在奥尼尔、科比和霍利之后，洛杉矶湖人队在2000年、2001年和2002年在名人堂战术大师杰克逊的指导下连续三次夺冠。
为了在2000年战胜印第安纳步行者队，湖人队首先必须在2000年西部决赛中超越波特兰开拓者队。那场系列赛进行了史诗般的七场比赛，洛杉矶队最终在主场以89比84的比分赢得了第七场比赛。
在接受《看台报道》的霍华德贝克的采访时，奥尼尔和霍利都说，2000年开拓者队是湖人在三连胜中面临的最艰难的一支球队：
“这可能是我打篮球所遇到过的最好的球队了，是的，”罗伯特霍里说，他在16年的职业生涯中赢得了7次冠军，其中包括3次在湖人队。
“他们是最强悍的球队，”沙克说，“他们是唯一一支不怕我们的球队。”
2000年的开拓者是由拉希德·华莱士、史蒂夫·史密斯和芝加哥公牛队传奇人物斯科蒂·皮蓬率领的，他即将结束他的名人堂生涯。在1999-00赛季的常规赛中，波特兰在主教练邓利维的带领下赢得了59场比赛。
最终，科比和奥尼尔在2000年的WCF比赛中被开拓者们压得喘不过气来。奥尼尔为湖人平均得到25.9分和12.4个篮板，而科比在七场系列赛中得到20.4分、4.9个篮板和5.9次助攻。
原标题：
Shaquille O’Neal, Robert Horry name the ‘toughest team’ three-peat Lakers faced
原文：
Behind Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Robert Horry, the Los Angeles Lakers won three straight titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002 under the guidance of Hall of Fame tactician Phil Jackson.
To win that first ring in 2000 over the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers first had to get past the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2000 Western Conference Finals. That series went an epic seven games, with Los Angeles ultimately winning Game 7 at home by a final score of 89-84.
In an interview with Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, both O’Neal and Horry said that the 2000 Blazers team is the toughest club the Lakers faced during their three-peat run:
“It’s probably the best team I’ve ever faced playing basketball, period,” says Robert Horry, who won seven championships in his 16-year career, including three with the Lakers.
“They were the toughest team,” Shaq says, “and they were the only team that wasn’t scared of us.”
The 2000 Blazers were led by Rasheed Wallace, Steve Smith and Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, who was nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career. Portland won 59 games during the 1999-00 regular season under head coach Mike Dunleavy.
Ultimately, Kobe and Shaq were too much for the Blazers to handle in the 2000 WCF. O’Neal averaged 25.9 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Lakers, while Bryant put up 20.4 points, 4.9 boards and 5.9 assists in the seven-game series.
