Phil Jackson taught the Lakers that the first pillar of Zen is defense. In beating the Pacers in six games to earn his seventh NBA championship ring -- and his first without Michael Jordan -- Jackson won previously withheld respect for his coaching abilities and took L.A. to the place where many thought its talent should have brought it all along. Jackson's New Age coaching, which included meditation sessions, combined with his proven triangle offense and suffocating defense, led the Lakers to a league-high 67 wins. Shaquille O'Neal averaged 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds to earn a near-unanimous MVP award, to which he added All-Star Game MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors. Kobe Bryant continued to show flashes of Jordanesque playmaking. Said Jackson of his creation, "Shaq was rap and Kobe was hip. We had to make them 'hap'."

--Jamal Greene