and finished the season with a 54–28 record and the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons easily overcame the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
4–1 but struggled against the defending conference champion
New Jersey Nets. After splitting the first four games of the series, the Nets won Game 5 in Detroit in triple overtime to take a 3–2 series lead back to New Jersey. After falling behind by 12 early in Game 6, the Pistons stormed back in the second quarter and held on for an 81–75 victory to force a seventh game. The Pistons never trailed after the midway point of the first quarter and cruised to a 90–69 win to take the series.
In the Eastern Conference finals, a match up with the 61-win, Carlisle-led
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
, the Pistons faltered in the final 90 seconds of Game 1, falling 78–74. In Game 2, Rasheed Wallace almost squandered a Detroit lead. With Detroit clinging to a 69–67 lead with under 30 seconds to play, Billups recovered the basketball after a Jermaine O'Neal blocked shot of Rasheed Wallace. Jamaal Tinsley stripped Billups and found Reggie Miller open down the court for what appeared to be the tying lay-up. As Miller approached the basket, Tayshaun Prince ran in from the left wing and blocked Miller's lay-up as it left his fingertips. Richard Hamilton recovered the loose ball before it went out of bounds and was fouled by Tinsley. Hamilton would make three free throws in the game's final 15 seconds to seal the victory 72–67 and tie the series. The Pistons rode the momentum of Game 2, including dominant wins in Games 3 and 5, to a 4–2 series victory, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in 14 years.
Road to the Finals
Regular season series
The teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team:
Team rosters
Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers
Series summary
The Finals were played using a 2–3–2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with
home court advantage. This format was only used in the Finals; all other playoff series were held in a 2–2–1–1–1 format (the team with home court advantage starts).
The Pistons became the fourth team to sweep the middle three games since the NBA started using the 2-3-2 format in 1985, but the first to do so at home; the previous three times this had occurred, it was done by away teams (
1990 Pistons,
1991 Chicago Bulls,
2001 Lakers). This feat would later be accomplished by two more teams (the
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and
2012 Miami Heat, both on their home floor) before the Finals reverted to 2-2-1-1-1 format in 2014.
This was the first Finals series to be played on a Sunday–Tuesday–Thursday rotation since
1990, the last year
CBS had the NBA's national television contract.
NBC switched to a Wednesday-Friday-Sunday rotation in
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, which was used through
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, save for Monday games in
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
and
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
(and a potential Tuesday game in 1999, had that Finals reached Game 7). It is also the last series to have Game 1 be played on a Sunday. Since 2005, Game 1 has been played on a Thursday each year, with the exceptions of 2011, 2012, 2020, and 2021.
Features
The NBA heavily publicized the series as it has done with all other NBA Finals series. There was a sentiment among fans that the Pistons were the clear underdogs, and many described the series as a David vs. Goliath match-up.
The Lakers had a lineup of Stars such as
Karl Malone,
Gary Payton,
Kobe Bryant, and
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
—their offensive capability was expected to overpower Detroit's defensive-based game plan.
Payton and Malone also added to the publicity of the Finals. Perennial
All-Stars who had both previously reached the Finals, Payton had led the
Seattle SuperSonics there in
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, while Malone had led the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
there in
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
and
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
.
However, the
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
-led Chicago Bulls denied them championship rings a total of three times. By the time of Jordan's second retirement in 1998, the two veterans were aged and failed to lead their teams deep into the playoffs.
It would be Malone's final chance to win a championship, as he would retire before the subsequent season.
Game summaries
:''All times are in
Eastern Daylight Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico.
* Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behin ...
(
UTC−4). If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.''
Game 1
Considered to be a stunning upset by most of the NBA world, the Detroit Pistons managed to defeat the Lakers with imposing defense. Defensively clamping down on everyone but Bryant and O'Neal, the Pistons managed to hold everyone else to a total of 16 points. O'Neal recorded 34 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers.
The Pistons trailed the Lakers 41–40 at halftime, but by the fourth quarter the Pistons had opened up a 13-point lead; they would not trail for the rest of the game. The Pistons outscored the Lakers 47 to 34 in the 2nd half as they got the road win in Los Angeles. Chauncey Billups recorded 22 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals to fuel his team towards the win.
