The 2003–04 NBA season was the Lakers' 56th season in the National Basketball Association and 44th in the city of Los Angeles.
The Lakers entered the season following a disappointing second-round loss to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 playoffs. During the offseason, the Lakers signed star free agents Karl Malone and Gary Payton and re-signed free agent power forward Horace Grant. Following these acquisitions, the Lakers became the instant favorites to win the NBA title.
Despite major acquisitions, key moves, and becoming overnight title favorites, the Lakers would run into major setbacks to begin the season. During the 2003 off-season, superstar guard Kobe Bryant had been accused of sexual assault in Colorado. Media attention surrounding the case would prove to be an ongoing distraction for the team, and Bryant missed games during his trial. In addition, Bryant's feud with superstar center Shaquille O'Neal reached a peak during the season, as both players criticized each other in the media. Payton struggled with coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, and Malone missed significant time due to injuries.
Despite the setbacks, the Lakers finished the season with a 56–26 overall record, good enough to clinch the second seed in the Western Conference en route to the playoffs. In the playoffs, they defeated the Houston Rockets, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, and the Minnesota Timberwolves to earn the franchise its 28th appearance in the NBA Finals. The Lakers entered the Finals against the Detroit Pistons as favorites. This was the third meeting between the Lakers and the Pistons in the NBA Finals, after both franchises met in 1988 and 1989. However, the underdog Pistons' strong defense and teamwork propelled them to their third championship in franchise history, and the star-studded Lakers would collapse in five games. After the season, Jackson and the team mutually agree to part ways and O'Neal (who requested a trade) was dealt to the Miami Heat.
Draft picks
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
By division
By conference
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Pre-season
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 7 | Golden State | W 107-89 | Shaquille O'Neal (16) | Devean George (7) | Gary Payton (7) | Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, HI)10,300 | 1-0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | October 8 | Golden State | L 83-99 | Gary Payton (11) | Shaquille O'Neal (8) | Shaquille O'Neal (5) | Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, HI)10,300 | 1-1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | October 14 | Phoenix | L 86-104 | Derek Fisher (14) | 3 players tied (6) | Gary Payton (4) | San Diego Sports Arena (San Diego, CA)13,144 | 1-2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 16 | Cleveland | W 86-78 | Karl Malone (18) | Karl Malone (13) | Malone & Payton (7) | Staples Center18,997 | 2-2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | October 17 | Phoenix | W 91-84 | Derek Fisher (18) | Eric Chenowith (7) | Luke Walton (4) | Staples Center18,997 | 3-2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | October 19 | Cleveland | L 87-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (20) | Shaquille O'Neal (6) | Luke Walton (5) | Centennial Garden (Bakersfield, CA)9,772 | 3-3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 7 | October 23 | L.A. Clippers | L 101-107 | Shaquille O'Neal (18) | Shaquille O'Neal (9) | Gary Payton (7) | Arrowhead Pond (Anaheim, CA)18,298 | 3-4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | October 24 | Sacramento | L 87-93 | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Malone & O'Neal (5) | Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV)18,234 | 3-5
Regular season
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 28 | Dallas | W 109–93 | Gary Payton (21) | Karl Malone (10) | Malone & Payton (9) | Staples Center18,997 | 1–0