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The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, an area shared with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Lakers once shared the arena with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, for 25 years until their move to the Intuit Dome in 2024.
The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA with 17 championships, the second most in the league behind the Boston Celtics. Due to the appeal of Los Angeles, they have also attracted many star players, such as Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James. More recently, the Lakers were the champions of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament in 2023.
The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes". Initially a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival Basketball Association of America and winning five of the next six BAA and NBA championships in Minneapolis after the NBA formed in 1949. The team was propelled by center George Mikan, who is described by the NBA's official website as the league's "first superstar". After struggling financially in the late 1950s following Mikan's retirement, they relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season.
Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, the Lakers made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, but lost each series to the Boston Celtics, beginning their long and storied rivalry. In 1968, the Lakers acquired four-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Wilt Chamberlain to play Center, and after losing in the Finals in 1969 and 1970, they won their sixth NBA title—and first in Los Angeles—in 1972, led by new head coach Bill Sharman.
After the retirements of Baylor, West, and Chamberlain in the early 1970s, in 1976, the team traded for superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won multiple MVP Awards with the Lakers. While the team was unable to advance to the Finals in the late 1970s, two momentous changes came in 1979 that would inaugurate a new golden era for the franchise. First, Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers, and as the team's owner, pioneered a vision of basketball games as entertainment spectacles as well as sporting events. Second, the Lakers drafted Magic Johnson first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft.
The combination of Johnson, a passing prodigy, and Abdul-Jabbar provided the Lakers with two superstars to anchor their roster. The additions of head coach Pat Riley in 1981, and James Worthy through the 1982 NBA Draft, established the Lakers as an NBA powerhouse in the 1980s. The team was nicknamed the "Showtime Lakers" due to its fast break, transition offense facilitated by Johnson. The team won five championships in a nine-year span, including winning two out of three marquee Finals matchups against its archrival, the Celtics. The Lakers were defeated by their Boston archrivals in the 1984 Finals, but triumphed over the Celtics in 1985 and 1987.
After Riley departed from the Lakers following the 1989–90 season, coupled with Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, and Worthy's subsequent retirements, the "Showtime" era came to an end, and the team struggled in the early 1990s. It was not until 1996 when the team traded with the Charlotte Hornets for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant and signed center Shaquille O'Neal that the Lakers returned to dominance during the early 2000s. Led by the superstar duo of O'Neal and Bryant, along with Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers won three consecutive titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002 (against the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Nets, respectively), securing the franchise its second "three-peat".
After losing the 2004 NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons, the feud between O'Neal and Bryant had reached its boiling point, and the "Shaq-and-Kobe" era ended when the Lakers traded O'Neal to the Miami Heat in the offseason. Consequently, the Lakers missed the 2005 Playoffs. The Lakers, solely led by Bryant, returned to the playoffs in both 2006 and 2007, but were eliminated in both seasons in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. It was not until the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol during the 2007–08 season, the team returned to championship contention. The Lakers would go on to lose to the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, but rebounded from their crushing defeat in the Finals by winning two more championships, defeating the Orlando Magic in 2009 and getting revenge on the Celtics in 2010.
However, in the 2010s, the Lakers would go on to experience their worst stretch in franchise history. Phil Jackson retired from coaching in 2011, and after a string of tumultuous playoff exits, the Lakers endured their longest playoff drought in franchise history. Gasol departed to the Chicago Bulls as a free agent in 2014, and Bryant retired in 2016 after twenty years as a Laker. From the 2013–14 season to the 2018–19 season, the team failed to make the playoffs for six consecutive seasons, which marked the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
After multiple rebuilding seasons with young, highly rated prospects, such as Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball, the Lakers signed superstar LeBron James in 2018. In 2019, the team traded several of those prospects for star big man Anthony Davis. In 2020, led by James, Davis, and head coach Frank Vogel, the Lakers returned to relevance and claimed their 17th championship in the 2020 Finals against the Miami Heat, tying with the Celtics for the most championships in NBA history at the time until 2024.
The Lakers hold the record for NBA's longest winning streak, 33 straight games, set during the 1971–72 season. 26 Hall of Famers have played for Los Angeles, while four have coached the team. Four Lakers—Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, O'Neal, and Bryant—have won the NBA MVP Award for a total of eight awards.
Home arenas[]
Minneapolis Lakers
- Minneapolis Auditorium (1947–1959)
- Minneapolis Armory (1959–1960) (Due to scheduling conflicts, the Lakers actually played in both the Auditorium and the Armory throughout the 1947–60 period. They also played some games in the St. Paul Auditorium)
Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (1960–1967)
- The Forum (formerly Great Western Forum from 1988–2000) (1967–1999)
- Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) (1999–present)
Team history[]
1947–1958: Beginnings and Minneapolis dynasty[]
The Lakers' franchise began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota purchased the recently disbanded Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 from Gems owner Maury Winston. Minneapolis sportswriter Sid Hartman played a key behind the scenes role in helping put together the deal and later the team. Inspired by Minnesota's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the team christened themselves the Lakers. Hartman helped them hire John Kundla from College of St. Thomas, to be their first head coach, by meeting with him and selling him on the team.
The Lakers had a solid roster, which featured forward Jim Pollard, playmaker Herm Schaefer, and center George Mikan, who became the most dominant player in the NBL. In their first season, they led the league with a 43–17 record, later winning the NBL Championship that season.
In 1948, the Lakers moved from the NBL to the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and Mikan's 28.3 point per game (ppg) scoring average set a BAA record. In the 1949 BAA Finals, they won the championship, beating the Washington Capitols four games to two. The following season, the team improved to 51–17, repeating as champions, when they defeated the Syracuse Nationals in the 1950 NBA Finals in six games. In the 1950–51 season, Mikan won his third straight scoring title at 28.4 ppg and the Lakers went 44–24 to win their second straight division title. One of those games, a 19–18 loss against the Fort Wayne Pistons, became infamous as the lowest scoring game in NBA history. In the playoffs, they defeated the Indianapolis Olympians in three games, but lost to the eventual NBA champion Rochester Royals in the next round.
During the 1951–52 season, the Lakers won 40 games, finishing second in their division. They faced the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which they won in seven games. In the 1952–53 season, Mikan led the NBA in rebounding, averaging 14.4 rebounds per game (rpg), and was named MVP of the 1953 NBA All-Star Game. After a 48–22 regular season, the Lakers defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the Western playoffs to advance to the NBA Finals. They then defeated the New York Knicks to win their second straight championship. Though Lakers star George Mikan suffered from knee problems throughout the 1953–54 season, he was still able to average 18 ppg. Clyde Lovellette, who was drafted in 1952, helped the team win the Western Division. The team won its third straight championship in the 1950s and fifth in six seasons when it defeated the Syracuse Nationals in seven games in the NBA Finals.
Following Mikan's retirement in the 1954 off-season, the Lakers struggled, but still managed to win 40 games. Although they defeated the Rochester Royals in the first round of the playoffs, they were defeated by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the semifinals. Although they had losing records the next two seasons, they made the playoffs each year. Mikan came back for the last half of the 1955–56 season, but struggled and retired for good after the season. Led by Lovellette's 20.6 points and 13.5 rebounds, they advanced to the Conference Finals in 1956–57. The Lakers had one of the worst seasons in team history in 1957–58 when they won a league-low 19 games. They had hired Mikan, who had been the team's general manager for the previous two seasons, as head coach to replace Kundla. Mikan was fired in January when the team was 9–30, and Kundla was rehired.
The Lakers earned the top pick in the 1958 NBA Draft and used it to select Elgin Baylor. Baylor, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year and co-MVP of the 1959 NBA All-Star Game, averaged 24.9 ppg and 15.0 rpg helping the Lakers improve to second in their division despite a 33–39 record. After upsetting the St. Louis Hawks in six games in the division finals, they returned to the NBA Finals, but were swept by the Boston Celtics, beginning their long rivalry.
1958–1968: Move to Los Angeles and Celtics rivalry[]
In their last year in Minneapolis, the Lakers went 25–50. On January 18, 1960, the team was coming off a loss and traveling to St. Louis when their plane crash-landed. Snow storms had driven the pilot 150 miles off course when he was forced to land in a cornfield. No one was hurt. Their record earned them the number two pick in the 1960 Draft. The team selected Jerry West from West Virginia University.
During the 1960 off-season, the Lakers became the NBA's first West Coast team when owner Bob Short decided to move the team to Los Angeles. Led by Baylor's 34.8 ppg and 19.8 rpg, Los Angeles won 11 more than the year before in West's first season. On November 15 that season, Baylor set a new NBA scoring record when he scored 71 points in a victory against the New York Knicks while grabbing 25 rebounds. In doing so, Baylor broke his own NBA record of 64 points. Despite a losing record, the Lakers have made the playoffs. They came within two points of the NBA Finals when they have lost in game seven of their second round series against the St. Louis Hawks.
