Roth Pond Regatta

1999-2000 Season (La Lakers vs Indiana Pacers)

The Lakers came to that year’s final after nine years of absence. It’s quite right to say that the 1990s was the worst decade the Lakers had to endure because they never won the NBA title. Hoping to put an end to this, they brought coach Phil Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers met the Indiana Pacers in the final. It was the first time the Pacers were reaching the finals and were led by the three-pointer shooting maestro Reggie Miller.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, the Lakers defeated them 4-2 in the best of seven series.

2000-2001 Season (La Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers)

The Lakers went back to the finals with aim of defending the title only that this time round, the Philadelphia 76ers was standing on their way. Allen Iverson playing for the 76ers had been phenomenal in the regular season. Few would have predicted that this really talented man would led his team to the NBA’s final. Many had predicted the Lakers would pu

ll a clean sweep however the 76ers managed to win one game in a series they lost 4-1. The most memorable thing about this season was the emergence of Allen Iverson.

2001-2002 Season (La Lakers vs New Jersey Nets)

Reaching their third consecutive final, the Lakers were the team to beat. A dynamic duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant was the most feared in the league. It was a nightmare for any team to meet those two. In the finals they were facing the New Jersey Nets who were making thei

r debut. The Nets heavily relied on the services of Jason Kidd, who had contributed the lion’s share of the success they were enjoying. The Lakers won the third NBA title in a row in style by pulling a clean sweep of 4-0.

2002-2003 Season (San Antonio Spurs vs New Jersey Nets)

For all who had thought that the Nets had reached last year’s final by a stroke of luck, then this year they proved otherwise by reaching the final for the second time in a row. With an aim of overcoming their loss the previous season to the Lakers, the Nets had the San Antonio Spurs to beat. Even though the Spurs had not won anything in the two previous seasons, Tim Duncan had been named the leagues             most valuable player in both seasons. This was the main worry for the Nets, how would they contain the brilliance of Tim Duncan? As fate would have it, the Nets lost the Spurs 4-2 in best of seven series

2003-2004 Season (Detroit Pistons vs La Lakers)

The Lakers after a one-year absence, they were back in the finals. The Detroit Pistons had a very young determined team that played so well, the chemistry among the players was met its greatest test in the hands of the unforgiving Lakers team. There was no stopping the dazzling Pistons, the season and the title was theirs for taking. They eventually won the best of seven series 4-1.

2004-2005 Season (San Antonio Spurs vs Detroit Pistons)

By mid of this decade, there were four teams which were very good, the La Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets and the Detroit Pistons. It wasn’t much of a surprise when the incredible Spurs meet the highflying Pistons. The Pistons had to learn the hard way that nothing is as difficult as defending the title, for they lost the series 4-3. The resilient of the Spurs in the last game of the series helped them to overcome the Pistons. Many people have earmarked the two teams encounter in the final as a firm contender, to being considered as the best final of the decade.

2005-2006 Season (Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks)

This season final had a lot of anticipation, the final presented the world to two new opponents who had never the reached the NBA final before. The two teams competing to make history were the Mimi heat and the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat led by Dwayne Wade were considered the hot favorites although the Dallas Mavericks had Dirk Nowitzki ready to step up to the plate. In the end, the Heats only needed six games to parade the title in the streets of Miami for the very first time. They had managed to win the series 4-2.

2006-2007 Season (San Antonio Spurs vs Cleveland Cavaliers)

At this point, the San Antonio Spurs had developed a rather usual remarkable pattern. They win a title, they lose the next season and then they come back again to take the title home. In front of this pattern was the Cleveland Cavaliers led by the sensational Le Bron James.  It was the Cavs first ever final, in their franchise history. The Spurs used