Los Angeles Lakers

Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich played nine seasons and went to four NBA Finals with the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with their fellow NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their sister team, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.

The Lakers' franchise was founded in Detroit before moving to Minneapolis, where the team got its official title from the state's nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes, and won five league championships within the various leagues before relocating to Los Angeles. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Lakers popularity soared, which helped them become one of the most successful franchises in the NBA with superstar players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and coach Pat Riley winning five titles in that span, with three championship series against their arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics. The Lakers are notable for having (at the end of the 2007–08 season) the most wins (2,905), the highest winning percentage (61.5%), the most finals appearances (29), and the second most championships (14, behind the Boston Celtics' 17) of any NBA franchise. The Lakers are generally regarded as one of the NBA's most successful franchises. They hold the record for the longest consecutive win streak (33) in U.S. professional team sports (also an NBA record) beginning on November 5, 1971 and ending on January 7, 1972. The franchise has only missed the NBA playoffs five times.

Team history

Main article: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

1944–1959: Beginnings and Minneapolis Dynasty

The Lakers began in 1944 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for $15,000. The team was relocated to Minneapolis for the 1947 season. The Lakers, who already had a solid roster with forward Jim Pollard and playmaker Herm Schaefer, added center George Mikan, who quickly became the most dominant player in the game. With Mikan leading the way during their first year, the Lakers easily won their division by 13 games with a 43–17 record. In the 1949 BAA Championship the Lakers continued their dominance, beating the Washington Capitols three games to one. The following season, the team improved to 44–24, winning the Western Division. In the Playoffs, the team defeated the Indianapolis Olympians in three games, but lost to the Rochester Royals in the next round.

In the 1951–52 season, the Lakers won 40 games, finishing second in its division. Facing the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, the Lakers ended up winning in seven games. With a 48–22 record in the 1952–53 season, the team went to the NBA finals again after defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons in the Western Finals. The team ended up winning their second straight championship over The Knicks. Though Lakers star George Milkan suffered from knee problem throughout the 1953–54 season, he was still able to average 18 points per game. Clyde Lovellette, who was drafted in 1952, made a big contribution in his rookie year. Along with Mikan, he was able to help the team win the Western Division. The team was able to win their third straight championship in the '50s when they defeated the Syracuse Nationals in seven games. Following Milkan's retirement in the 1954 offseason, the team struggled, but still managed to win 40 games. Although defeating the Royals in the first round, the Lakers would eventually fall to the Fort Wayne Pistons in the next round. For the rest of the '50s, the team failed to average above .500, and never returned to the finals.

1959–1974: Move to Los Angeles and Celtics Rivalry

In their last year in Minneapolis, the Lakers went 25–50, so they got the number two pick in the 1960 NBA Draft. The team selected Jerry West from West Virginia University. During the 1960 offseason, the Lakers became the NBA's first West Coast team when the owner, Bob Short, decided to move the team to Los Angeles. Although the team featured Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich, the attendance fell dramatically in their first five years in Los Angeles, and the team lost the NBA Finals four times to the Boston Celtics in five seasons. The Lakers moved to a brand-new arena, The Forum, in 1967, after playing seven seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. That season saw the team repeat its pattern, losing to the Celtics in the 1968 NBA Finals.

Hall of Famer Jerry West, led the team to nine NBA Finals appearances in the 60s and 70s.

On July 9, 1968, the team acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers for Darrell Imhoff, Archie Clark, Jerry Chambers and cash. The Lakers and Celtics met in the finals again, but for the first time the Lakers had the home court advantage. However, they once again couldn't get past their rivals, losing in seven games, and the Celtics emerged from the series with their 11th NBA Championship in 13 seasons. However, Jerry 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 the team return to the finals, and for the first time did not have to face the Celtics; instead the team met the New York Knicks, who defeated them. The next season, the Lakers were defeated by the 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 the new coach, and Elgin Baylor announced his retirement early in the season after realizing that his legs were not healthy enough. However, the team still went on to win 14 straight games in November and 16 straight games in December. The team then won three straight to open the year of 1973, but on January 9, the Milwaukee Bucks ended the streak by defeating the Lakers, 120–104. The Lakers ended up with a 33-game winning streak, the longest of any team in American professional sports. The team won 69 games that season, setting a new NBA record for wins in a season, until the Chicago Bulls won 72 games in 1995–96. Chamberlain averaged a career-low 14.8 points, but led the league in rebounding with 19.2 per game. West led the league in assists, with 9.7 assists per game, and averaged better than 25 points. At the end of the season, Bill Sharman was named NBA Coach of the Year. The Lakers eventually made it to the finals where they took revenge on the New York Knicks by winning in five games, bringing the first NBA title to Los Angeles.

