5 great teams that were ruined by the Kobe-Shaq Lakers

5. Houston Rockets

After having their most successful decade as a franchise — one that included back-to-back championships — the Houston Rockets quickly underwent an identity crisis. The increasingly old team failed to recapture the magic of the mid-90s and despite acquiring both Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen to solidify their core, it became obvious that Houston needed to hit the eject button. Relief came quickly for the Rockets in the 1999 NBA Draft, as disgruntled No. 2 overall pick (Steve Francis) had no desire to play in Vancouver for the woeful Grizzlies. Houston pounced on the opportunity and began a new era with Francis as their marquee talent.

While the Rockets missed the playoffs in Francis’ rookie year (the first time they had missed the playoffs since 1993), the young star seemed immediately ready for the spotlight. In 2001, despite winning 45 games, the Rockets — playing in an ultra-competitive Western Conference — missed the playoffs. After a disappointing 28-54 campaign in 2002, Houston was gifted another star. This time in the form of skilled center Yao Ming. Francis and Ming immediately developed chemistry getting Houston back to 43 wins but, as had been an issue earlier in the decade, the Western Conference’s competition kept Houston on the outside looking in.

Finally in 2004, with new coach Jeff Van Gundy at the helm, the Rockets made it to the playoffs. Houston had won 45 games in the regular season led by the dynamic duo of guard Francis and center Ming as well as complementary pieces such as veteran Jim Jackson and Cuttino Mobley. The Rockets didn’t play pretty basketball — they owned one of the NBA’s worst point-per-game averages (89.8) but boasted one of the NBA’s best defenses. They won ugly and after years away from the postseason, were ready to make their presence felt on the biggest stage.

Unfortunately, meeting them in the first round was the Los Angeles Lakers. A year removed from completing a three-peat, this was a hungry and motivated Lakers team that added ring-less Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to an already great team spearheaded by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Houston was able to bring the dynamic Lakers to their level in Game 1 as the teams combined for a total of 143 points however the Lakers squeezed out the 72-71 victory.

They never looked back. Bryant averaged 24.4 points per game while Malone chipped in 18 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in the series. Even with O’Neal (16.2 points per game) having disappointing totals, it didn’t matter. The Lakers easily won in just five games.

After years of building around Francis and Yao, the Rockets hit reset and traded their star guard in the offseason to the Orlando Magic for Tracy McGrady. T-Mac and Yao would form their own duo in the decade but the Lakers gave the final blow to the Steve Francis era in Houston.