"If we keep playing like this, it's going to be very hard to beat us" - Shaquille O'Neal's bold prediction after Lakers swept Blazers in the 2001 Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers were a team to beat back in the 2000s, especially with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant leading the way. Of course, the Purple and Gold needed to provide their dynamic duo with the necessary support to maintain their winning ways. Guys like Derek Fisher, Horace Grant, and Rick Fox rose to the challenge, which is why LA went on to win it all that season.

The Lakers set the tone when the 2001 NBA playoffs got underway that year. It was an entirely different team at that point, putting to rest the bickering that went on in the regular season. Head coach Phil Jackson managed to get things together, which was bad news for opposing teams.

The Portland Trail Blazers were the first to feel the wrath of the Lakers. LA swept Portland in the first round, 3-0, setting the tone for their playoff run. O’Neal led the way with 27.0 points in that series, while Bryant was not far behind with 25.0 points per outing.

“If we keep playing like this, it's going to be very hard to beat us,” Shaq said after dropping 25 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers booted out the Blazers in the playoffs via the New York Times.

Cruising to the 2001 NBA title

With the Lakers humming, it was hardly surprising that they bulldozed their way onto the Finals. They got past the Sacramento Kings (4-0) in the WC semifinals and the San Antonio Spurs in the WC Finals (4-0), proving they were the best team in the Western Conference.

The 10-game winning streak was cut by the Philadelphia 76ers, who won Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, 107-101, in overtime. But that turned out to be a minor bump as the Lakers regrouped and racked up four straight wins to win back-to-back NBA titles. It was also the 13th NBA crown for the LA franchise.

Allen Iverson and the company's biggest problem that year was Shaq. Dikembe Mutombo tried his best to shackle the “Big Aristotle,” but his efforts were simply no match. No less than A.I. himself admitted that O’Neal dominated and was impossible to guard at the time.

“It was Shaq, man. People were saying that Dikembe did a great job with him, but 35 and 15, man, he was ridiculous,” the 2001 NBA regular season MVP stated .

Related: "There will be an asterisk next to his name" - Walt Frazier believes Kevin Durant's Warriors tenure had a significant impact on his legacy

Lakers freefall

With Shaq and Kobe at the helm, the Lakers would win three straight championships. Unfortunately, the friction between the stars started to happen, and conflict from within took its toll on the purple and gold. After failing in their quest for a four-peat in the 2002-03 season, things just went haywire.

In the end, LA stuck with Kobe and dealt away O’Neal and other key figures from their NBA title run. Shaq would win another title in 2006 with the Heat, while Bryant had to wait until 2009 to win his fourth NBA ring.

Related: Rasheed Wallace on the problems young Kobe gave him: "If I didn't know him or didn't love him, I would try to hurt that dude"