During the 1972–73 NBA season, the Lakers didn't match their record from their previous season, but they did clinch another Pacific Division title by winning 60 games. Wilt Chamberlain, playing in his final season, again led the league in rebounding. The team triumphed over the Chicago Bulls after seven games during the conference semifinals, but then easily took care of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Division Finals. The team then met the New York Knicks in the 1973 NBA Finals. The Lakers took the first game by three points, but the Knicks took the series in five games. Following the season, Wilt Chamberlain retired after a 15 year NBA career. For the 1973–74 the team was hampered by the loss of Jerry West, who played only 31 games before his legs finally gave out. Gail Goodrich, who averaged 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 win the Pacific Division with a 47–35 record. The team advanced to the playoffs, but managed only one win against the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals. Following the season, Jerry West retired, ending his 14 year playing career.

1974–1979: Building "Showtime"

The Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1970s.

After missing the playoffs in the 1974–75 season, the Lakers made a bold move by acquiring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the league's premier big man at that time. Abdul-Jabbar wanted out from Milwaukee, demanding a trade to either New York or Los Angeles. He was eventually traded to the Lakers for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, and Dave Meyers. Abdul-Jabbar had an MVP season for the Lakers in 1975–76. He led the league in rebounding, blocked shots, and minutes played. The Lakers struggled in January, with a 3–10 record. At season's end, Abdul-Jabbar won the fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award, but the team finished out of the playoffs with a 40-42 record.

Jerry West replaced Bill Sharman as head coach during the offseason. It took another MVP season from Abdul-Jabbar to carry the team back to the top of the Pacific Division, as the Lakers finished the 1976–77 season with a league-best 53–29 record. They defeated the Warriors in a tough seven-game series to open the postseason before being defeated by Portland in the Western Conference Finals. During the offseason the Lakers picked up Jamaal Wilkes from Golden State and signed first-round draft pick Norm Nixon. But the 1977–78 season didn't start out so well. Just two minutes into the team's first game Abdul-Jabbar punched Bucks Kent Benson for an overly aggressive elbow. Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand and was out for two months, the Lakers ended up winning 45 games. During the 1978–79 season the team got a sneak preview of the future with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and Norm Nixon all playing well together. The team posted a 47–35 record, then fell to the SuperSonics in the semifinal round of the playoffs.

The Lakers drafted James Worthy first overall in 1982.

During the 1979 NBA Draft, the Lakers found themselves holding the first overall pick. The Lakers selected 6'9" Earvin Johnson from Michigan State.

1979–1989: "Showtime"

The Lakers ended up winning 60 games in Johnson's rookie year. The Lakers would go on to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of the 1980 championship series; thanks to an MVP performance by the rookie Johnson, who started for the injured Abdul-Jabbar. He finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Lakers to their second championship in Los Angeles The 1980–81 season was a disappointment, though, as the Lakers lost Magic Johnson for most of the season to a knee injury. With another good year from Abdul-Jabbar, the team turned in a 54–28 record and finished second behind the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division. But the Houston Rockets, led by Moses Malone, stunned the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Owner Jerry Buss fired coach Paul Westhead after the Lakers went 7–4 to start the 1981–82 season. Buss promoted Assistant Coach Pat Riley to head coach on November 19, and the team won 17 of its next 20 games. The Lakers took the Pacific Division title, they swept both Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers then stretched its postseason winning streak to nine games by taking the first contest of the NBA Finals from the 76ers. The team eventually won the Finals four games to two, the team's playoff record that year was 12–2. On draft night 1982 the Lakers had the first overall pick. The team selected James Worthy from North Carolina.The Lakers clinched the Pacific Division with a 58–24 record, advancing to the 1983 NBA Finals by defeating Portland and San Antonio in the first two rounds. But the team was no match for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers won the series and the championship in four straight games.

By the 1984–85 season, the Lakers' "Showtime" era was in full swing. The team won the Pacific Division for the fourth straight year. The championship series got off to a horrid start for the Lakers, losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals by a lopsided score of 148–114, in what is now remembered as the "Memorial Day Massacre". But the Lakers were resilient and behind 37–year old Finals MVP Abdul-Jabbar, they were finally able to topple Boston in six games. The team gained an extra measure of satisfaction from winning the title in the Boston Garden, the site of so many past agonies for the Laker franchise, thus making the 1985 Lakers the only visiting team to ever win an NBA championship on the famed parquet floor.

