2001 NBA Finals Los Angeles Lakers Championship Video [VHS]
It's obviously a slam dunk for Los Angeles Lakers and basketball fans.  But anyone who loves sports will find drama and inspiration in this thrilling  video souvenir of the 2001 NBA championship, in which the Lakers learned that  "being champion demands more of a team than winning a championship."When the Lakers were crowned champions in 2000, they had the look and the  swagger of a dynasty in the making. But in the 2000-2001 season, the team's  delicate chemistry was shattered by growing tensions between their two marquee  players, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. They had the same goal--a repeat  championship--but opposite visions on how to achieve it. Bryant "wanted to come  out and annihilate everybody," coach Phil Jackson observes. In his quest to  become known as the league's best player, Bryant tried to win games by himself.  In one game, he scored 51 points, but the team lost. Meanwhile, O'Neal saw  himself as the team's "big dog," telling reporters, "If the big dog ain't me,  the house won't get guarded." The Lakers' championship saga became "the league's  leading soap opera" until the disjointed team "rediscovered their purpose."  Their championship bluster returned with a vengeance as they went undefeated in  the playoffs against the Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, and San  Antonio Spurs. The last 30 minutes of this hourlong video chronicles the  exciting championship series against Alan Iverson and the underdog Philadelphia  76ers. With the best record in the history of the NBA playoffs, the Lakers took  another step toward fulfilling their promise of a dynasty. This video goes  beyond game highlights to include candid interviews as well as footage of the  Lakers' victory celebrations. Stay tuned for a music video of Sugar Ray's "When  It's Over."--Donald Liebenson