Led by Baylor and West at 38.3 and 30.8 ppg respectively, the Lakers improved to 54–26 in 1961–62, and made the finals. In a game five victory, Baylor grabbed 22 rebounds and set the still-standing NBA record for points in a finals game with 61, despite fouling out of the game. The Lakers, however, lost to the Celtics by three points in overtime of game seven. Frank Selvy, after making two jumpers in the final 40 seconds to tie the game, missed a potential game-winning 18 foot jump shot in regulation, a miss which he said in June 2010 still haunted him more than 40 years later.
Los Angeles won 53 games in 1962–63, behind Baylor's 34.0 ppg and West's 27.1 ppg, but lost once again in the NBA Finals in six games to the Celtics. After falling to 42–38 and losing in the first round of the 1964 NBA Playoffs to the St. Louis Hawks, the team won 49 games in 1964–65. The Lakers surged past the Baltimore Bullets in the division finals, behind West's record-setting 46.3 ppg in the series. They lost again to the Celtics in the Finals, however, this time in five games.
Los Angeles lost in the finals to Boston once again in seven games again in 1966, this time by two points. Down by 16 entering the fourth quarter, and 10 with a minute and a half to go, the Lakers mounted a furious rally in the closing moments, which fell just short. After dropping to 36 wins and losing in the first round of the 1967 NBA Playoffs, they lost in the finals to the Celtics again in 1968. Los Angeles moved to a brand-new arena, The Forum, in 1967, after playing seven seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
1968–1973: Wilt arrives[]
On July 9, 1968, the team acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers for Darrell Imhoff, Archie Clark, and Jerry Chambers. In his first season as a Laker, Chamberlain set a team record by averaging a league-leading 21.1 rpg. West, Baylor, and Chamberlain each averaged over 20 points, and Los Angeles won their division. The Lakers and Celtics again met in the finals, and Los Angeles had home court advantage against Boston for the first time in their rivalry. They won the first game behind Jerry West's 53 points, and had a 3–2 lead after five. Boston won the series in seven games, however, and earned their 11th NBA championship in 13 seasons. West was named the first-ever Finals MVP; this remains the only time that a member of the losing team has won the award. In 1970, West won his first scoring title at 31.2 ppg, the team returned to the Finals, and for the first time in 16 years, they did not have to face the Celtics; instead, playing the New York Knicks, who defeated them 4–3.
The next season, the Lakers were defeated by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, led by future Laker Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in the Western Conference Finals.
The 1971–72 season brought several changes. Owner Jack Kent Cooke brought in Bill Sharman as head coach, and Elgin Baylor announced his retirement early in the season after realizing that his legs were not healthy enough. Sharman increased the team's discipline. He introduced the concept of the shootaround, where players would arrive at the arena early in the morning before a game to practice shots. They won 14 straight games in November and all 16 games played in December. They won three straight to open the year of 1972, but on January 9, the Milwaukee Bucks ended their winning streak by defeating the Lakers, 120–104. By winning 33 straight games, Los Angeles set a record for longest winning streak of any team in American professional sports. The Lakers won 69 games that season, which stood as the NBA record for 24 years until the Chicago Bulls won 72 games in 1995–96. Chamberlain averaged a low 14.8 points, but led the league in rebounding at 19.2 a game. West's 9.7 assists per game (apg) led the league, he also averaged more than 25 points, and was named MVP of the 1972 NBA All-Star Game. The team failed to score 100 points just once all year, and at the end of the season, Bill Sharman was named Coach of the Year. The Lakers went on to reach the finals against the New York Knicks where they would avenge their 1970 Finals loss by defeating them 4 games to 1. Chamberlain tallied 24 points and 29 rebounds in game five and won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
The Lakers won 60 games in the 1972–73 NBA season, and took another Pacific Division title. Wilt Chamberlain, playing in his final season, again led the league in rebounding and set the still standing NBA record for field-goal percentage at 72.7%. The team defeated the Chicago Bulls in seven games in the Conference Semifinals, then the Golden State Warriors in five in the Western Division Finals. They played the New York Knicks in the 1973 NBA Finals. Los Angeles took the first game by three points, but New York won the series in five games.
1973–1979: Building "Showtime"[]
During the 1973–74 season, the team was hampered by the loss of West, who played only 31 games before his legs gave out. Gail Goodrich, averaging 25.3 points, helped the team to a late-season surge. Trailing the Golden State Warriors by three games with seven left to play, the Lakers rallied to finish 47–35 and win the Pacific Division. They made the playoffs, but managed just one win against the eventual Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals. Following the season, West retired due to contract disagreements with Cooke, and filed a suit for unpaid back wages.
After missing the playoffs in the 1974–75 season, the Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had won three league MVP's by that time. Abdul-Jabbar wanted out of Milwaukee, demanding a trade to either New York or Los Angeles. He was traded for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, and Dave Meyers. Abdul-Jabbar had his fourth MVP season in 1975–76, leading the league in rebounding, blocked shots, and minutes played. The Lakers struggled in January, going 3–10, and finished out of the playoffs at 40–42.
West and Cooke settled their differences—and the former Laker's lawsuit—and Cooke hired him to replace Sharman as the team's coach. West became upset, however, when Cooke refused to spend the money necessary to acquire forward Julius Erving, who the New York Nets were selling. Behind another MVP season from Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles won the Pacific Division, finishing the 1976–77 season a league-best 53–29. They defeated the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series to open the postseason before being swept by the eventual NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. During the off-season, Los Angeles picked up Jamaal Wilkes from Golden State and signed first-round draft pick Norm Nixon.
In the first two minutes of the first game of the 1977–78 season, Abdul-Jabbar punched Bucks center Kent Benson for an overly aggressive elbow and broke his hand. Two months later, a healthy Abdul-Jabbar got into an altercation with Houston Rockets center Kevin Kunnert after a rebound. The team's starting power forward, Kermit Washington, who was averaging 11.5 points and 11.2 rebounds, entered the fight, and when Rudy Tomjanovich ran in from the bench to break up the action, Washington punched him in the face. Tomjanovich nearly died from the punch, suffering a fractured skull and other facial injuries, which prematurely ended his playing career. Washington, who stated that he assumed Tomjanovich was a combatant, was suspended for two months by the NBA, and released by the Lakers. The team won 45 games despite being down a starter in Washington and not having Abdul-Jabbar for nearly two months, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Seattle SuperSonics.
During the 1978–79 season, the team posted a 47–35 record, but lost once again to the eventual NBA champion SuperSonics in the semifinal round of the playoffs.
1979–1991: "Showtime"[]
In the 1979 NBA Draft, Los Angeles selected 6-foot, 9-inch point guard Magic Johnson from Michigan State with the first overall pick. It took Johnson's teammates time to acclimate themselves to his passing ability, as his "no-look" passes often caught them unaware. Once they adjusted, his passing became a key part of Los Angeles' offense. The Lakers won 60 games in Johnson's rookie year, and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the 1980 Finals. Johnson won the Finals MVP award, after starting at center for the injured Abdul-Jabbar in game six, and tallying 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists.
The team fell off in the 1980–81 season, though, as the Lakers lost Johnson for most of the season to a knee injury. The team turned in a 54–28 record and finished second behind the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division. The Houston Rockets, led by Moses Malone, defeated Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs.
Early in the 1981–82 season, Johnson complained to the media about head coach Paul Westhead and demanded a trade. Westhead was fired shortly after Johnson's criticisms, and although Lakers' owner Jerry Buss stated that Johnson's comments did not factor into the decision, Johnson was vilified by the national media and booed both on the road and at home. Buss promoted assistant coach Pat Riley to "co-head coach" with Jerry West (although West considered himself Riley's assistant) on November 19 and the team won 17 of its next 20 games. Nicknamed "Showtime" due to the team's new Johnson-led fast break-offense, the Lakers won the Pacific Division title and swept both the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs in the 1982 Playoffs. Los Angeles stretched its postseason winning streak to nine games by taking the first contest of the NBA Finals from the Philadelphia 76ers. The team won the Finals 4–2 to finish a 12–2 playoff run. On draft night in 1982, the Lakers had the first overall pick (the result of a trade with Cleveland midway through the 1979–80 season, when the Lakers had sent Don Ford and a 1980 first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Butch Lee and their 1982 selection) and selected James Worthy from North Carolina.
In the the 1982–83 season, the Lakers won the Pacific Division at 58–24, but Worthy suffered a leg injury in the last week of the season and missed the rest of the season. Nevertheless, they advanced to play the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 NBA Finals after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. The Sixers, however, won the series, sweeping the Lakers in four games and winning their third NBA championship. After the season, West replaced Sharman as the team's GM.
In the 1983–84 season, Los Angeles went 54–28, and played the Boston Celtics in the Finals for the first time since 1969. The Lakers won two of the first three games. However, Kevin McHale's hard clothesline foul of Lakers forward Kurt Rambis on a fast break is credited as a turning point of the series. Boston won three of the next four to win their 15th NBA championship and send Los Angeles's record to 0–8 in Finals series against the Celtics.
Using the past year's Finals defeat as motivation, the team won the Pacific Division for the fourth straight year and lost just two games in the Western Conference playoffs. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics were again the Lakers' final hurdle. Los Angeles lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals in a blowout defeat by a score of 148–114, in what is remembered as the "Memorial Day Massacre". The Lakers, behind 38-year-old Finals MVP Abdul-Jabbar, recovered to defeat the Celtics in six games. The Lakers had finally defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals after eight consecutive defeats to them, winning the title in the Boston Garden, and becoming the only visiting team to ever win an NBA championship there.
