On January 30, Beijing time, in the history of the NBA, the Lakers' F4 team is undoubtedly a high-profile super team. However, in the 2004 Finals, the superstar duo of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Carl Malone and Gary Payton unexpectedly lost to the Pistons' civilian legion. So, what exactly caused the failure of the Lakers' F4 Legion?
First of all, we have to admit that the Pistons were very strong that season. Even though they didn't have a single superstar, the players on the team were excellent and worked together to play the pinnacle of team basketball. In contrast, the Lakers, although they have four superstars, are far inferior to the Pistons in terms of coordination and tacit understanding.
Secondly, the Lakers had a very short run-in that season. The conflict between Kobe Bryant and O'Neal has been going on for a long time, and the addition of Malone and Payton has made this team even stranger. Although they had a good result in the regular season, in the Finals, against a strong Pistons, the Lakers' coordination problems were exposed.
In addition, the Pistons did an excellent job on the defensive end. They managed to limit the Lakers' offense through tight markers and collective defense. Especially in the crunch moments of the game, the Pistons played better, while the Lakers looked outwhelmed.
Of course, there are other factors that we can't ignore either. For example, the Lakers had a very serious injury problem that season, with a number of players out due to injuries, which undoubtedly had an impact on the team's strength and coordination. In addition, the Lakers had a very difficult schedule that season, and the physical and mental state of the players was also affected by the challenges of multiple strong teams.
To sum up, the failure of the Lakers' F4 team is not due to the mistakes or deficiencies of one player, but the problems of the entire team in terms of coordination, tacit understanding, defense and physical strength. In contrast, the Pistons performed better, and they defeated strong opponents through the strength of their team. The game also became a great story in NBA history, proving that the power of team basketball is endless.