File:Magic en Staples.jpg

Magic Johnson, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, led the "Showtime" Lakers to five NBA titles in the 80s.

The 1985–86 season started well, going 24–3 in their first 27 games. They finished with 62 wins and clinched their fifth straight division title. However, the Houston Rockets had their own plans for the playoffs. Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson proved to be too much for Abdul-Jabbar to handle, and the Lakers fell in five games in the Western Conference Finals. The Rockets won the series when Sampson hit a 20–foot jumper as time expired in Game 5 at The Forum. The next season the Lakers accumulated 65 wins, the second-most in franchise history up to that point. Johnson then notched his last Finals MVP award as the Lakers defeated their arch rival Celtics in the finals, highlighted by Johnson's running "baby hook" shot to win Game 4 at Boston Garden with two seconds remaining.

Prior to the 1986–87 season the Lakers made a couple of key off-season moves, letting go of Maurice Lucas, moving A. C. Green into the starting lineup, and picking up Mychal Thompson from the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson won his first career NBA Most Valuable Player Award while leading the Lakers to a 65-17 record, the second-best mark in franchise history. Michael Cooper was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The Lakers met the Celtics in the NBA Finals by sweeping the Denver Nuggets, losing just one game to the Golden State Warriors, and then swept the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers routed the Celtics in the first two games of the Finals, and the teams then split the next four contests, giving the Lakers their second championship in three seasons. Johnson was named the NBA Finals MVP, to go with his regular-season MVP trophy. At the Lakers' championship celebration in Los Angeles, coach Riley brashly declared that the Lakers would repeat as NBA champions in the next season.

During the 1987–88 season, the Lakers still found a way to win, taking their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title, and subsequently meeting the Detroit Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals. The Lakers took the series in seven games and James Worthy's triple double earned him a Finals MVP award. The 1988–89 season was solid, ended up winning 57 games. The team then made it to the NBA Finals, facing the Detroit Pistons again. The Pistons took advantage of the injuries of Byron Scott and Magic Johnson, and took the series in four games.

1989–1999: Post-Showtime Dry Spell

File:Vlade Divac Portrait.jpg

Vlade Divac went on to have 8 seasons with the Lakers after he was drafted 26th overall in 1989.

On June 28, 1989, after twenty professional seasons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement. During the 1990 offseason, 1987 Defensive Player of the Year winner Michael Cooper announced his retirement. The team made another finals appearance in 1991, but lost to Michael Jordan's Bulls in five games. On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV and that he would retire immediately. Their first season without Magic was not good, only winning 43 games. In addition, they were eliminated after only four games in the first round. During the 1993-94 season the team ended up only winning 33 games, and missing the playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history.

For the next two seasons, the team made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the second and first round, respectively. However, during the 1996 off-season, the Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal and acquired rookie Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac. They used their 24th pick in the 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 with 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 the 51 games. While rookie Kobe Bryant averaged just 7.6 points. The Lakers defeated Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs. O'Neal's scored 46 points in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers, it marked the highest single-game playoff scoring output by a Laker since Jerry West scored 53 against the Celtics in 1969. In the next round, John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Jazz was more than the Lakers could handle and they lost four games to one.

In the 1997–98 season, O'Neal and the Lakers immediately served notice of their improvement with the best start in franchise history. The Lakers started 11–0. Unfortunately, O'Neal missed 20 games due to an abdominal injury. All season, the Lakers found themselves embroiled in a fierce battle with Seattle for the Pacific Division title. In the final two months of the season, the Lakers won 22 of their final 25 games. With their late-season surge, the Lakers overtook Seattle atop the Pacific at 61–21. The Lakers defeated Portland three games to one, in the first-round best-of-five. In the next round, the team faced Seattle. Although Seattle won the first game, the Lakers responded with four straight wins, and taking the series. The Lakers were swept in four games by the Utah Jazz, being one series short of reaching the Finals for the first time since 1991.

During the middle of 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. The team finished 31–19 in the shortened season, being fourth in the Western Conference. The team defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, but were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs in the next round.

1999–2004: Bryant, O'Neal, and Jackson

Kobe Bryant, along with Shaquille O'Neal, helped the Lakers win three straight NBA titles.

