Twice during his storied career, Kobe Bryant nearly left the Lakers due to frustration over his circumstances.

NBA Finals. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant’s relationship with O'Neal reached a breaking point.

The parade and another championship the next season made it all even sweeter.

But in 2004, when they had the chance to secure a fourth title in five years, everything fell apart in a way few could have predicted. Facing a disciplined Detroit Pistons squad in the NBA Finals ...

After the Lakers lost in the 2004 NBA Finals, Bryant didn't want to play alongside O'Neal anymore, partly because O'Neal was influencing the rest of the team, as well as the national media ...

The team almost lived up to these great expectations. But come the 2004 NBA Finals, the Detroit Pistons eliminated the super team in just five games. Many wondered if there were deeper internal ...

Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information).

Back in the 2004 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers were ... The Lakers made it all the way to the NBA Finals before losing to the Detroit Pistons in five games. Los Angeles wouldn't have even ...