Kenyon Martin on iconic 2002 NBA Finals photo with Shaq dunking on five Nets players: "That picture right there is how the series went"
kenyon-martin
The year Jason Kidd arrived in New Jersey, he turned the Nets into instant title contenders. The team won just 26 games in Year 1 of Byron Scott's tenure as head coach but after shipping out Stephon Marbury for Kidd, the Nets made a 180-degree turn during the 2001-02 season.
With 52 wins, the Nets were the top seed in the East and they proved their worth by defeating the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
But the breakthrough season quickly turned bleak in the NBA Finals as the Nets were dominated by the defending champions, Lakers, who were seeking a three-peat.
During a recent episode of Gil's Arena podcast, former Nets star forward Kenyon Martin summarized the 2002 NBA Finals in one photo.
"I'm saying there's a picture out there, that picture of all of us in the frame and Shaq dunking it show. That shows how the series was. Yeah, that picture right there was the indication of how them four games was. All five of us in one frame with him," recalled Martin.
Shaq was Finals MVP each year during the Lakers' three-peat run
Shaquille O'Neal was undeniably the most dominant player during that period. And so it wasn't a surprise that when the Lakers had their three-peat run, it was the Diesel who won Finals MVP honors each year.
2000 was Shaq's MVP season, and he was a monster during the championship series, averaging 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game in six games. The following year, O'Neal was equally dominant at 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.4 blocks per outing as the Lakers dropped just one game throughout the entire playoffs.
Then in 2002, despite Kobe Bryant coming into his own and having his best Finals performance during their three-peat run, Diesel was still feasting at 36.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game as the Lakers produced their only Finals sweep during their three-year title run.
It was boring for Shaq
During an interview with Brandon 'Scoop' Robinson, Shaq explained that the Lakers' dominance against the Nets made the clash 'boring.' The fact that the Nets did not have a big man who could match him down low in the middle, it was as easy as taking candy from a baby.
"It was boring because what was that center’s name... Todd MacCulloch," Shaq said on Scoop B Radio. "Todd MacCulloch playing me? Stop it. You know what’s crazy? I actually got mad when we were playing in Jersey. You think Todd McCulloch is going to stop me at the crib in Jersey in front of my grandma and grandpa?....Sheeeee*t! No. Stop it."
O'Neal claims to be the most dominant player in NBA history, and his resume backs up his claim. People can say whatever they want, but K-Mart was there during one of the Lakers' title years under Shaq. And as they said during Gil's Podcast, that photo of five Nets players trying to guard Shaq is proof of how dominant The Diesel was during his era.