2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers: Where are they now?

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were the superstar duo around which the Lakers won three straight titles
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were the superstar duo around which the Lakers won three straight titles

Los Angeles Lakers started the millennium by winning three consecutive NBA championships (2000,2001,2002). The Lakers have been struggling in the past few seasons, especially after Kobe Bryant hung his boots. This season the Lakers are struggling with a win percentage under 42%. They should gain inspiration from the former Lakers who were used to winning championships and performing better in the regular season.

Here, we look at the Lakers of 2002. Under coach Phil Jackson, they finished second in the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference with a regular season record of 58-24. They went on to win the playoffs by defeating Sacremento Kings in seven games and then beat New Jersey Nets in four successive games to record a three-peat for the first time since 1952-54. We are going to have a look at the top players who were part of the 2001-02 season and learn what they are up to these days:

#8 Samaki Walker

Samaki Walker defended by Malik Rose
Samaki Walker #52 looks to drive past Malik Rose

After being selected 9th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1996 NBA draft, Samaki played three seasons with the Mavericks. He then played another two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before signing in as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. He started 63 of the 69 games played in the regular season. He finished with an average of seven rebounds and 1.28 blocks per game. He didn't play much in the NBA Finals with just 24 minutes in four games.

Where is he now: Walker played in China, Syria, and Lebanon after his NBA stint. Walker was arrested at Arizona for possessing performance enhancers in 2011. He then opened a basketball clinic company in Los Angeles in 2014. He has also worked in the NBA Players Association's coaching development program four years.

#7 Lindsey Hunter

Los Angeles Clippers v Phoenix Suns
Lindsey Hunter while coaching Phoenix Suns

Picked by the Detroit Pistons in the 1993 NBA Draft, Lindsey Hunter spent most of his playing years with the Pistons. He was traded to Milwaukee Bucks with whom he spent one season, before being exchanged to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. He was part of the championship-winning Lakers in 2002, having contributed 0.8 assists and 5.8 points per game. He is one of the three players to have played all 82 games in the regular season though he started only 47 of them. Lindsey played only three games in the NBA Finals.

Following the championship, he made a move to Toronto Raptors for one season before returning to Pistons for five seasons. He finished off his career with two seasons for the Chicago Bulls.

Where is he now: Currently, he is the assistant coach of the Chicago Bulls. Following his retirement in 2010, he started his coaching stint with the Phoenix Suns as Assistant Coach for player development in 2012.

#6 Robert Horry

Robert Horry #5
Robert Horry waiting to make his move

Picked 11th overall in the first round draft by Houston Rockets in 1992, Robert Horry went on to win seven NBA championships in his career. He did so with three outfits (Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs) and is one of the only two players to have done so along with John Salley. After four seasons with the Rockets, Horry was traded to Phoenix Suns where he got suspended following an altercation with coach Danny Ainge. He then moved to the Lakers in 1997 and became renowned for his clutch play when he shot the team to victory in important games.

In 2001-02, he played 81 games in the regular season, starting 23 of them. He averaged 6.8 points, 1.1 blocks and 5.9 rebounds per game. However, in the finals, he started all four games playing an average of 39.8 minutes per game. He averaged 8 points, 1.8 blocks, 7.3 rebounds and a team-high 2.8 steals per game.

Where are they now: Robert Horry has taken up the role of a commentator and is now working with Spectrum SportsNet. He was criticized by fans last year after he took a dig at his former teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. He is based in Houston now where he resides with his family.

#5 Devean George

NBA Finals Game 5: Lakers v Pistons
Devean George reacts to a call

George was picked by the Los Angeles as the 23rd overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft. He played seven seasons for the Lakers and contributed immensely in the three seasons they won at the start of the century. He then moved to Dallas Mavericks as a free agent in 2006 and finished his career with a season for the Golden State Warriors.

A talented player with good outside shooting and defensive skills, he was the key substitute in the 2001-02 season. He featured in all 82 games in the regular season, starting just one of them but played an average of 21.5 minutes per game. He averages 7.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. In the finals, he played all the four games as a substitute with an average of 18 minutes per game and shooting 26 points in total.

Where is he now: Devean George founded a real estate firm in his home state of Minnesota called George Group North. He also runs a youth outreach program called Building Blocks with an aim to provide affordable housing for the community.

#4 Rick Fox

2000 NBA Western Conference Finals: Portland Trail Blazers v Los Angeles Lakers
Rick Fox tries to fend off the defender

Rick Fox is the only player on this list to have started all 82 games in the 2001-02 regular season. The Canadian small forward was picked by Boston Celtics in 1991 NBA draft. He moved to Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 1997 and started all 82 games in his first season with the Lakers. He also started all 19 playoff games in the 2001-02 season.

He averaged 7.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 27.9 minutes played per game in the regular season. He scored 13 points in Lakers playoffs victory in the first round deciding game against the Sacramento Kings. In the NBA finals, he averaged 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 36 minutes per game. He retired from the game with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.

Where is he now: Rick Fox now owns an eSports team called Echo Fox which he bought in 2015. His team competes in professional gaming. He has also tried his hand at acting.

#3 Derek Fisher

76ers v Lakers X
Derek Fisher in the defensive position

Derek Fisher was picked 24th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1996 NBA draft and played most seasons for them. He played first eight seasons with Lakers and won three championships. He played two seasons with Golden State Warriors and one with Utah Jazz before coming back to the Lakers in 2007 to win two more championships.

In 2001-02 regular season, Fisher started 35 off the 70 games he played. He averaged 11.2 points per game and shot 3-pointers with a team-high accuracy of 41.3%. In the NBA finals, he started all four games and averaged 12.8 points per game. He also shot three-pointers with an accuracy of 66.7% in the finals. Fisher retired from the game with two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunders in 2014.

Where is he now: Post-retirement, he took up the role as the head coach of New York Knicks in June 2014. He coached them for two seasons. In 2017, he was on the panel of analysts for Turner Sports' new Players Only programming slate.

#2 Kobe Bryant

Kobe drives past Giricek
Kobe drives past Giricek

One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe played for the Lakers throughout the entire 20 seasons of his career. He is ranked third in the All-Time Regular season scoring list and led the NBA in scoring for two seasons. He was part of five championship-winning sides at the Lakers. In 1996, he was chosen by Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the key contributor throughout his career with the Lakers.

In 2001-02, he started all 80 games he played, averaging 25.2 points in 38.3 minutes played per game. He also averaged a team-high 5.5 assists and 1.48 steals per game. In the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, he averaged 26.8 points with 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. At the age of 23, he also became the youngest player to win three championships.

Where is he now: After his retirement in 2016, he turned an entrepreneur. He produced a short film, Dear Basketball, which won Oscar nominations. He is a major investor in BodyArmor sports drinks.

#1 Shaquille O'Neal

Jazz v Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal dunks against Utah Jazz

Shaquille O'Neal was picked first overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by Orlando Magic. He made a move to Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 as a free agent and was part of the three championship-winning teams. He also won one championship with Miami Heats in 2006. He played for Lakers until 2004 and went on to play for a total of six teams in his 19 years illustrious career.

O'Neal's 2001-02 season was marred by trouble with his toe. He had a corrective surgery on the toe before the start of the season. He could only manage to play 67 games in the season, starting 66 of them. He led his team with averages of 27.2 points, 2.04 blocks and 10.7 rebounds per game. In the NBA Finals, he averaged 36.3 points, 2.8 blocks and 12.3 rebounds in 41.5 minutes played each game. He finally hung his boots in 2011 after playing a season with the Boston Celtics.

Where is he now: Post his retirement, O'Neal has tried his hand at multiple businesses. He purchased minority stakes of Sacremento Kings and also bought a store of Krispy Kreme in Atlanta. He is currently featuring as an analyst on the television show Inside the NBA aired on TNT.

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Edited by Kishan Prasad