Peja Stojakovic on honest reason Lakers defeated Kings in 2002 WCF

USA Today

13-06-2025

Peja Stojakovic on honest reason Lakers defeated Kings in 2002 WCF
Perhaps the most classic series that the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers ever played was the 2002 Western Conference finals. In that series, they went up against a very talented Sacramento Kings team that had spent the past few years building a squad that could topple them at the most important time of year.
The Kings weren't just talented — they were ahead of their time. They were one of the first NBA teams to play modern-day "pace and space" basketball at a time when the league was hopelessly infected with stagnant, slowdown basketball.
The 2002 West finals went back and forth, and in the end, the Lakers prevailed in Game 7 in overtime by six points. To this day, the Sacramento area still hasn't gotten over that loss, and of course, they still blame the referees who officiated Game 6 at Staples Center for allegedly manipulating the results in L.A.'s favor.
But Peja Stojakovic, the sharpshooting starting small forward on that Sacramento team, has a simpler explanation for why his team lost. He said it was Sacramento's own fault it fell short in that series.
Via Basketball Network:
"In 2002, we definitely had our chances," he said. "We even had Game 7 at home. But if we're being honest and fair as athletes, we missed a lot of shots, a lot of free throws. We didn't secure defensive rebounds when we needed to… So without going too deep into anything else — because sports always have those moments we look back on, like Game 6 — those moments leave a mark on our careers. But I truly believe that, as a team, we played better basketball the following year. We were more complete and more mature."
In that seventh game, the Kings shot an embarrassing 16-of-30 from the free throw line. Stojakovic, who was arguably the NBA's best pure shooter back then, went just 3-of-12 from the field, and with time running down in the fourth quarter, he choked.
With under 15 seconds to go and Los Angeles leading by one point, Hedo Türkoğlu fed a wide-open Stojakovic in the corner. The latter released a 3-pointer, but it hit nothing but air and went straight into O'Neal's arms.
Referee conspiracy or no referee conspiracy, the Kings only have themselves to blame for losing that game and not winning the NBA championship.