State of the World the Last Time the Maple Leafs Advanced to the Conference Finals

Since it has been so long, have you ever thought about what the world was like back in 2002? Well, don’t worry — this article will take you on a walk down memory lane, so buckle up for some nostalgia.

The World of Sports

NBA Champion (Larry O’Brien)

The third-seed Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up their three-peat in 2002, taking care of the top team in the NBA, the New Jersey Nets, in a clean four-game sweep to win the NBA title. Shaquille O’Neal led the way, averaging over 36 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game. As for Kobe Bryant, he played his role too, averaging 26.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. The Finals win gave the Lakers their third straight title and marked the peak of the Shaq-Kobe era before things started to shift in the seasons that followed.

World Series Champion

The fourth seed in the American League (AL), the Anaheim Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels), faced off against the fourth seed in the National League (NL), the San Francisco Giants, in the 2002 World Series. Thanks to Angels’ third baseman Troy Glaus, who put the team on his back, they won the World Series and he took home MVP. Anaheim beat the Giants in seven games, winning Game 7 by a score of 4-1 to clinch their first championship.

Stanley Cup Champion

Back in 2002, it was no surprise that the Detroit Red Wings were in the Stanley Cup Finals. At that time, they were a powerhouse in the NHL, and that year they won the Cup. Detroit finished atop the Western Conference and took home the Presidents’ Trophy.

In the Finals, they took on the third-seed Carolina Hurricanes, who they beat 4-1 in the series to win yet another Cup. Nicklas Lidstrom was the Conn Smythe winner, and Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman finished off his legendary career by winning his ninth Cup.

Super Bowl Champion

2002 in the NFL was essentially the start of the Tom Brady era. He led his underdog New England Patriots to the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams, who were heavily favoured. Brady and the Patriots beat them 20-17, which solidified him as a starter who could have success in the league. This was the same year Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury and Brady stepped in as a second-year replacement — and the rest is history.

The World of Entertainment

Top Movie of 2002

The top-grossing movie 23 years ago was The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It made over $923 million worldwide. 2002 was a good year for movies — it also saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Spider-Man, and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones all released. The Two Towers opened on December 18th, 2002 in North America, but premiered on Dec. 5th at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.

Top Song of 2002

The top song of 2002 was by a Canadian band. “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback ranked as the top song of the year, according to Billboard’s year-end Hot 100. Other notable songs from that year include “Hot in Herre” by Nelly at number three, “In the End” by Linkin Park at number seven, and “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne at number 11.

NHL 2002 Cover Athlete

The 2002 cover athlete for EA Sports NHL was Mario Lemieux. At the time, he had just come back from retirement a few years earlier, and the series wanted to make a splash with its new console release. NHL 2002 came out on September 18, 2001 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC/Windows, and Game Boy Advance.

It was the only game in the series to be released on Game Boy. The game added new features like Easter Egg Cards that let players unlock modes like “Last Man Standing,” where knocked-down players couldn’t get back up. GameSpot gave it a 9.2/10 rating.

Top Video Game of 2002

Lastly, the top video game of 2002 was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It was a great year for gaming — it also saw the release of WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Metroid Prime, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. GTA: Vice City came out on October 29, 2002, and earned a 9.3/10 rating.