Los Angeles Lakers: Biggest enemies of the 1990s

LOS ANGELES – APRIL 8: John Salley (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

4. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs were one of the teams vying to take the place of the Lakers as the best of the west and the two teams did face each other twice in the playoffs during the decade. Both series were different in the way the teams were made up, despite the Lakers losing both series a new rivalry was on the horizon.

In 1995 the Spurs were lead by their center David Robinson who was the league MVP that year and Dennis Rodman who had become a sideshow by then but was also the best rebounder in the league. The Spurs won the series in six games, but for the Lakers the highlight of the series came when Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel hit a game tying 3 at the end of regulation and then a game winning 3 in overtime to stave off elimination in game 5.

By 1999 the two teams were made up of completely different parts, the Spurs were now lead by their young power forward Tim Duncan who was just starting to assert his leadership over the team and the NBA. While the Lakers had been completely remade with the acquisitions of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

For the young Lakers who had not yet learned to co-exist the Spurs made it look easy by sleeping the Lakers 4-0. It was the second year in a row the Lakers had been swept in the playoffs and it was the end of an era as Game 4 was the last game ever played at the Fabulous Forum. The Lakers would learn from their setbacks and start a new dynasty in the new millennium.