Game 2
In Game 2, the Lakers had an 7-point lead at halftime, 43–36. However, in the third quarter, the Pistons scored 30 points, cutting the deficit to 68–66. Detroit took the lead on a Lindsay Hunter three-pointer, 71–68. However, the Lakers went on a 7–0 run to regain the lead with 7:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. With 47 seconds remaining, Ben Wallace made a putback to give the Pistons a 6-point advantage. The next play, Kobe Bryant missed a 3-pointer but O'Neal was there to grab the offensive board and made an and-1 to cut the deficit to 3. The Pistons led by three points with 10.9 seconds remaining in the final period. Coach Brown wanted to foul a Lakers player where they could get only 2 points rather than 3. However, the Pistons' veterans only wanted to
intentionally foul O'Neal. Kobe Bryant's 3-point shot with 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter would force overtime, where the Pistons would make only one two-point field goal (compared to Los Angeles scoring ten points). Afterwards, on the team bus back to the airport, Billups told the Pistons' players and coaches, "We're not coming back to L.A."
Game 3
In Game 3, the Pistons were on fire to start. They started the game on a 10–2 run. At halftime, the Pistons led by seven, 39–32. The Pistons beat Los Angeles by 20 in their first NBA Finals appearance together at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1989 to take a 2–1 lead in the series. The 68 points scored by the Lakers set a franchise record for the lowest number of points scored in a playoff game. Tayshaun Prince and the Pistons' defense were able to hold Kobe Bryant to 11 points on 4/13 (.308%) shooting, with Bryant going scoreless in the first half.
Game 4
Again, the Pistons defeated the Lakers, although this time by eight, to take a 3–1 series advantage.
O'Neal scored 36 for the Lakers and Bryant scored 20 but shot 32 percent from the field.
Karl Malone would play his last game, as a knee injury would not allow him to dress in Game 5.
Game 5
In Game 5, the Pistons won their first championship since 1990, and Larry Brown finally won a professional title. The Pistons defense had overcome the high-scoring Laker offense, winning the game by 13, winning the series 4–1, and also ending a long Laker dynasty that lasted for many years. The Pistons' 100 points was the first (and only) time either team scored triple digits in the series. The game saw the end of Phil Jackson's first run as the coach—he returned in the 2005–06 season—and saw O'Neal, Payton, and Malone's last games in Laker uniforms.
This game also marked the end of Karl Malone's third and final attempt at winning an NBA championship. He went 0–3 in the NBA Finals.
Player statistics
;Detroit Pistons
, -! style="background:#FDE910;"
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 38.4 , , .509 , , .471 , , .929 , , 3.2 , , 5.2 , , 1.2 , , 0.0 , , 21.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 0 , , 13.6 , , .375 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 0.6 , , 3.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 4 , , 0 , , 2.5 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 44.4 , , .402 , , .400 , , .853 , , 5.2 , , 4.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 21.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 0 , , 13.0 , , .294 , , .250 , , 1.000 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 0.6 , , 0.4 , , 3.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 0 , , 4.4 , , .500 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.8 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 3 , , 0 , , 1.7 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.7 , , 0.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 4 , , 0 , , 9.8 , , .444 , , 1.000 , , .500 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 39.2 , , .389 , , .188 , , .455 , , 6.8 , , 2.0 , , 1.8 , , 0.4 , , 10.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 40.6 , , .478 , , .000 , , .294 , , 13.6 , , 1.4 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 10.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 30.2 , , .453 , , .250 , , .778 , , 7.8 , , 1.4 , , 0.4 , , 1.6 , , 13.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 0 , , 10.4 , , .400 , , .000 , , .900 , , 2.4 , , 0.2 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 4.2
;Los Angeles Lakers
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 46.2 , , .381 , , .174 , , .920 , , 2.8 , , 4.4 , , 1.8 , , 0.6 , , 22.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 3 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .167 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 2.7 , , 0.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 1.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 0 , , 20.2 , , .306 , , .375 , , .571 , , 3.0 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 6.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 3 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .571 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 2.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 20.8 , , .393 , , .333 , , 0.5 , , 2.8 , , 0.6 , , 1.0 , , 0.4 , , 5.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 4 , , 4 , , 30.5 , , .333 , , .000 , , .667 , , 7.3 , , 2.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 5.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 1 , , 14.4 , , .353 , , .000 , , .750 , , 3.6 , , 0.6 , , 0.0 , , 0.2 , , 3.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 42.6 , , .631 , , .000 , , .491 , , 10.8 , , 1.6 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 26.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 5 , , 33.6 , , .321 , , .200 , , .500 , , 3.0 , , 4.4 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 4.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 5 , , 0 , , 15.6 , , .318 , , .250 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 0.4 , , 0.2 , , 0.0 , , 3.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 3 , , 0 , , 2.7 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", , , 4 , , 0 , , 19.3 , , .385 , , .167 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 4.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 3.3