The Lakers at the White House following their 2002 NBA championship.

Prior to the 1999–00 season, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson as head coach and re-signed veterans Brian Shaw, John Salley, Ron Harper, and A. C. Green, who was with the Lakers during the "Showtime" era. The team also moved to a new arena, the Staples Center. Their season started well, winning 31 of their first 36 games. They ended up winning 67 games, the most games since they won 65 in the 1986–87 season. The team eliminated the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Western Conference Finals weren't easy for the Lakers, facing Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace and the Portland TrailBlazers. After taking a three games to one lead, the TrailBlazers came back to force a game seven. The team was down by 15 points, but went on a 19–4 run to tie the game. The Lakers ended up winning 89–84 and went on to the NBA Finals. The team defeated Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers four games to two in the 2000 NBA Finals, to win their first title since 1988. The following season the team won 11 less regular season game, 56. The team swept the first three rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the TrailBlazers in three, and the Kings and Spurs in four. The team met Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals; the Sixers stunned the Lakers by taking game one in overtime. But the team came back, taking four in a row to clinch their second straight title. The team had a 15–1 record in the postseason, the best in NBA history. The Lakers won 58 games in the 2001–02 season, but the Sacramento Kings clinched the Pacific Division. The team eliminated the Portland TrailBlazers in the first round, three games to none, and the San Antonio Spurs four games to one, in the second round. The team faced the highly skilled Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Finals. The series was toughly fought through and went to seven games, the last of which ended in a six-point overtime win in favor of the Lakers. The Lakers would then achieve a three-peat by sweeping the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.

Shaquille O'Neal won 3 consecutive NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards from 2000 to 2002.

The Lakers struggled in the beginning of the 2002–03 season when they started the season 11–19. The team went 39–13 for the rest of the season and ended up winning 50 games. The team faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers took the series in six games. Unfortunately, the team was eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in six games, in the next round. The following offseason the Lakers made an astonishing move, signing potential future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton. However, three of the "big four" struggled with injuries. Shaquille O'Neal suffered from a strained calf, Karl Malone with an injured knee and Kobe Bryant with a shoulder injury. Ending up with a 56–26 record, they were able to clinch the Pacific Division and entered the playoffs as the number two seed. They defeated the Houston Rockets, Spurs, and Timberwolves in the first three rounds of the 2004 NBA Playoffs, before they succumbed to the Detroit Pistons in five games in the 2004 NBA Finals.

2004–2007: Rebuilding

During the 2004 offseason, the team entered the rebuilding phase when O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and a first-round draft pick. The team also traded Rick Fox and Gary Payton to the Boston Celtics, for Chris Mihm, Marcus Banks, and Chucky Atkins. Derek Fisher, frustrated with losing playing time, opted out his contract and signed with the Warriors. As Phil Jackson was not brought back to coach the team for the 2004–05 season, the team hired Rudy Tomjanovich. With only Kobe Bryant remaining on the team, they had a lackluster season in 2004 as they ended up with a 34–48 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in their franchise history. Since the team failed to make the playoffs the team was in the 2005 Draft Lottery, their first since 1994.

The Lakers rehired Phil Jackson before the 2005–06 NBA season.

With the tenth overall pick, The Lakers selected Andrew Bynum, a center from St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. 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, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest total in NBA history. Ending the season with a 45–37 record, the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2004. After taking a three games to one lead in the first round, the Phoenix Suns came back to take the series in seven games. The following season started well as they won 26 of their first 39 games. But for the rest of the season the team struggled, losing 27 of their last 43 games including a seven game losing streak. The team was eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns again, four games to one.

2007–present: Rebirth

The 2007–08 season started roughly for the team, but their patience paid off as the team saw the emergence of their young center Andrew Bynum, whom the Lakers saw potential in. Bynum gave Los Angeles the inside presence they needed to complement Kobe Bryant's perimeter threat. After a season ending injury to Bynum in January 2008, the Lakers acted quickly by trading Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and two first round draft picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for Pau Gasol and a second round draft choice. After the trade, the Lakers went on to clinch the first seed in the Western Conference with a 57–25 record. Kobe Bryant was awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the first Los Angeles Lakers guard to have won the award since Magic Johnson won the award in 1990. The Lakers went to the playoffs and defeated the Denver Nuggets in four games, the Utah Jazz in six games, and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in five games. They entered the NBA Finals facing their historic and biggest rival, the Boston Celtics, whom they had not met in the Finals since 1987. The Lakers eventually lost in six games.