In the 1985–86 season, the defending NBA champion Lakers started 24–3 and went on to win 62 games and their fifth straight division title. The Houston Rockets, however, defeated the Lakers in five games in the Western Conference Finals. Houston won the series when Ralph Sampson hit a 20-foot jumper as time expired in Game 5 at The Forum. The Rockets would go on to lose to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in six games, and the Celtics won their 16th NBA championship.
Prior to the 1986–87 season, the Lakers have moved A. C. Green into the starting lineup, and acquired Mychal Thompson from the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson won his first career MVP Award while leading the Lakers to a 65–17 record, and Michael Cooper was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Before the season, Riley had made the decision to shift the focus of the offense to Johnson over the 40-year-old Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals by sweeping the Denver Nuggets, defeating the Golden State Warriors in five games, and sweeping the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers defeated Boston in the first two games of the Finals, and the teams split the next four games, giving Los Angeles their second championship in three seasons. The series was highlighted by Johnson's running "baby hook" shot to win Game 4 at Boston Garden with two seconds remaining. Johnson was named the NBA Finals MVP, in addition to regular season MVP. At the Lakers' championship celebration in Los Angeles, coach Riley brashly declared that Los Angeles would repeat as NBA champions, which no team had done since the 1968–69 Boston Celtics.
Looking to make good on Riley's promise in the 1987–88 season, the Lakers took their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title with a 62–20 record. They swept the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference Finals before pulling out a tough seven-game series win over the Utah Jazz led by youngsters Karl Malone and John Stockton. A seven-game Western Conference finals win over the Dallas Mavericks propelled the Lakers to the NBA Finals once again. In their seventh trip to the Finals in nine years, they met the Detroit Pistons. Los Angeles would take the series in seven games, and James Worthy's game seven triple-double earned him a Finals MVP Award. The win marked their fifth title in nine years, but would also mark their last title until 2000.
In the 1988–89 season, Los Angeles won 57 games and their eighth consecutive Pacific Division crown. They swept the through the playoffs defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Phoenix Suns. In eighth trip to the NBA Finals in 10 years, they once again faced the Detroit Pistons. Hampered by injuries to Byron Scott and Magic Johnson, the Lakers were swept by Detroit in four games.
Following the 1989 Finals, on June 28, 1989, after 20 professional seasons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement. The Lakers still cruised through the Pacific Division, winning their ninth consecutive division crown with a 63–19 record. However, after beating the Houston Rockets in the first round, they lost four games to one in the second round of the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns. Riley announced that he was stepping down after the season citing burnout, and was replaced by Mike Dunleavy. Riley's departure received a mixed reaction from the players. They respected his contributions, but some, such as Worthy and Scott, had grown tired of his intense practices and felt he tried to take too much credit for the team's successes. Following the season, 1987 Defensive Player of the Year winner Michael Cooper decided to play in Europe and was waived at his request.
The 1990–91 Lakers failed to win the Pacific Division for the first time in 10 years, but still finished with a 58–24 record. After cruising through the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers found themselves in the NBA Finals once again, their ninth trip to the Finals in 12 years. The 1991 Finals represented a changing of the guard as the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Chicago Bulls, led by superstar Michael Jordan, who would go on to lead the Bulls to five more championships in the 1990s.
1991–1996: Post-"Showtime" dry spell[]
On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced that he had tested positive for HIV and would retire immediately.
In their first season without Johnson, the team won 43 games to earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers were defeated in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers. Following the season, head coach Mike Dunleavy was fired.
The Lakers would lose 43 games in 1992–93 under Randy Pfund, their first losing season since 1976. The Lakers would still make the playoffs, and would become the first eighth seed to win the opening two games on the road against a number one seed when they took a 2–0 lead against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns. They lost the next two games at home, however, then game five in Phoenix in overtime. During the 1993–94 season, Pfund was fired during the season that would result in the Lakers failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976. Magic Johnson, would coach the final 16 games of the season with former teammate Michael Cooper as his lead assistant. Johnson decided not to take the job permanently due to what he felt was a lack of commitment from certain players, and Los Angeles ended the season with a 10-game losing streak to finish 33–49.
Under new coach Del Harris, Los Angeles made the playoffs each of the next two seasons, but was eliminated in the second and first rounds respectively. The team was led by young guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. Johnson came out of retirement to return as a player in the 1995–96 season to lead the then 24–18 Lakers to a 29–11 finish. After some run-ins with Van Exel, displeasure with Harris's strategies, and a first round loss to the defending two-time NBA champion Houston Rockets, Johnson decided to retire for the final time after the season.
1996–2016: The Kobe Bryant era[]
1996–2004: O'Neal and Bryant dynasty[]
During the 1996 off-season, the Lakers acquired 17-year-old Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac; Bryant was drafted 13th overall in that year's draft, by Charlotte. Los Angeles also signed free-agent Shaquille O'Neal. Trading for Bryant was West's idea, and he was influential in the team's signing of the all-star center. "Jerry West is the reason I came to the Lakers", O'Neal later said. They used their 24th pick in the 1996 Draft to select Derek Fisher. During the season, the team traded Cedric Ceballos to the Phoenix Suns for Robert Horry. O'Neal led the team to a 56–26 record, their best effort since 1990–91, despite missing 31 games due to a knee injury. O'Neal averaged 26.2 ppg and 12.5 rpg and finished third in the league in blocked shots (2.88 bpg) in 51 games. The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs as O'Neal scored 46 points in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers, marking the highest single-game playoff scoring output by a Laker since Jerry West scored 53 against the Celtics in 1969. In the next round, the Lakers lost in five games to the eventual Western Conference champion Utah Jazz.
In the 1997–98 season, O'Neal and the Lakers had the best start in franchise history, 11–0. O'Neal would miss 20 games on the season due to an abdominal injury. Los Angeles battled the Seattle SuperSonics for the Pacific Division title most of the season. In the final two months, the Lakers won 22 of their final 25 games, finishing 61–21, but still finished second to Seattle in the standings. The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers three games to one in the first round to advance to face Seattle. Although the Sonics won the first game, the Lakers responded with four straight wins, taking the series, but were swept by the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals.
During the 1998–99 season, All-Star guard Eddie Jones and center Elden Campbell were traded to the Charlotte Hornets. The team also acquired J. R. Reid, B. J. Armstrong, and Glen Rice. Head coach Del Harris was fired in February after a three-game losing streak and replaced on an interim basis by former Laker Kurt Rambis. The team finished 31–19 in the strike-shortened season, which was fourth in the Western Conference. The Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, but were swept by the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the next round. Game four of the series would be the last game ever played at the Great Western Forum.
Before the 1999–2000 season, West was prepared to hire Rambis as the team's full-time coach before an outcry from fans and members of the organization caused him to seek out a bigger name. Los Angeles hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who had coached that team to six championships, and gave him a lucrative $6 million a year contract. He brought along assistant Tex Winter and they installed Winter's version of the triangle offense. The Lakers signed veterans Brian Shaw, John Salley, Ron Harper, and A. C. Green, who was a Laker during the "Showtime" era. The team also moved to a new arena, the Staples Center.
Led by league MVP O'Neal, the Lakers won 31 of their first 36 games. They finished 67–15, the highest win total since they won 65 in the 1986–87 season. The Lakers eliminated the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns in the first two rounds of the playoffs. After the Lakers took a three games to one lead in the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Trail Blazers won the next two games to force a game seven. The Lakers, who trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter, would go on 19–4 run to tie the game and eventually win 89–84 to advance to the NBA Finals. In their first trip to the Finals since 1991, the Lakers defeated Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers four games to two win their first title since 1988. West retired from his spot in the team's front office after the season after a power struggle between him and Jackson over control of the team's operations. After the season, starters Rice and Green left the team, and Los Angeles signed Horace Grant.
The following season, the Lakers won 11 fewer regular season games than the prior year, but swept the first three rounds of the playoffs, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs. They met Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. Although the Sixers took game one in overtime, the Lakers won the next four games to win their second straight title. Their 15–1 postseason record was the best in NBA history, until the Golden State Warriors in the 2016–17 season posted a 16–1 postseason record.
The Lakers won 58 games in 2001–02. In the playoffs, they swept the Portland Trail Blazers and defeated the San Antonio Spurs four games to one to advance to the Western Conference Finals to face the top-seeded Sacramento Kings. The series would go on to be known as one of the greatest playoff matchups in NBA history. The series extended to all seven games, and ended in a Lakers series victory. In Game One, Bryant scored 30 points as the Lakers won, 106–99. The series would then shift in Sacramento's favor, with the Kings winning the next two games. Facing a deficit in Game 4, the Lakers had the ball with under 20 seconds to play. After misses by both Bryant and O'Neal, Kings center and former Laker Vlade Divac tapped the ball away from the rim in an attempt to wind down the clock. It went straight into Robert Horry's hands, who drained a game-winning three with under three seconds to play to tie the series at 2–2. After the Kings took a 3–2 series after a game winning buzzer beater by Mike Bibby in Game 5, the Lakers were faced with a must-win game six. In one of the most controversial playoff games in league history (Tim Donaghy scandal), the Lakers would win by four points. The Lakers went on to win game seven in overtime, with the Kings missing numerous potentially game-saving shots and free throws. The Lakers then achieved a three-peat by sweeping Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals. O'Neal won each of the Finals series' MVP awards, making him the only player alongside Michael Jordan to win three consecutive Finals MVPs.
