Detroit Pistons: 88
Los Angeles Lakers: 80
Player of the game:
Rasheed Wallace: 26 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
In that series, Bryant had Los Angeles’ highest usage percentage (30.4%) but made just 38% of his shots and 17% of his 3-pointers. Bryant rather transparently wanted to be the Lakers’ best player. It’s easy to see how he’d get carried away gunning for Finals MVP.
Jeff Pearlman added:
Interviewed a Kobe teammate for my upcoming book. We talked about 2004 Finals loss to Pistons. Much blame was placed on Karl Malone injury. Guy told me, "That loss was on Kobe. He wanted to be MVP of that series, and he just ... kept ... shooting."
Reference: “Former teammate, reportedly: Lakers lost in 2004 because Kobe Bryant wanted to be NBA Finals MVP” by Dan Feldman, NBC Sports, August 28, 2019
While I am a Kobe fan, those fans that are saying that Kobe could have easily won Finals MVP in their three-peat are completely misinformed. Shaquille O’Neal was such a dominant force, period.
2000 Finals (GmSc)
O’Neal: 30.6 (All-Time)
Miller: 17.6 (All-Star)
Rose: 14.0 (Role)
Croshere: 12.8 (Role)
Jackson: 10.7 (Role)
Bryant: 9.7 (Role)
2001 Finals (GmSc)
O’Neal: 27.4 (All-Time)
Iverson: 20.5 (MVP-level)
Bryant: 17.2 (All-Star)
2002 Finals (GmSc)
O’Neal: 30.1 (All-Time)
Bryant: 20.3 (MVP-level)
Kidd: 19.0 (All-Star)
Kobe was outplayed by Miller, Rose, Croshere, Jackson, and Iverson in his first two NBA Finals. Regardless, I'm still a fan, and I appreciated his game by 2006 with his maturity and how he was able to reinvent his game to become one of the most dominant force in the league.
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Game Score rating averages across all series (First Round, Semifinals, Conference Finals, and Finals) reveal that he only came close to Shaquille O'Neal during the 2001 title run. In contrast, the 2000 and 2002 seasons were dominated by Shaq. While fans often highlight points per game, this metric can obscure the efficiency of those shots. Game Score, however, considers total contribution, including efficiency and turnovers, providing a more comprehensive evaluation.
2000 Game Score (GmSc) Playoff Series
Shaquille 25.23 (All-time rating)
Kobe 14.3 (Role-player rating)
2001 Game Score (GmSc) Playoff Series
Shaquille 23.67 (MVP rating)
Kobe 22.28 (MVP rating)
2002 Game Score (GmSc) Playoff Series
Shaquille 22.38 (MVP rating)
Kobe 17.58 (All-Star rating)
2004 Game Score Finals:
Shaquille 18.7 (All-star level)
Kobe 11.6 (Role-player level)
The intention of Game Score is to give a “total value” on a player’s statistical performance in a basketball game. It takes every statistic listed on a player’s box score into account. Where most players are judged only on scoring ability, Game Score includes other contributions such as rebounds, steals, blocks, turnovers, and other actions.
Game Score = Points Scored + (0.4 x Field Goals) – (0.7 x Field Goal Attempts) – (0.4 x (Free Throw Attempts – Free Throws)) + (0.7 x Offensive Rebounds) + (0.3 x Defensive Rebounds) + Steals + (0.7 x Assists) + (0.7 x Blocks) – (0.4 x Personal Fouls) – Turnovers
The Finals MVP award isn't just based on who scores the most points per game in the series. Everything is considered, with box scores and advanced metrics provided to the panel of eleven media members.