Broadcast notes
The games were broadcast on
ABC by
Al Michaels
Alan Richard Michaels (born November 12, 1944) is an American television play-by-play sportscaster for '' Thursday Night Football'' on Amazon Prime Video and in an emeritus role for NBC Sports. He has worked on network sports television sin ...
and
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
. This was the first of two NBA Finals assignments for Michaels, better known as the voice of ''
Monday Night Football'' at the time, while Rivers departed the booth after the series to become head coach of the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. Rivers was replaced by
Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude Brown (born September 25, 1933) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors separated by 26 years. Brown was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Bas ...
the following season. Rivers would not return to the broadcast booth until 2023, where he and
Doris Burke replaced
Mark Jackson and
Jeff Van Gundy on the lead broadcast team alongside
Mike Breen; Jackson and Van Gundy were laid off by the network after the
2023 NBA Finals. However, Rivers' second stint in the booth only lasted until January 2024 when the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
hired him as head coach.
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger (born May 26, 1939) is an American sportscaster, currently the lead broadcaster and managing editor at Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN).
With CBS Sports from 1973 until 1990, he was the original host of their ...
and
Jack Ramsay broadcast the Finals nationally on
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
. The finals were shown on
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Canada,
Leafs TV and
RDS (in French) simulcast ABC, and
Azteca 13 broadcast the Finals in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
To promote the series, the NBA used
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
' song "
Let's Get It Started", which it had also used throughout the
2004 NBA playoffs.
Aftermath
The Pistons won 54 games the following season, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They returned to the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
, where they lost to the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in seven games. The Pistons would continue their run of Eastern Conference superiority in the ensuing three years; losing in the Conference finals each time. After a particularly painful loss to the eventual champion
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
in the
2007–08 season, management would finally break up the core of the team and enter a period of losing seasons.
The Lakers' collapse became apparent in the days following the Finals. Head coach
Phil Jackson abruptly resigned,
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
was traded to the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
, where he eventually won a championship in
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
;
Gary Payton was dealt to the Celtics, and
Karl Malone was left unsigned, which subsequently resulted in Malone's retirement following the start of
2004–05 NBA season. The
2004–05 season was a tough one for the Lakers as they won just 34 games and missed the playoffs. Jackson returned to the Lakers in the following offseason; despite penning a book dubiously entitled: ''
The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul'', in which he voiced disdain for
Kobe Bryant; calling him 'uncoachable'. Jackson and Bryant would quickly bury the hatchet once the season began; the duo, in the ensuing years would appear in three more NBA Finals in 2008, 2009, and 2010, winning the latter two.
This was the third "
Big Four" postseason series in five years involving teams from Detroit and Los Angeles, as the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
and
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
previously faced off in the
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
Stanley Cup playoffs. The next postseason matchup involving both cities would not come until the
2023 NFC Wild Card Round between the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
and the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
.
References
External links
*
2004 NBA Finals Pistons vs. Lakersat Basketball-Reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 Nba Finals
NBA Finals
Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
2004 in sports in Michigan
2004 in Detroit
Basketball competitions in Detroit
Basketball competitions in Los Angeles
June 2004 sports events in the United States