The Lakers would attempt a four-peat the following year, but started the 2002–03 season 11–19. However, they finished the season 39–13 to finish 50–32. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, but the four-peat attempt ended as they were eliminated by the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round.
During the 2003–04 season, the team was the subject of intense media coverage generated by the teaming of four stars and the sexual-assault case involving Kobe Bryant. Before the season, the Lakers signed two-time MVP Karl Malone formerly of the Utah Jazz, and former Seattle SuperSonics Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton to join O'Neal and Bryant. Three of the "big four", however, struggled with injuries: O'Neal suffered from a strained calf, Malone an injured knee, and Bryant an injured shoulder. The Lakers started 18–3 and finished 56–26 and won the Pacific Division title, entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. They defeated the Houston Rockets, the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, and the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves to advance to the NBA Finals for the fourth time in five seasons. In the Finals, they would lose to the Detroit Pistons in five games, as Detroit's defense completely stymied the Lakers' offense throughout the series.
2004–2007: Rebuilding[]
The Finals defeat brought about the end of an era. During the 2004 off-season, the team entered a rebuilding phase when O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler, and a first-round draft pick. Bryant and O'Neal had clashed in the past, and the media credited their feud as one of the motivating factors for the trade. Phil Jackson did not return as head coach, and wrote a book about the team's 2003–04 season, in which he heavily criticized Bryant and called him "uncoachable". The Lakers front office said that the book contained "several inaccuracies".
The Lakers also traded Rick Fox and Gary Payton to the Boston Celtics for Chris Mihm, Marcus Banks, and Chucky Atkins before the 2004–05 season. Derek Fisher, frustrated with losing playing time, opted out of his contract and signed with the Golden State Warriors. The team hired Rudy Tomjanovich to replace Jackson. After sitting out the first half of the 2004–05 season, Karl Malone announced his retirement on February 13, 2005. Tomjanovich coached the team to a 22–19 record before resigning due to health problems. Assistant Frank Hamblen was named interim head coach to replace Tomjanovich for the remainder of the season. Bryant (ankle) and Odom (shoulder) suffered injuries, and the Lakers finished 34–48, missing the playoffs for only the fifth time in franchise history and the first time since 1994.
With the 10th overall pick in the 2005 Draft, the Lakers selected Andrew Bynum. The team also traded Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins to the Washington Wizards for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit. Jackson returned to coach the team after Rudy Tomjanovich resigned midway through the previous season. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest total in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points. Ending the season at 45–37, the team made the playoffs after a one-season absence as the 7th seed in the Western Conference. After taking a three games to one lead in the first round against the 2nd seeded Phoenix Suns, which was best known for Bryant's iconic game-winner in Game 4, the Suns came back to take the series in seven games.
In the 2006–07 season, the Lakers won 26 of their first 39 games, but lost 27 of their last 43—including seven in a row at one point—to finish 42–40. They were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns once again. Frustrated by the team's inability to advance in the playoffs, Bryant demanded to be traded in the off-season. Buss initially agreed to seek a trade, but also worked to try to change Bryant's mind.
2007–2011: The Kobe-Pau duo[]
After re-acquiring Derek Fisher, the Lakers started the 2007–08 season with a 25–11 record, before Andrew Bynum, their center who was leading the league in field-goal percentage, went out for the year due to a knee injury in mid-January. In what would become a crucial transfer for the franchise's return to championship form, they acquired the six-time all-star power forward Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade in early February and went 22–5 to finish the season. The Lakers' 57–25 record earned them the first seed in the Western Conference. Bryant was awarded the league's MVP Award, becoming the first Laker to win the award since O'Neal in 2000. In the playoffs, they defeated the Denver Nuggets in four games, the Utah Jazz in six, and the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in five, but lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals, marking the Lakers' ninth defeat to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, which was punctuated by a demoralizing 39-point loss in the series-ending Game 6.
In the 2008–09 season, the Lakers finished 65–17; the best record in the Western Conference. They defeated the Utah Jazz in five games, the Houston Rockets in seven and the Denver Nuggets in six, to win the Western Conference title. They then won their 15th NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in the NBA Finals. Bryant won his fourth championship and was named the NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his career.
The Lakers, who had added Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) in place of Trevor Ariza in their starting lineup, finished the 2009–10 season with the best record in the Western Conference for the third straight time. On January 13, 2010, the Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win 3,000 regular season games by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 100–95. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference playoffs. In the Finals, the Lakers played the Boston Celtics (in a rematch of the 2008 Finals) for the 12th time. They rallied back from a 3–2 disadvantage in the series and erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the seventh game to defeat the Celtics 83–79 in Game 7. This series win gave them their 16th NBA title overall and 11th since they moved to Los Angeles. Bryant won his fifth and final championship and was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row, despite a 6–24 shooting performance in Game Seven.
After much speculation, head coach Phil Jackson returned for the 2010–11 season. In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in six games in the first round. However, their opportunity for a second three-peat in the 21st century (and third overall) was denied by the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks in a four-game sweep of the second round. After the season, it was announced that Jackson will not be returning to coach the Lakers, and it marked the final season of Jackson as a head coach.
2011–2016: Post-Jackson era, decline, and Bryant's final seasons[]
After Jackson's retirement, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was hired as head coach on May 25, 2011. Before the start of the shortened 2011–12 season, the Lakers traded Lamar Odom to the defending champion Dallas Mavericks after Odom requested to be traded. On the trade deadline, long time Laker Derek Fisher along with a first round draft pick were traded to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill. With a 41–25 regular season record, the Lakers entered the playoffs as the third seed, the team defeated the Denver Nuggets in the first round in seven games, but were eliminated by the eventual Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round in five games. This season marked Kobe Bryant's final career playoff appearance.
On July 4, 2012, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that would send him to the Lakers in exchange for the Lakers' 2013 and 2015 first round draft picks, 2013 and 2014 second round draft picks, and $3 million. The trade was made official on July 11, 2012, the first day the trade moratorium was lifted. On August 10, 2012, in a four-team trade the Lakers traded Andrew Bynum and acquired Dwight Howard. On November 9, 2012, Mike Brown was relieved of coaching duties after a 1–4 start to the 2012–13 season. Assistant Coach Bernie Bickerstaff took over as interim head coach, leading the Lakers to a 5–5 record. On November 12, 2012, the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni as head coach. On February 18, 2013, Lakers owner Jerry Buss had died from cancer at age 80. On the court, D'Antoni coached the Lakers to a 40–32 record the rest of the way to finish 45–37, their worst record since 2007. The Lakers clinched a playoff berth on the final game of the season and finished seventh in the Western Conference after beating the Houston Rockets on April 16, 2013. The Lakers battled injuries all season, the most prominent of which was the Achilles tendon rupture to Kobe Bryant that ended his season after 78 games. The absence of Bryant was sorely felt as the Lakers were swept by the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Nevertheless, Bryant passed Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain to become the fourth all-time leading scorer in NBA history on March 30, 2013, against the Sacramento Kings.
On December 8, 2013, Bryant played in his first game since tearing his Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013. However, on December 17, 2013, he suffered a broken bone in his knee, and did not return for the remainder of the season. On March 25, 2014, the Lakers scored 51 points in the third quarter against the New York Knicks, the most points scored in a quarter in the history of the franchise. The Lakers went on to miss the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2005, for just the second time in the last two decades and for just the sixth time in franchise history. On April 30, 2014, Mike D'Antoni resigned from his position as head coach after a 27–55 season.
After spending the majority of the off-season without a head coach, the Lakers named former player Byron Scott as the new head coach. After the season, he was the frontrunner to become the new Lakers head coach. Scott interviewed three times for the position, which had become vacant after Mike D'Antoni's resignation. On July 28, 2014, he signed a multi-year contract to coach the Lakers.
During the first game of the 2014–15 season, the 7th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Julius Randle went down with a broken leg, which ended his rookie season. The Lakers began their season losing 10 of their first 16 games. After playing only 35 games, Kobe Bryant tore a rotator cuff in his shoulder ending his season. Nick Young was also forced to end his season with a fractured kneecap, leaving the team with a record of 14–41. With 27 games left in the regular season, Byron Scott gave rookie Jordan Clarkson more playing time. Clarkson, the 46th overall pick in the 2014 Draft, finished his rookie season with game stats of 11.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, and shooting 44.8% from the field. The Lakers' season ended with a record of 21–61, the 4th worst record in the league and at the time, the worst record in franchise history.
