After winning the 1987 NBA championship, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley boldly guaranteed that his team would repeat as champs the following season.
No team had done so since 1969, but the Lakers, who possessed arguably the greatest team in NBA history, seemed capable of getting the job done.
However, in the 1988 NBA Finals, they fell behind 3-2 to the Detroit Pistons, and although they returned home for the final two games (if necessary), their backs were against the wall.
