Let me re-set the stage from LA. 2003 and the Lakers get Malone and Payton. Everyone including me is saying championship. My only reservation is those guys are old. The Lakers go 18-4 to start. Championship. Only age could beat them...

Fast forward. SA is a Laker stumbling block and win the first two. Phil gets in gear and keeps Parker out of the lane. Lakers take SA four straight. Minn. is a false challenge. I tell Laker fans they are in.

Meanwhile, the Pistons pick up Sheed. I thought, Wow. Finally the Pistons get a player instead of losing them. The Pistons struggle with the Pacers but pull through.

Malone tells media it isn't over yet after beating Minn. but you know everyone is thinking it is over. Laker fans come to me. All I say is that it won't be a walkover. But I don't see the Pistons getting enough offense to win.

Then, an incredible moment in sports. Pistons win the first game. Shaq gets what he wants but the Pistons win. Larry exclaims, "We can get any shot we want." Lakers still confident. Pistons let Shaq tire himself out and contain Kobe. Ben is a monster. People tell me no wonder you talk about that guy. Pistons have the second game won when Kobe hits the shot. Kobe to press: Don't worry, I will take care of things. The world has re-aligned. Back to 1-1.

I begin to believe that the Pistons are a better team. Dare I believe that? I mean, we had the game won. Pistons blow out Lakers and win the series.

The Lakers start to argue immediately. The Laker brass take the loss to mean something is seriously wrong with the team. No one can conceptualize out here that they just got beat by a newly dominant team. The Lakers deal Shaq to an incredulous Riley without getting Wade to keep the younger Kobe. Nobody here still gets that the Pistons were plain that good.

MY first thought is just when the Pistons become dominant--now they will have to face Shaq. Also, the Lakers are done. The media PR machine pumps up the Lakers but I know they are done.

The Pistons go on the next year to again make Shaq sit early but blow the championship due to scheduling, etc. The Lakers-- only by the end of the year-- realize that they are in a re-build mold and how good the Pistons really were. The PR machine can't any longer make fans forget Shaq for Odom. Some are starting to ask: why didn't we get Wade? Lakers are relieved when Pistons deny Shaq.

Riley says that the Pistons are a unique team and totally re-builds. After an incredibly dominant first half, the Pistons implode. The Lakers are still nowhere with no cap room and paying luxery tax.

Shaq gets his revenge and my fears are realized. The Lakers own imploding (Shaq to Miami) costs the Pistons a free run through the east. Now it is the Pistons who implode and Ben is let go and the Pistons run looks prematurely curtailed.

How ironic. The Pistons take down the Lakers who explode and lose Shaq. The Pistons go down two years later when unable to get by that same Shaq.

What do others see? If Shaq stays where he was suppose to, Ben would still be here with the Pistons and people would be talking dynasty for both teams. Miami would be nothing. The ball bounces strangely in the NBA these days.

I wasn't on the boards. What were people thinking in Detroit at the time?

Great LA perspective LAPiston. I wonder how LA Dre, lurker and FP22 (I think the last two are in Cali) see the irony and relation between the Lakeshow and Pistons.

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To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

Nice post LA Piston. One thing I remember most distictly on the forums during that time was the absolute arrogance of the Laker fans. They totally wrote off the Pistons and after Kobe's game winner they were planning the victory parade. They had this sense of entitlement that was nauseating.....Hey...us Piston fans didn't sound like that...did we?

I dont think you can end the story there. Let`s see what happens next year to see how the two teams compare in "the year after"

Call me an optimist, but I honestly believe the Pistons will be in the top 3 in the east and will not miss Ben as much as people think. But, in order for that to happen Flip will have to deliver the coaching job of his life, and our bench must produce big time. Offensively and defensively.

The Lakers were lost without Shaq, the Pistons will be somewhat missing, but not completely lost.............

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"I`m shocked" The Low, on the Pistons game 2 win in the ECF at Boston.

Great food for thought lapiston. But even with Shaq out of the equation this year, I don't know if things would have been much different.

We came REALLY close to losing to the Cleveland Lebrons a round before that, and even without Shaq, I don't know if we beat the Miami Wades. Even if we do, I can't see us getting by the Dallas Dirks in the finals.

The Detroit Egos beat themselves this year. Granted, the Heat played well enough to win, but I think the Pistons played poorer than the Heat played well.

It should be a VERY interesting season. Which Pistons team will come out? And really, will it matter until the playoffs?

If they come out flat, is that a bad thing, given how early they peaked last season? They came out flat under LB and were barely above .500 at the allstar break, then they won the championship.

If they come out guns a Blazin Hazen, will we be that impressed, or will we say "yeah, yeah, been there seen that. Now do it in the playoffs."?

There are a LOT of question marks, not only with this team, but in the entire eastern conference.

Will the aging, now fulfilled Heat team still have the hunger to repeat?
Will Big Ben turn the Bulls into contenders?
Will the Pistons even win their division next season?
Will James be able to carry the Cavs further than he already has?
Will Indy continue to shoot themselves in the foot? (I sure hope so, its so much fun to watch!)

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Basketbills:

I wish that I was on the boards at that time. I thought that I would get to celebrate this year with everyone. What were you guys thinking and saying at the time? Did you guys believe or were you a little surprised?

Jammertime:

Yes, some good questions for next year. I do think that without Shaq in the East we roll last year. Without struggling with Miami, we don't lose two in SA. History might have been different.

From the Lakers perspective, knowing Laker fans (the PR hype wore off) now see that if they had kept Shaq and convince dKobe to stay (Jerry West wasn't here), the Lakers would still be competing for championships. They are stuck without cap space for 2 more years!

I think the initial feeling LA Piston was just happy to be here anything else is gravy feeling. The euphoria started building after game 3 but I think surprised is a good description.

LAP, it was surreal for me. I felt like the Lakers were going to come back and that the Pistons would have to scratch and claw it to 7 games.

Then I like a lot of fans (based on what I read) got a fat headed sense of entitlement.

Anyway, I am happy we scooped Flip Murray before the Lakers or Heat got to him first.

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To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

Warning: Sarcasm detected!