The next season, the Lakers had the second overall pick of the 2015 Draft, which they used to select Ohio State freshman Point Guard D'Angelo Russell. On November 29, 2015, Bryant announced that he would retire at the end of the season after 20 seasons with the team. In Bryant's last season, the team missed the playoffs for the third straight year with a dismal 17–65 record, which was not only the worst record in the league that season, but it was the worst record in franchise history.
2016–2019: Post-Bryant era[]
On April 24, 2016, the Lakers announced that they would not exercise their option on Byron Scott's contract for the following season. On April 29, the Lakers announced another former Laker, Luke Walton, as their new head coach. At the time of his hiring, Walton was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, who were in the playoffs, so Walton could not officially begin his duties as head coach until the Warriors' playoff run was over. The Lakers earned the second overall pick in the 2016 Draft, and selected Brandon Ingram from Duke University. The team also selected Ivica Zubac with the 32nd overall pick.
On February 21, 2017, the Lakers fired general manager Mitch Kupchak, while Magic Johnson was named as the president of basketball operations. The team's governor Jeanie Buss, also announced the removal of her brother, Jim Buss, from his position as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. On March 7, 2017, the Lakers hired Rob Pelinka as the general manager, signing him to a five-year deal. The Lakers again earned the second overall pick, this time, in the 2017 Draft, and selected Lonzo Ball from UCLA. The Lakers also acquired Kyle Kuzma from the University of Utah with the 27th overall pick from a draft-day trade, along with Brook Lopez in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov. The Lakers also traded their 28th overall pick, Tony Bradley, in exchange for the 30th overall pick, Josh Hart, from Villanova University and the 42nd overall pick, Thomas Bryant, from Indiana University. In February 2018, Nance Jr. and Clarkson were traded away to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a 2018 first-round draft pick. On July 2, 2018, Randle was renounced by the Lakers.
2018–present: The LeBron James era[]
On July 1, 2018, the Lakers signed three-time champion LeBron James, who opted out of the Cavaliers for the second time after four years, to a four-year, $154 million contract.
By the Christmas Day game, where the Lakers defeated the defending two-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors, they were six games over .500 before James sustained a groin injury leading to several weeks of missed games. Ball and Ingram have also ended their seasons early due to injuries. These accumulated injuries saw the Lakers fall below .500 by the All-Star break. On February 7, 2019, Zubac was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers along with Michael Beasley in exchange for Mike Muscala. By March, the Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention following a loss to the Brooklyn Nets, extending the team's postseason drought to a franchise record six seasons, and a sixth straight losing season. It marked the first time since 2005 that James missed the playoffs as well as the first time since 2010 that he didn't appear in the NBA Finals after playing the past eight Finals four each with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers finished the 2018–19 season with a 37–45 record.
On April 9, 2019, Johnson stepped down as the team's President of Basketball Operations, and two days later, the Lakers parted ways with head coach Walton after the team had failed to reach the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
2019–present: The James and Davis era[]
2019–20: Back to relevance and 17th NBA championship[]
On May 13, Frank Vogel was named the Lakers' head coach. The Lakers received the fourth overall pick in the 2019 Draft lottery. On July 6, the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans for Ball, Ingram, Hart, and three first-round picks, including the number four overall in the 2019 Draft.
During the 2019–20 season, the Lakers had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA, and were atop the Western Conference for most of the season, where they had a record of 36–10 by January 25, 2020. Leading up to this, however, the following day on January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Widespread memorials were held, and the NBA later postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers that had been scheduled for January 28, two days after the accident. The Lakers also wore a patch with Kobe's initials for the rest of the season. The Lakers home court also paid tribute to Kobe by placing "KB" logos on the back ends of the court, and Kobe's numbers on the sidelines, with his #8 near the Lakers bench, and his #24 near the visiting team's bench.
On March 6, 2020, following a 113–103 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2013. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was suspended on March 11, 2020.
On July 5, the NBA announced a return of the season which would involve 22 teams playing in the NBA Bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, with the Lakers being one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season.
Play resumed on July 30, 2020, and on August 3, 2020, following a 116–108 victory over the Utah Jazz, the Lakers clinched the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 2009–10 season as well as clinching their 24th Pacific Division title, their first since the 2011–12 season. The Lakers finished the 2019–20 regular season with a 52–19 record, the equivalent of 60–22.
In the playoffs, the Lakers faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round in the playoffs. It marked the first meeting between the two teams in the playoffs since 2002, when they faced each other in the first round, with the Lakers sweeping the Trail Blazers in three games, back when the first round was a best of five series. After losing the first game, the Lakers won the next four games, defeating the Trail Blazers in five games to advance to the Semifinals, winning their first playoff series since 2012. In the Semifinals, the Lakers faced the Houston Rockets. This was the first meeting between the two teams in the playoffs since 2009, when the two teams faced each other in the Semifinals, with the Lakers winning in seven games. Just like in their previous series against the Trail Blazers, after losing the first game of the series, the Lakers would go on to win the next four games, defeating the Rockets in five games to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010. In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of the 2009 Western Conference Finals, in which the Lakers won in six games en route to winning the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets in five games, winning the franchise's thirty-second Western Conference championship, and for the first time since 2010, returned to the NBA Finals, where they faced the Miami Heat (LeBron's former team) who also returned to the finals for the first time since 2014. The Lakers defeated the Heat in six games, winning the franchise's 17th NBA championship, tying the Boston Celtics for the most NBA championships in league history. LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career, being the first player to be Finals MVP for three different teams.Primary Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who took over the team in 2017, would also become the first female controlling owner of an NBA team to win the NBA Finals.
After the Lakers won the 2020 NBA Finals, they dedicated the championship to Bryant and his family.
2020–21: Post-championship season, injury woes, and early playoff exit[]
In the 2020–21 season, the Lakers entered the season as the defending NBA champions for the first time since the 2010–11 season.
In February 2021, the Lakers had the No. 2 record in the West at 21–7, two games behind the Utah Jazz, when Anthony Davis suffered a strained calf that sidelined him for 30 games. One game after Davis was injured, Dennis Schröder missed a span of four games—in which the Lakers were winless—due to the league's health and safety protocols. LeBron James missed 26 of the team's final 30 games with a sprained ankle. After Davis returned from his nine-week absence, the Lakers were 35–23, going 14–16 without him, including 6–10 with James out as well. Schröder also missed seven games in the final weeks of the season, again due to health and safety protocols.
In an injury-laden season in similar vein to the 2018–19 season, the Lakers finished with a 42–30 record (roughly the equivalent of 48–34), the same as the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks and No. 6 Portland Trail Blazers; however, they fell to 7th place due to tiebreakers, resulting in the Lakers having to face the No. 8 Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament to determine the No. 7 seed. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 103–100 to clinch the No. 7 seed, in which they faced the No. 2 seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. The two teams previously met in the 2010 Western Conference Finals, which was the Suns' last and most recent playoff appearance. Unfortunately for the Lakers, several injuries to their players, most notably to both Davis and James, during the series proved to be significantly detrimental. Despite taking a 2–1 series lead, the Lakers would go on to drop their next three games, which were all double-digit losses, ultimately losing to the Suns in six games, and bringing an end to their title defense. It marked their first playoff series loss to the Suns since 2007 and it marked LeBron James' first series loss in the first round in the playoffs in his career, in which he was previously 14–0 in.
2021–22: Arrivals of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, missing the play-in tournament and playoffs[]
During the 2021 off-season, the Lakers picked up many NBA veterans, the most notable of which was Russell Westbrook, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards. Kyle Kuzma, the last player left from the Lakers' young core era, was traded away, along with others. Other veterans picked up during the off-season included Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, and returning players Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, and Rajon Rondo. Fan favorite Alex Caruso left the Lakers and signed with the Chicago Bulls, and veteran locker-room voice Jared Dudley retired and became an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks.
Before the season, the Lakers were widely considered by experts to be the favorites to win the Western Conference. The team remained stable with a .500 percentage for the last direct playoff access spot and remaining within play-in contention for most of the season. However, the Lakers would go on to collapse after the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which was won for the fifth straight time by Team LeBron. Despite LeBron's best points per game average since 2006 and achieving a number of scoring and age-related records, the Lakers massively disappointed, with a combination of injury and underperformances, coupled with an aged and mismanaged roster.
On April 5, the Lakers were eliminated from both playoff and play-in contention for the first time since 2019 and the seventh time in nine years after a 121–110 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the team that they were eliminated and dethroned by in the first round of the previous season's playoffs. It was the fourth time in James' career that he missed the playoffs and the second time in his four years with the Lakers. The Lakers' failure to make the play-in/playoffs was widely regarded by experts to be one of the greatest underachievements in NBA history. James, Anthony Davis, Westbrook, and Anthony were selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, the Lakers being the team with the most active players.
