In a star-driven sport, the NBA may have to play its marquee playoff series without much star power. Folks were cheering back East in Times Square on Thursday night when the Los Angeles Lakers were vanquished. Even here in Southern California, there were "Laker Hating" parties, where folks claimed they grew tired of the three-time champion's dominance, of Phil Jackson's knowing everything, of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal winning all the time.

But the fact that the Lakers elicited such a passionate response shows what their presence has meant to the NBA's postseason. They've carried it, owned it, redefined it. Before them, late May and early June belonged to the Chicago Bulls, to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and, of course, Jackson. Since 1990, Jordan, Jackson, Shaq, Kobe and Pippen have been front and center come spring, with the briefest of interruptions by Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson.