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. 먹튀검증

What was the best team that O’Neal and Co. faced during their three-peat run in Los Angeles? Most casual fans might point to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings, led by Chris Webber, gave the Lakers some major problems in the early 2000s.

O’Neal named another Western Conference contender as the “toughest” team he played during an interview with Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. The 2000 Portland Trailblazers get that honor.

“They were the toughest team,” Shaq said, “and they were the only team that wasn’t scared of us.”

The 1999-2000 Blazers went 59-23 in the Western Conference. Portland had Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, Steve Smith, Damon Stoudemire, Arvydas Sabonis, Detlef Schrempf and Bonzi Wells, among others.

Portland lost to Los Angeles, 4-3, in the Western Conference Finals.

Another former Lakers player, Robert Horry, took things a step further than O’Neal did when talking about those Blazers.

“It’s probably the best team I’ve ever faced playing basketball, period,” Horry said.

Coming from Horry, who won seven championships over the course of his NBA career, that is really saying something.