LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers: Biggest enemies of the 1990s

By Jamaal Artis

24 May 1991: Center Vlade Divac of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for two during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /All
24 May 1991: Center Vlade Divac of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for two during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /All /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next

25 Oct 1997: Nick Van Exel Otto Greule  /Allsport

2. Seattle SuperSonics

For those that remember the NBA used to have a team in Seattle. By the mid 90’s the SuperSonics with Gary Payton and Sean Kemp were the cream of the crop in the west. Payton was the defensive dynamo that ran the offense, while Kemp was known as the “Rain Man” was delivering thunderous dunks on a nightly basis.

Despite the talent on the team for some reason,

the SuperSonics failed to live up to their lofty expectations suffering upset playoff losses in the early rounds. One upset came in 1995 when the 57 win SuperSonics faced the 48 win Lakers in the best of five first round series.

The Lakers led by Nick Van Exel and Cedric Ceballos were blown out in game one by 25 leading many to believe the series over, but the SuperSonics never won another game as the Lakers swept the next three games by an average of three points to win the series and score the upset.

The teams would meet again in 1998 this time with Shaquille O’Neal in the fold the SuperSonics who had traded Kemp away were no match as Lakers won in five games 4-1 to advance to the Western Conference Finals. O’Neal was the player of the series averaging 30 points 9.6 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers