2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season

[1] The Lakers entered the season following a disappointing second-round loss to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 playoffs.

Media attention surrounding the case would prove to be an ongoing distraction for the team, and Bryant missed games during his trial.

[6] Payton struggled with coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, and Malone missed significant time due to injuries.

[7][8][9] Despite the setbacks, the Lakers finished the season with a 56–26 overall record, good enough to clinch the second seed in the Western Conference en route to the playoffs.

[10] In the playoffs, they defeated the Houston Rockets, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, and the Minnesota Timberwolves to earn the franchise its 28th appearance in the NBA Finals.

However, the underdog Pistons' strong defense and teamwork propelled them to their third championship in franchise history, and the star-studded Lakers would collapse in five games.

[13][14] After the season, Jackson and the team mutually agreed to part ways[15] and O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.

[16] Roster Last transaction: January 30, 2004 The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 format, where the first two and last two games are held at the venue of the team with home court advantage.

The Lakers had a star-studded lineup that included offseason acquisitions Karl Malone and Gary Payton as well as mainstays Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

The previous night, a group of overzealous Pistons fans made it difficult for the Lakers to get their rest by harassing them until 4am at their hotel in nearby Birmingham.