James was the only Laker to make the All-Star cut, with Anthony Davis having a second consecutive injury-laden season. Due to injuries, the Lakers used 41 different starting lineups, and the trio of James, Davis, and Westbrook played only 21 games together, compiling an 11–10 record; the Lakers were just 20–33 when only two of the three were playing together. They were the only team to not have a single five-man lineup that played 100 minutes, finished in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and ranked 21st in defensive rating after finishing third in 2019–20 and first in 2020–21. Due to an ankle injury in March, James fell out of a close three-player race for the NBA scoring title, finishing with only 56 games played, two less than necessary to qualify; aged 37, he would have broken Michael Jordan's record of oldest scoring leader at 35.
Following the season, head coach Frank Vogel was fired on April 11, 2022. Vogel led the team in 2020 to their first title since 2010 and one first-round exit in 2021, and he finished with an overall 127–98 record.
2022–23: Hiring of Darvin Ham, a slow start, qualifying for the Play-in tournament and a surprise playoff run[]
On June 3, 2022, the Lakers hired Darvin Ham as their new head coach.
The Lakers began the season 0–5 and were the last winless team in the league. It was the first time that LeBron James started a season 0–5 since his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. The Lakers earned their first win in the following game against the Denver Nuggets, after Anthony Davis returned from a one-game absence due to lower back tightness. He scored 23 points and had 15 rebounds, and James added 26 points. In his second game off the bench as the Lakers' sixth man, Russell Westbrook had 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. After winning their next game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers lost 130–116 to the Utah Jazz, failing to secure their first three-game winning streak since January 7, 2022.
On November 18, 2022, the Lakers won their second straight game for the second time this season and they also won their third straight game for the first time since January 2022. The Lakers retired No. 99 in honor of George Mikan on October 30, 2022. Pau Gasol's No. 16 was retired on March 7, 2023, against his former team the Memphis Grizzlies. On February 7, 2023, James broke the NBA scoring record against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With a 128–117 win over the Utah Jazz, the Lakers qualified for the Play-in-Tournament for the first time since 2021. The Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 108–102 in overtime to return to the NBA playoffs after a one-year absence. Additionally, the Lakers became the first team to advance to the playoffs after starting the season 0–5 and 2–10. The Lakers won 8 of their last 10 games. In the 2023 NBA playoffs, the Lakers defeated the 2nd-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in six games despite being underdogs to win a playoff series for the first time since their championship run in 2020 and on their home court for the first time since 2012. In the conference semifinals, they defeated the 6th-seeded defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors also in six games, becoming the first 7th-seed to reach the Western Conference Finals since the 1986–87 Seattle SuperSonics.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they would go on to be swept by the top-seeded and eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, which marked their first playoff series defeat to them, having previously gone 3–0 against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. It was also the first time since 1998 that the Lakers had been both defeated and swept in the Western Conference Finals as well as losing a playoff series at home for the first time since 2013.
2023–24: Winning the Inaugural NBA Cup, post-NBA Cup struggles, LeBron reaches 40,000 career points, third Play-in tournament qualification, eliminated by the Nuggets in the playoffs again[]
Prior to the start of the season, LeBron James announced that he would switch his jersey number back to #23 after wearing #6 (which he also wore with the Miami Heat) the previous two seasons. On August 24, 2023, the Lakers announced that a statue of Kobe Bryant would be unveiled in front of Crypto.com Arena on February 8, 2024.
The Lakers held a perfect 7–0 record in the inaugural In-Season Tournament, winning the inaugural NBA Cup on December 9 by defeating the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers improved to the 4th seed in the Western Conference after their In-Season Tournament run, having a 14–9 record. However, they struggled immediately after the run, going 3–10 from the rest of December all the way until January 5, 2024 and eventually falling to 17–19 and the 9th seed. On March 2, 2024, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, James became the first player in NBA history to record 40,000 career points.
With a 124–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on April 14, the Lakers qualified for the NBA play-in tournament for the second straight year and third overall. The win capped off a record of 23–10 since February 1, which also contributed to their play-in berth. They defeated the Pelicans in a rematch 110–106 to advance to the playoffs for the second straight year. The Lakers rematched against the team they were swept by in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, the defending champion Denver Nuggets, in the first round. However, the Lakers would go on to be defeated by the Nuggets again in five games, which included two Jamal Murray game-winning shots in Games 2 and 5, respectively. This was the second consecutive season where the Lakers had their season ended by the Nuggets. This was also the first time that the Lakers lost in the first round since 2021 when they lost to the eventual Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns in six games and the second time that LeBron James lost in the first round in his career, having also lost to the 2020–21 Suns.
On May 3, 2024, the Lakers fired their entire coaching staff, which includes head coach Darvin Ham, after serving for two seasons, and assistant coach Phil Handy, who had been with the team since their 2020 championship season.
2024–25: Hiring of JJ Redick[]
Following the season, the Lakers fired Ham and hired JJ Redick as the team's new head coach. A few days later, the team selected Bronny James, Lebron's oldest son, in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft.
Celebrity fans[]
Given the team's proximity to Hollywood, the Lakers fanbase includes numerous celebrities, many of whom can be seen at the Staples Center during home games. Jack Nicholson, for example, has held season tickets since the 1970s, and directors reportedly need to work their shooting schedules around Lakers home games. From 2002 and 2007, the team averaged just over 18,900 fans, which placed them in the top ten in the NBA in attendance.
Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "Magic Johnson", from their 1989 album Mother's Milk, is a tribute to the former Point Guard, and frontman Anthony Kiedis and bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary are frequently seen attending home games. In 2008, the team sold out every home game, and in 2010, the Lakers had the most popular team merchandise among all NBA teams, and Bryant the most popular jersey.
Season-by-season records[]
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Percentage
Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit Gems (NBL) (Not included in W/L totals) | |||||
1946-47 | 4 | 40 | .091 | ||
Minneapolis Lakers (NBL) (Not included in W/L totals) | |||||
1947-48 | 43 | 17 | .717 | Won First Round Won NBL Semifinals Won NBL Championship |
Minneapolis 3, Oshkosh 1 Minneapolis 2, Tri-Cities 0 Minneapolis 3, Rochester 1 |
Minneapolis Lakers (BAA) (Included in W/L totals) | |||||
1948-49 | 44 | 16 | .733 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Won BAA Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Chicago 0 Minneapolis 2, Rochester 0 Minneapolis 4, Washington 2 |
Minneapolis Lakers (NBA) | |||||
1949-50 | 51 | 17 | .750 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Won NBA Semifinals Won NBA Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Chicago 0 Minneapolis 2, Fort Wayne 0 Minneapolis 2, Anderson 0 Minneapolis 4, Syracuse 2 |
1950-51 | 44 | 24 | .647 | Won Division Semifinals Lost Division Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Indianapolis 1 Rochester 3, Minneapolis 1 |
1951-52 | 40 | 26 | .606 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Won NBA Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Indianapolis 0 Minneapolis 3, Rochester 1 Minneapolis 4, New York 3 |
1952-53 | 48 | 22 | .686 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Won NBA Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Indianapolis 0 Minneapolis 3, Fort Wayne 2 Minneapolis 4, New York 1 |
1953-54 | 46 | 26 | .639 | Won Division Finals Won NBA Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 1 Minneapolis 4, Syracuse 3 |
1954-55 | 40 | 32 | .556 | Won Division Semifinals Lost Division Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 1 Fort Wayne 3, Minneapolis 1 |
1955-56 | 33 | 39 | .458 | Lost Division Semifinals | St. Louis 2, Minneapolis 1 |
1956-57 | 34 | 38 | .472 | Won Division Semifinals Lost Division Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Fort Wayne 0 St. Louis 3, Minneapolis 0 |
1957-58 | 19 | 53 | .264 | ||
1958-59 | 33 | 39 | .458 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Detroit 1 Minneapolis 4, St. Louis 2 Boston 4, Minneapolis 0 |
1959-60 | 25 | 50 | .333 | Won Division Semifinals Lost Division Finals |
Minneapolis 2, Detroit 0 St. Louis 4, Minneapolis 3 |
Los Angeles Lakers | |||||
1960-61 | 36 | 43 | .456 | Won Division Semifinals Lost Division Finals |
Los Angeles 2, Detroit 0 St. Louis 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1961-62 | 54 | 26 | .675 | Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 3, Detroit 2 Boston 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1962-63 | 53 | 27 | .663 | Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, St. Louis 3 Boston 4, Los Angeles 2 |
1963-64 | 42 | 38 | .525 | Lost Division Semifinals | St. Louis 3, Los Angeles 2 |
1964-65 | 49 | 31 | .613 | Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Baltimore 2 Boston 4, Los Angeles 1 |
