The "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever
By Cal Durrett
Sacramento Kings: What if the Kings won Game 7 of the 2002 West Finals?
In the early 2000s, the Sacramento Kings were one of the best teams in the NBA, featuring players like Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, and Mike Bibby. And while they were the contemporaries of two dynasties, the Duncan Spurs and the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, they nearly won a title themselves in 2002.
In the 2002 Western Conference semi-finals, they squared off against in-state rival Lakers and nearly beat the defending champions had it not been for scores of questionable calls by the referees. Game 6 saw the Lakers take 18 more free throws than the Kings and were able to force Game 7 despite hitting just five shots in the fourth quarter. Game 7 went to overtime, where Shaq and Kobe overpowered Sacramento to secure a trip back to the NBA Finals.
Had the Kings advanced past the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, they likely would have also beaten the New Jersey Nets en route to the first championship. That didn't happen, however, and that Kings team is instead remembered as one of the best to never win a championship.