Former Sacramento Kings point guard Mike Bibby has reignited the conversation around the 2002 Western Conference Finals, stating that the series against the Los Angeles Lakers was unjustly taken from them.
Speaking on the Straight Game Podcast, Bibby reflected on the heartbreaking loss that ended the Kings’ championship hopes and remains one of the most controversial playoff series in NBA history.
“We like they were getting our champagne ready in the locker room to celebrate winning the Western Conference,” Bibby said, via HoopsHype. “I still, the Robert Horry shot… I still can’t watch it.”
Bibby referenced Game 4, when Horry’s buzzer-beating three-pointer tied the series 2-2 after the Kings had led by as much as 24 points. The shot shifted the momentum of the series in favor of the Lakers.
“That was our championship,” Bibby added. “If you watch some of those highlights, you could see like Shaq’s face, Kobe’s face… it’s over.”
The 2002 series has long been subject to scrutiny, particularly Game 6, which saw highly disputed officiating decisions that tilted in the Lakers’ favor. Sacramento had a chance to close out the series in Game 7 at home but fell short in overtime.
“Game seven, we go to game seven, kind of sh*t the bed in game seven, two for 13 from three, under 50% from the free throw line,” Bibby recalled. “We end up losing in overtime.”
Despite the Kings’ struggles in the final game, Bibby emphasized that Sacramento was the better team throughout the series. His frustration resurfaced as he described the rare postgame interview where both he and Kobe Bryant were questioned, despite the Kings being the losing side.
“They interview me after the game. Me and Kobe are getting interviewed after the game. I don’t think I’ve seen them ever interview a losing player,” he said.
The Kings, led by Bibby, Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, and Vlade Divac, were considered one of the most talented teams in the league that season. The 2002 matchup against a Lakers squad featuring Shaquille O’Neal and Bryant remains one of the most talked-about series in NBA playoff history.