1965-66 | 45 | 35 | .563 | Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, St. Louis 3 Boston 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1966-67 | 36 | 45 | .444 | Lost Division Semifinals | San Francisco 3, Los Angeles 0 |
1967-68 | 52 | 30 | .634 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Chicago 1 Los Angeles 4, San Francisco 0 Boston 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1968-69 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Won Division Semifinals Won Division Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, San Francisco 2 Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 1 Boston 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1969-70 | 46 | 36 | .561 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 3 Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 0 New York 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1970-71 | 48 | 34 | .585 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Chicago 3 Milwaukee 4, Los Angeles 1 |
1971-72 | 69 | 13 | .841 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Chicago 0 Los Angeles 4, Milwaukee 2 Los Angeles 4, New York 1 |
1972-73 | 60 | 22 | .732 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Chicago 3 Los Angeles 4, Golden State 1 New York 4, Los Angeles 1 |
1973-74 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Lost First Round | Milwaukee 4, Los Angeles 1 |
1974-75 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
1975-76 | 40 | 42 | .488 | ||
1976-77 | 53 | 29 | .646 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Los Angeles 4, Golden State 3 Portland 4, Los Angeles 0 |
1977-78 | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First Round | Seattle 2, Los Angeles 1 |
1978-79 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
Los Angeles 2, Denver 1 Seattle 4, Los Angeles 1 |
1979-80 | 60 | 22 | .732 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 1 Los Angeles 4, Seattle 1 Los Angeles 4, Philadelphia 2 |
1980-81 | 54 | 28 | .659 | Lost First Round | Houston 2, Los Angeles 1 |
1981-82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 0 Los Angeles 4, San Antonio 0 Los Angeles 4, Philadelphia 2 |
1982-83 | 58 | 24 | .707 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 4, Portland 1 Los Angeles 4, San Antonio 2 Philadelphia 4, Los Angeles 0 |
1983-84 | 54 | 28 | .659 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
Los Angeles 3, Kansas City 0 Los Angeles 4, Dallas 1 Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 2 Boston 4, Los Angeles 3 |
1984-85 | 62 | 20 | .756 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Phoenix 0 LA Lakers 4, Portland 1 LA Lakers 4, Denver 1 LA Lakers 4, Boston 2 |
1985-86 | 62 | 20 | .756 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
LA Lakers 3, San Antonio 0 LA Lakers 4, Dallas 2 Houston 4, LA Lakers 1 |
1986-87 | 65 | 17 | .793 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Denver 0 LA Lakers 4, Golden State 1 LA Lakers 4, Seattle 0 LA Lakers 4, Boston 2 |
1987-88 | 62 | 20 | .756 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, San Antonio 0 LA Lakers 4, Utah 3 LA Lakers 4, Dallas 3 LA Lakers 4, Detroit 3 |
1988-89 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Portland 0 LA Lakers 4, Seattle 0 LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 0 Detroit 4, LA Lakers 0 |
1989-90 | 63 | 19 | .768 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 3, Houston 1 Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 1 |
1990-91 | 58 | 24 | .707 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Houston 0 LA Lakers 4, Golden State 1 LA Lakers 4, Portland 2 Chicago 4, LA Lakers 1 |
1991-92 | 43 | 39 | .524 | Lost First Round | Portland 3, LA Lakers 1 |
1992-93 | 39 | 43 | .476 | Lost First Round | Phoenix 3, LA Lakers 2 |
1993-94 | 33 | 49 | .402 | ||
1994-95 | 48 | 34 | .585 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 3, Seattle 1 San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 2 |
1995-96 | 53 | 29 | .646 | Lost First Round | Houston 3, LA Lakers 1 |
1996-97 | 56 | 26 | .683 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 3, Portland 1 Utah 4, LA Lakers 1 |
1997-98 | 61 | 21 | .744 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Portland 1 LA Lakers 4, Seattle 1 Utah 4, LA Lakers 0 |
1998-99 | 31 | 19 | .620 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 3, Houston 1 San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 0 |
1999-00 | 67 | 15 | .817 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Sacramento 2 LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 1 LA Lakers 4, Portland 3 LA Lakers 4, Indiana 2 |
2000-01 | 56 | 26 | .683 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Portland 0 LA Lakers 4, Sacramento 0 LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 0 LA Lakers 4, Philadelphia 1 |
2001-02 | 58 | 24 | .707 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 3, Portland 0 LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 1 LA Lakers 4, Sacramento 3 LA Lakers 4, New Jersey 0 |
2002-03 | 50 | 32 | .610 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 4, Minnesota 2 San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 2 |
2003-04 | 56 | 26 | .683 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 4, Houston 1 LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 2 LA Lakers 4, Minnesota 2 Detroit 4, LA Lakers 1 |
2004-05 | 34 | 48 | .415 | ||
2005-06 | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First Round | Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 3 |
2006-07 | 42 | 40 | .512 | Lost First Round | Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 1 |
2007-08 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 4, Denver 0 LA Lakers 4, Utah 2 LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 1 Boston 4, LA Lakers 2 |
2008-09 | 65 | 17 | .793 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 4, Utah 1 LA Lakers 4, Houston 3 LA Lakers 4, Denver 2 LA Lakers 4, Orlando 1 |
2009-10 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 4, Oklahoma City 2 LA Lakers 4, Utah 0 LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 2 LA Lakers 4, Boston 3 |
2010-11 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 4, New Orleans 2 Dallas 4, LA Lakers 0 |
2011-12 | 41 | 25 | .621 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals |
LA Lakers 4, Denver 3 Oklahoma City 4, LA Lakers 1 |
2012-13 | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First Round | San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 0 |
2013-14 | 27 | 55 | .329 | ||
2014-15 | 21 | 61 | .256 | ||
2015-16 | 17 | 65 | .207 | ||
2016-17 | 26 | 56 | .317 | ||
2017-18 | 35 | 47 | .427 | ||
2018-19 | 37 | 45 | .451 | ||
2019-20 | 52 | 19 | .732 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals |
LA Lakers 4, Portland 1 LA Lakers 4, Houston 1 LA Lakers 4, Denver 1 LA Lakers 4, Miami 2 |
2020-21 | 42 | 30 | .583 | Won Play-in game for No. 7 seed Lost First Round |
LA Lakers 103, Golden State 100 Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 2 |
2021-22 | 33 | 49 | .402 | ||
2022-23 | 43 | 39 | .524 | Won Play-in game for No. 7 seed Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals |
LA Lakers 108, Minnesota 102 (OT) LA Lakers 4, Memphis 2 LA Lakers 4, Golden State 2 Denver 4, LA Lakers 0 |
2023-24 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won Play-in game for No. 7 seed Lost First Round |
LA Lakers 110, New Orleans 106 Denver 4, LA Lakers 1 |
Totals | 3333 | 2282 | .594 | ||
Playoffs | 440 | 297 | .597 | 17 Championships |
Current Roster[]
Los Angeles Lakers 2024-25 season roster | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
0 Jalen Hood-Schifino • 1 D'Angelo Russell • 2 Jarred Vanderbilt • 3 Anthony Davis • 4 Dalton Knecht • 5 Cam Reddish • 7 Gabe Vincent • 9 Bronny James • 10 Max Christie • 10 Christian Koloko • 11 Jaxson Hayes • 14 Colin Castleton • 15 Austin Reaves • 21 Maxwell Lewis • 23 Lebron James • 28 Rui Hachimura • 35 Christian Wood • 94 Armel Traore • Jordan Goodwin • Kylor Kelley • Quincy Olivari | ||||
Players who left during the season | ||||
Not yet applicable | ||||
Head coach: JJ Redick | ||||
Regular Season • Playoffs • Finals |
Franchise leaders[]
Statistic(s) | Total | Player(s) |
---|---|---|
Games Played | 1,103 | Kobe Bryant |
Minutes Played | 40,145 | Kobe Bryant |
Field Goals | 9,935 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Field Goal Attempts | 21,370 | Kobe Bryant |
Field Goal Percentage | .605 | Wilt Chamberlain |
Three-point Field Goals | 1,418 | Kobe Bryant |
Three-point Field Goal Attempts | 4,185 | Kobe Bryant |
Three-point Field Goal Percentage | .400 | Vladimir Radmanovic |
Free Throws | 7,160 | Jerry West |
Free Throw Attempts | 8,801 | Jerry West |
Free Throw Percentage | .877 | Cazzie Russell |
Offensive Rebounds | 2,494 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Defensive Rebounds | 7,785 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Rebounds | 11,463 | Elgin Baylor |
Assists | 10,141 | Magic Johnson |
Steals | 1,724 | Magic Johnson |
Blocked Shots | 2,694 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Turnovers | 3,506 | Magic Johnson |
Personal Fouls | 3,224 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Points | 27,868 | Kobe Bryant |
Players and other figures of note[]
In 1997, the NBA announced a list of the 50 best players in its history, and of them, eight played all or significant portions of their careers with the Lakers: Centers George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal; Guards Jerry West and Magic Johnson; and Forwards Elgin Baylor and James Worthy.[1]
Basketball Hall of Famers[]
Players[]
- 4 Adrian Dantley
- 8, 24 Kobe Bryant – announced as part of the 2020 induction class
- 10 Steve Nash
- 11 Karl Malone – inducted both as an individual and as part of the 1992 US Olympic team
- 11 Bob McAdoo
- 11 Charlie Scott
- 12 Vlade Divac
- 13 Wilt Chamberlain
- 17 Jim Pollard – also served as Lakers head coach
- 19 Vern Mikkelsen
- 20 Gary Payton
- 22 Elgin Baylor
- 22 Slater Martin
- 23 Mitch Richmond
- 25 Gail Goodrich
- 31 Zelmo Beaty
- 31 Spencer Haywood
- 32 Magic Johnson – inducted both as an individual and as part of the 1992 US Olympic team; also served as Lakers head coach
- 33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- 34 Clyde Lovellette
- 34 Shaquille O'Neal
- 42 Connie Hawkins
- 42 James Worthy
- 44 Jerry West – inducted both as an individual and as part of the 1960 US Olympic team; also served as head coach and general manager of the Lakers
- 52 Jamaal Wilkes
- 73 Dennis Rodman
- 99 George Mikan – also served as Lakers head coach
Coaches[]
All listed in this section were Lakers head coaches unless otherwise indicated.
