On Nov. 6, 1999, a talented Trail Blazers roster led by Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen and Arvydas Sabonis stepped onto the Rose Garden floor and took down the Los Angeles Lakers, 97-82.
The Lakers, without the services of superstar Kobe Bryant that night, would go on to win the NBA Championship that season, riding the momentum of a seven-game Western Conference Finals win that had all the drama a basketball fan could ask for, but a result that only Lakers fans enjoy remembering.
Now, with 10 years gone by, the two squads that rest less than 1,000 miles away from each other have played in 50 contests and have formed one of the best rivalries in the NBA.
The Lakers have controlled the series. The Phil Jackson-led club has taken 29 of 50 from Portland, including 10 of 13 playoff games and has won three NBA Championships during that time.
Different courses
During this 50-game stretch, although relying heavily on the play of the talented Bryant, the Lakers have reloaded their roster with talent each season.
The Blazers, meanwhile, have traded faces dozens of times before management was able to corral the talented group of youngsters that suits up of late for the newly anointed media darlings of the NBA.
Currently, the teams possess two of the four best records in the Western Conference, and although the young Blazers squad may be another year from truly contending for an NBA Title, the Lakers are, and likely will continue to be, their biggest roadblock.
The two teams are in many ways mirror images of each other, boasting star guards that have an uncanny ability for big shots, undervalued point guards, deep benches and talented, young, big men who have overcome injuries.
Most importantly, at least for financial purposes, both play in markets in which they are the hottest ticket in town.
Rose City Woes
As Los Angeles makes its way to the Rose Garden tonight for the regular-season series finale, the history books seem to only further stack against them.
Since the 1999-2000 season, Los Angeles has dropped 14 of 18 games in the Rose Garden.
The Lakers last won in Portland on Feb. 23, 2005 (86-83) to a Blazers team that finished 27-55 and started that game with Ruben Patterson, Joel Przybilla, Zach Randolph, Damon Stoudamire and Nick Van Exel.
The episodes of trash-talking, hard fouls and tough-guy posturing that has been present in several of the recent games has only further incited the rivalry between these two West Coast squads.
Lakers center Andrew Bynum will likely earn minutes for Los Angeles but coach Phil Jackson will miss the game to an ailing right foot.
The winningest coach in NBA history and Bryant have both said that maybe it’s the gloomy weather in Portland that keeps the team from earning a victory in the Rose Garden, and not the Blazers’ young and talented roster, only further angering Blazer fans.
And all of these factors only complicate tonight’s matchup even more. Ten years ago, it was hard to imagine how many turns the rivalry would have taken.
Now, with both looking poised for several championship runs, the contention between the two teams, players and fans may be locked in for another decade.