The mid-2000s NBA playoffs featured some serious rivalries that are well remembered to date. What surprised the fans most was that 2006 was the first time that the Los Angeles Lakers did not make a deep playoff run since their three-peat at the turn of the century. Shockingly, Kobe Bryant and Co. were struck out in their very first matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The games scored a record of 4-3 where Phoenix came out reigning.

Led by their 2x MVP, Steve Nash, the Suns were quite strong at the time, with a handful of dominating players like Amar’e Stoudemire. Phoenix sent the Lakers packing in the first round for the first time in 10 years.

Remembering that time while talking to the Bootleg Kev on his podcast, Stoudemire said, “Kob wasn’t an easy guy to go against bro. You can’t stop Kobe.” Kev added to the conversation, “I think back to the times when we bounced them out as the eighth seed after Shaq left.”

 The 6x NBA All-Star affirmed, “We beat the Lakers, we got Kobe [Bryant] outta there in the first round.”  In 2005-06, the series ended 4-3 and the next season, the first round matchup ended in just 5 games. Stoudemire proudly added, “Two years straight over the Lakers son.”

That was truly the golden era of Phoenix basketball. The team faced an NBA Finals drought till 2021 but during Nash and Stoudemire’s prime, the Suns made it to two straight Western Conference Finals. However, STAT believe that they could’ve gone for 3 if Joe Johnson did not leave the team.

The Phoenix Suns “had to keep pushing” after Joe Johnson’s departure

Kev and Stoudemire also talked about how the franchise felt after Joe Johnson left for the Atlanta Hawks. Iso Joe was an incredibly useful part of the team and Amar’e believes that the Suns could’ve reached the Finals with him on the roster. Stoudemire added, “Joe is my guy. We had great camaraderie and got to the Finals. When Joe left, it was tough, but we had to keep pushing.”

In 2005, the Suns went down in the WCF against the Spurs. The next season, Johnson departed from the team and they were bested by eventual champions, the Dallas Mavericks. Though Stoudemire and Co. did best Kobe Bryant without Iso Joe, they couldn’t get out of the West during their era. They would come close again in 2010, only to be thwarted by Pau Gasol and the Black Mamba. 

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While the departure of Iso Joe and his friend from the team was tough, Amar’e Stoudemire did push against the wall and got over Kobe Bryant and co., making it their second win over the Lakers. Although they did lose to the Clippers in the second round after beating the Lakers in 5, Phoenix surely had a good run through the 2000s. Do you believe the Suns could’ve done better with Joe Johnson on their side?

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