- Phil Jackson
- John Kundla
- Pat Riley – also played for the Lakers, but inducted solely as a coach
- Bill Sharman – also inducted separately as a player, but never played for the Lakers
- Tex Winter – assistant
Contributors[]
- Jerry Buss – owner
- Chick Hearn – broadcaster
- Pete Newell – general manager; inducted both as an individual and as part of the 1960 US Olympic team, for which he was head coach
Other notable players[]
- Michael Cooper
- Cedric Ceballos
- Derek Fisher
- Rick Fox
- Horace Grant
- A.C. Green
- Robert Horry
- Brian Shaw
- Eddie Jones
- Norm Nixon
- Kurt Rambis
- Glen Rice
- Byron Scott
- Mychal Thompson
- Nick Van Exel
- Kermit Washington
Retired numbers[]
The Lakers have retired thirteen jersey numbers and an honorary microphone in honor of their players and broadcaster:
Los Angeles Lakers retired numbers | |||
No. | Player | Position | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|
6 | Bill Russell | N/A | Retired across NBA on August 11, 2022 |
8 | Kobe Bryant | G | 1996–2006 |
13 | Wilt Chamberlain | C | 1968–1973 |
16 | Pau Gasol | F | 2008–2014 |
22 | Elgin Baylor | F | 1958–1971 |
24 | Kobe Bryant | G | 2006–2016 |
25 | Gail Goodrich | G | 1965–1968 1970–1976 |
32 | Magic Johnson | G | 1979–1991 1996 |
33 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | C | 1975–1989 |
34 | Shaquille O'Neal | C | 1996–2004 |
42 | James Worthy | F | 1982–1994 |
44 | Jerry West | G | 1960–1974 |
52 | Jamaal Wilkes | F | 1977–1985 |
99 | George Mikan | C | 1948–1954 1956 |
MIC | Chick Hearn | Broadcaster | 1961–2002 |
- On January 13, 2025, the Lakers will retire Michael Cooper's No. 21.
Honored Minneapolis Lakers: Next to their retired numbers, the Lakers have hung a banner with the names of five Hall-of-Famers who were instrumental to the franchise's success during its days in Minneapolis, although their numbers are not retired by the franchise:
Minneapolis Lakers honored numbers | |||
No. | Player | Position | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|
17 | Jim Pollard | F | 1948–1955 |
19 | Vern Mikkelsen | F | 1949–1959 |
22 | Slater Martin | G | 1949–1956 |
34 | Clyde Lovellette | F/C | 1953–1957 |
John Kundla | Head coach | 1948–1957 1958–1959 |
Notable Head Coaches[]
- John Kundla -- First Head Coach, 1948-58 and 1959; 1949 BAA Champions; 1950 and 1952-54 NBA Champions; 1951 and 1957 NBA Western Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 423-302 in regular season, 60-35 in playoffs
- Fred Schaus -- 1960-67; 1962-63 and 1965-66 NBA Western Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 315-245 in regular season, 33-38 in playoffs
- Butch Van Breda Kolff -- 1967-69; 1969 NBA Western Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 107-57 in regular season, 21-12 in playoffs.
- Joe Mullaney -- 1969-71; 1971 NBA Pacific Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 94-70 in regular season, 16-14 in playoffs.
- Bill Sharman -- 1971-76; 1972 NBA Champions, 1973 Western Conference Champions and 1974 NBA Pacific Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 246-164 in regular season, 22-15 in playoffs.
- Paul Westhead -- 1979-81; 1980 NBA Champion. Win-Loss record: 111-50 in regular season, 13-6 in playoffs.
- Pat Riley -- 1981-90; 1982, 1985, and 1987-88 NBA Champions; 1982-85, 1987-89 Western Conference Champions; 1982-90 NBA Pacific Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 533-194 in regular season, 102-47 in playoffs.
- Mike Dunleavy -- 1990-92; Win-Loss record: 101-63 in regular season, 13-10 in playoffs. 1991 NBA Finals appearance.
- Randy Pfund -- 1992-94; Win-Loss record: 66-80 in regular season, 2-3 in playoffs.
- Magic Johnson -- 1994; Win-Loss Record 5-11.
- Del Harris -- 1994–99; 1998 NBA Pacific Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 224-116 in regular season, 17-19 in playoffs.
- Rudy Tomjanovich -- 2004-05; Win-Loss record: 24-19.
- Phil Jackson -- 1999-2004 and 2005-2011; 2000–02, 2009–10 NBA Champions. Win-Loss record: 323-169 in regular season, 54-35 in playoffs.
- Frank Vogel -- 2019-2022; 2020 NBA Champion. Win-Loss record: 127-98 in regular season, 18-9 in playoffs.
Chick Hearn[]
The Lakers are also known for their long-time play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn, who called their games on local radio and television from March, 1961 through the end of the 2002 season, including a record streak of 3,338 consecutive games beginning November 21, 1965. A 1991 Hall of Fame inductee, Hearn was known for his many catch phrases, some of which became part of the standard lexicon of basketball (e.g. "slam dunk", "dribble drive", "triple-double")
Miscellaneous information[]
- As the Minneapolis Lakers, the team holds the record for the lowest-scoring NBA game ever played along with the Fort Wayne Pistons. On November 22, 1950, the Lakers were leading until the fourth quarter, when the Pistons pulled ahead to win 19 to 18. This took place in a time before efforts were made to speed up gameplay, such as the addition of the shot clock.
- Poker Legend Doyle Brunson claims in his book Super/System that the (then) Minneapolis Lakers had been making offers to sign him while he was playing college Basketball, until he broke his leg hauling sheet rock.
- Los Angeles is the only city to have two NBA teams (the other team being the Los Angeles Clippers).
- The 2004–05 season marked only the fourth time that the Lakers had failed to qualify for the postseason since relocating to Los Angeles in 1960.
- From 2014 to 2019, the Lakers missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons, which made it the longest playoff drought in franchise history and missed the playoffs again in 2022, making it seven in nine seasons. Prior to that period of futility, the Lakers had only suffered consecutive losing seasons once (1974–75 and 1975–76 seasons) and also had only suffered five losing seasons (1957–58, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1993–94, and 2004–05 seasons).
- The long-standing rivalry with the Boston Celtics is among the most famous in American sports, having met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning 9 of the meetings, while the Lakers have won 3. Both the Lakers and Celtics also have won the most NBA championships, at 17.
- The Lakers are the only NBA team whose primary home jersey color isn't white (it's gold). However, since the 2002–03 season, the team has worn white jerseys on Sunday and holiday home games. The white jerseys were designed by Lakers owner Jerry Buss' daughter, Jeanie Buss.
- Former owner Jack Kent Cooke liked the color purple, but disliked the term purple. As a result, during the era of his ownership, the colors that he had chosen for his team were referred to as "Forum blue" and gold, rather than purple and gold. Even after Cooke sold the team, announcer Chick Hearn still sometimes used the description when describing the uniforms.
- The Los Angeles Lakers were the first team to own a team in the league now known as the NBA G League, the South Bay Lakers (formerly the Los Angeles D-Fenders).
Uniform image gallery[]
Court image gallery[]
See also[]
- Los Angeles Lakers players
- Los Angeles Lakers Playoff History
- Lakers-Celtics rivalry
- Lakers-Kings rivalry
References[]
External links[]
Preceded by Baltimore Bullets 1948 |
BAA/NBA Champions Minneapolis Lakers 1949 & 1950 |
Succeeded by Rochester Royals 1951 |
Preceded by Rochester Royals 1951 |
NBA Champions Minneapolis Lakers 1952, 1953, & 1954 |
Succeeded by Syracuse Nationals 1955 |
Preceded by Milwaukee Bucks 1971 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 1972 |
Succeeded by New York Knicks 1973 |
Preceded by Seattle SuperSonics 1979 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 1980 |
Succeeded by Boston Celtics 1981 |
Preceded by Boston Celtics 1981 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 1982 |
Succeeded by Philadelphia 76ers 1983 |
Preceded by Boston Celtics 1984 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 1985 |
Succeeded by Boston Celtics 1986 |
Preceded by Boston Celtics 1986 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 1987 & 1988 |
Succeeded by Detroit Pistons 1989 & 1990 |
Preceded by San Antonio Spurs 1999 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 2000, 2001, & 2002 |
Succeeded by San Antonio Spurs 2003 |
Preceded by Boston Celtics 2008 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 2009 & 2010 |
Succeeded by Dallas Mavericks 2011 |
Preceded by Toronto Raptors 2019 |
NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers 2020 |
Succeeded by Milwaukee Bucks 2021 |
National Basketball Association | ||||
Commissioners | ||||
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