Center: Shaquille O’Neal
The man who nicknamed himself “Most Dominant Ever” swept the Finals MVP award during L.A.’s championship three-peat in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
When star sidekick Kobe Bryant missed time during the 2000 Finals with an ankle injury, O’Neal covered for it by averaging 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, shooting 61.1 percent from the field as L.A. took care of the Pacers in six games. Shaq topped 40 points in three of those games, and had 20-plus rebounds twice.
In 2001, Shaq went up against reigning Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo of the 76ers and earned another Finals MVP, averaging 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 blocks per game. After the Lakers were upset in Game 1, Shaq came back with a near-quadruple-double to even up the series in Game 2, tallying 28 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and eight blocks. The Lakers went on to sweep the rest of the series.
In 2002, Shaq posted 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game against the Nets, one of the top defensive teams in the league that year.
Shaq’s tenure in L.A. ended when he was traded after a loss in the 2004 Finals, but he couldn’t be blamed too much for that one. Going up against Pistons center Ben Wallace, who had won Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003, and would win it again in 2005 and 2006, Shaq recorded 26.6 points on 63.1 percent shooting, to go with 10.8 rebounds per game.