Rivals

Further information: Lakers-Celtics rivalry and Lakers-Kings rivalry

Boston Celtics

The Lakers have a long and historic rivalry with the Boston Celtics, who met in the NBA Finals 11 times, the Lakers only won two of them (1985, 1987). The first meeting in the finals was in 1959, the Lakers had low expectations, but still managed to keep every game close in the Finals. However the Celtics managed to sweep the Lakers. The teams would go on to meet five more times in the 60s, the Celtics winning each of them. The rivalry continued with renewed fervor in the 1980s when both teams were strong, and was personified as Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. The effect the rivalry had on the league is remarkable, since the two teams only met in an 80's Finals three times (1984, 1985, and 1987) and only played each other twice each season. The combined successes of the two storied franchises make up for half (31 of 62) of all NBA Championships ever won.

Their most recent meeting was in 2008, where the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games, to clinch their seventeenth title.

Sacramento Kings

The rivalry is recent, having started in 2000, as the Lakers eliminated the Kings in the 2000 NBA Playoffs. One of the most memorable moments in the rivalry was in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. The Kings were up 99–97, with two seconds remaining, Vlade Divac knocked the ball away as far away from the hoop as he could. Unfortunately for the Kings, Robert Horry was there waiting behind the three-point line. Horry launched a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to give the Lakers a 100–99 victory.

In a preaseason game between the Kings and Lakers, Lakers forward Rick Fox elbowed Kings guard Doug Christie, while trying to protect the ball. Christie fell to the floor and when he got up, received a shove to the face from Fox. Christie responded with a punch to Fox's jaw and both players were separated and ejected. The players left the court through separate tunnels, but Fox ran to the Kings' end and confronted Christie.

Fanbase

Given the team's proximity to Hollywood, the large Lakers fanbase includes many celebrities, most of whom can regularly be seen at the Staples Center during home games. Jack Nicholson is by far the most prominent member of this group, having held season tickets since the 1970s. From 2002 and 2007 the team averaged just over 18,900 fans, which was still in the top ten in the NBA. The team sold out every home game during the 2007–08 season.

Their television ratings, are considerably higher than other NBA Teams, for example the 2008 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Celtics drew a 9.3 rating, which were higher than the 2007 NBA Finals. According to Forbes magazine, the Lakers are the second most valuable basketball franchise in the United States, valued at approximately $568 million, surpassed only by the New York Knicks.

Name, logo and uniforms

File:LakersWordmark.png

Los Angeles Lakers Wordmark

Further information: Logos and uniforms of the Los Angeles Lakers

The Laker name came from a type of cargo ship used on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi river., The nickname also comes from the state of Minnesota being the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The team's colors are purple, gold and white. The Lakers logo consists of the team name, "Los Angeles Lakers" written in purple on top of a gold basketball. Purple uniforms are used for road games and gold uniforms are used for home games. The team also wears white jerseys for Sunday and holiday home games.

Season-by-season records

Further information: Los Angeles Lakers seasons

Since the Lakers were established in 1948, the team has only missed the NBA playoffs five times. The team has 14 NBA titles, and have appeared in the NBA Finals 15 other times. It includes eight NBA Finals appearances in the 80s. The best record posted by the team was 69–13, in 1972; the worst record was 19–53, in 1957–58.

Franchise and NBA records

Further information: Los Angeles Lakers accomplishments and records

Home arenas

Staples Center, current home of the Lakers.

The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, located at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles. The Staples Center opened in 1999, and can seat up to 18,997 for Laker Games. The Staples Center is also home to fellow NBA team, Los Angeles Clippers, their sister team of the Women's National Basketball Association, the Los Angeles Sparks, the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings and the Arena Football League's Los Angeles Avengers. The arena is owned and operated by AEG and L.A. Arena Company. Before moving to Staples Center, the Lakers played their home games at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The team played there for 32 years. The team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in their first seven years in Los Angeles. While team played in Minneapolis, the team played their home games at the Minneapolis Auditorium, from 1947 and 1960.

Players

For the complete list of Los Angeles Lakers players, see Los Angeles Lakers all-time roster.

