“I’m sweating through my uniform like I played” – Mitch Richmond looks back on infamous Lakers-Kings 2002 WCF originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Before his NBA journey ended, Mitch Richmond, 36, grabbed the opportunity to play for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2001-02 season and finish his Hall of Fame career with a championship ring.
Advertisement
Richmond had just become a free agent after the 2000-01 season, and although he had multiple suitors, he chose the Lakers, a team coming off two straight title runs, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
After a 58-win regular season, the Lakers swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs and then dispatched the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the second round.
But against the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference finals, the defending champions were taken to their limit.
Advertisement
“Sacramento was good,” said Richmond. “That series was basically the championship series, no question about it. When we played New Jersey, New Jersey couldn’t mess with the Lakers at that time. The Lakers at that time had some greatest teams, but the Lakers and Sacramento, I can remember. I didn’t even play, and I’m sweating through my uniform like I played because I’m like, ‘Man, all this time, I’m getting ready to get a ring, and Sacramento is ready to knock me off.’ I’m like ‘The doormats? What the heck?'”
Horry saved the Lakers’ three-peat quest
Richmond was the Kings’ best player from 1991 to 1998, but the organization struggled during his tenure — they made the playoffs only once in 1996. However, Chris Webber’s arrival turned their fortunes around.
Advertisement
In the 2001-02 campaign, the Kings had their best regular season in franchise history with 61 wins, and they were determined to take the Lakers off the top of the NBA mountain.
After the Lakers stole Game 1, the Kings took Games 2 and 3 to build a 2-1 series lead. They were a couple of seconds away from taking a 3-1 series lead over the Lakers, but that was when Robert Horry hit his iconic buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2.
Advertisement
The two teams went the full seven-game route, but the Lakers ultimately survived, beating the Kings 112-106 in the series-decider.
The Lakers swept the Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals
In the 2002 NBA Finals, the Lakers faced a New Jersey Nets team led by Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn. However, they had no answer for O’Neal, who averaged 30.3 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in four games and won the Finals MVP.
Advertisement
Bryant averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Lakers. Richmond, meanwhile, played only a minute throughout the series, but his veteran leadership was a big asset in the Lakers’ locker room. He was rewarded for it with a ring.
“It was a great feeling to get that opportunity at the end to get a ring and to be able to be on a team with some of my good friends now, with Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Kobe that we lost and Shaq, Fox. I mean, we had some good teams. It was a lot of good guys on that team,” Richmond concluded.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.