Current roster

Los Angeles Lakers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From C 14 Castleton, Colin (TW) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 231 lb (105 kg) 2000-05-25 Florida G 10 Christie, Max 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2003-02-10 Michigan State F/C 3 Davis, Anthony 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1993-03-11 Kentucky G 26 Dinwiddie, Spencer 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1993-04-06 Colorado F/C 20 Giles, Harry III (TW) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1998-04-22 Duke F 28 Hachimura, Rui 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1998-02-08 Gonzaga F/C 11 Hayes, Jaxson 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 2000-05-23 Texas G 0 Hood-Schifino, Jalen 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2003-06-19 Indiana F 23 James, LeBron 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1984-12-30 St. Vincent-St. Mary HS (OH) F 21 Lewis, Maxwell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2002-07-27 Pepperdine G 4 Mays, Skylar (TW) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1997-09-05 LSU F 12 Prince, Taurean 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 216 lb (98 kg) 1994-03-22 Baylor G 15 Reaves, Austin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 206 lb (93 kg) 1998-05-29 Oklahoma G/F 5 Reddish, Cam 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1999-09-01 Duke G 1 Russell, D'Angelo 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1996-02-23 Ohio State F 2 Vanderbilt, Jarred  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 214 lb (97 kg) 1999-04-03 Kentucky G 7 Vincent, Gabe 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1996-07-14 UC Santa Barbara F/C 35 Wood, Christian  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 223 lb (101 kg) 1995-09-27 UNLV

Head coach Vacant Assistant coach(es) Vacant Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate (TW) Two-way affiliate player (L) On leave from the team Injured Roster Last transaction: May 3, 2024

Hall of Famers

The Lakers have had 15 Hall of Famers (14 players and one broadcaster) who contributed to the Lakers. The Hall of Famers include (in alphabetical order): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Connie Hawkins, Magic Johnson, Clyde Lovellette, Slater Martin, Bob McAdoo, George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, Jim Pollard, James Worthy and Jerry West. Chick Hearn was the Lakers broadcaster for 41 years until he died in 2002.

NBA Draft

The Lakers' first round draft pick in 2005, Andrew Bynum.

Main article: List of Los Angeles Lakers first and second round draft picks

The Lakers have had three first overall picks in their history: Elgin Baylor (selected in 1958), Magic Johnson (selected in 1979) and James Worthy (selected in 1982). Also the Lakers have had two Lottery picks in their history: Eddie Jones (selected tenth overall in 1994) and Andrew Bynum (selected tenth overall in 2005). Other notable draft picks include Jerry West, Gail Goodrich in the 1960s, Michael Cooper, Norm Nixon in the 1970s, and A.C. Green and Vlade Divac in the 1980s, Elden Campbell, Nick Van Exel, Derek Fisher, and Devean George in the 1990s, Luke Walton, Saša Vujačić, and Ronny Turiaf in the 2000s.

Head coaches

Main article: List of Los Angeles Lakers head coaches

There have been 21 head coaches for the Lakers franchise. The franchise won their first five NBA championships, from 1949 to 1954, all while coached by John Kundla. Pat Riley is the franchise's all-time leader in both regular season and playoff games coached and wins. Riley was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. John Kundla, Bill Sharman, and Phil Jackson have also all been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Jerry West, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, and Kurt Rambis have all played and head coached for the Lakers.

Media

Main article: List of Los Angeles Lakers broadcasters

Chick Hearn was the team's broadcaster for 41 years until his death in 2002. Hearn broadcasted 3,338 consecutive games between November 21, 1965 and December 16, 2001. Paul Sunderland, who had filled in for a couple of games while Hearn recuperated in 2001–02, was named the permanent play-by-play announcer. Stu Lantz was retained as the color commentator. Sunderland's contract expired in the summer of 2005, and the team chose not to renew it. Joel Meyers moved in alongside Lantz as the TV announcer, while Spero Dedes and former Laker player Mychal Thompson on the radio. The current teams are Dedes and Thompson on radio and Meyers and Lantz on television.

As of 2007–08, Lakers radio broadcasts are heard on KLAC in English and KWKW in Spanish. KLAC has had the team's radio broadcast rights since the 1976–77 season. Telecasts are split between KCAL-TV (road games) and Fox Sports Net West (home games), unless they are chosen for national broadcasts on ABC. KCAL has been the Lakers' over-the-air television broadcaster since 1977, dating back to when the station was the RKO General-owned KHJ-TV. This is longer than any other station currently airing NBA games. Prior to KHJ, Laker games were televised on KTLA. The team games are broadcasted in High Definition on FSN West HD, and on KCAL HD.

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