Los Angeles Lakers

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The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, who play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Lakers are notable for having (at the end of the 2005–06 season) the most wins (2,806), the highest winning percentage (61.5%), the most finals appearances (28), and the second most championships (14) of any franchise behind their chief rivals the Boston Celtics.[1] They also hold the record for the longest consecutive win streak (33) in U.S. professional team sports.[2] Notably, the franchise has only missed the playoffs 5 times.[3]

Home arenas

Minneapolis Auditorium (1947-1959)
Minneapolis Armory (1959-60)
(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 Memorial Sports Arena (1960-1967)
The Forum (formerly Great Western Forum from 1988-2000) (1967-1999)
Staples Center (1999-present)

Team history

Main article: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers began in 1946 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for $15,000 and relocated it to Minneapolis. As the Gems had by far the worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 dispersal draft of players from the Professional Basketball League of America, which they used to select George Mikan, later to become arguably the greatest center of his time. With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players, the Lakers won the NBL championship in that 1947-48 season and joined three other NBL teams in jumping to the Basketball Association of America, where they promptly won the 1948-49 BAA championship. The NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA in 1949.

Kobe Bryant in a Laker road uniform

The Minneapolis Lakers were one of the dominant teams of the fledgling NBA. With Hall of Famers George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, and Clyde Lovellette, they were the NBA's first "dynasty", winning five championships in six years (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954).

After their move to Los Angeles in 1960, the team featured Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, but despite the wealth of talent, they were repeatedly foiled by the Boston Celtics, losing the championship to them six times in eight years. It wasn't until 1972 when they strung together a record 33-game win streak under Coach of the Year Bill Sharman that they were able to secure their first championship in Los Angeles.

However, even with the addition of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they weren't able to win another championship until the arrival of Earvin "Magic" Johnson in 1979, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to an MVP performance by the rookie Johnson, who, starting for the injured Abdul-Jabbar, had 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to clinch the series. Under coach Pat Riley, a former Laker player, the Lakers then went on to dominate the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times in the decade and being crowned champions five times, including consecutive championships in 1987 and 1988, the first team to do so since Boston in 1969.

Although they made another finals appearance in 1991, they spent most of the 1990s fielding teams that were not considered legitimate title contenders. However, during the 1996-1997 offseason, the Lakers acquired Shaquille O'Neal from the Orlando Magic and newly-drafted Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets. Following the hiring of Phil Jackson as head coach in 1999, the team returned to championship form; led by O'Neal, Bryant, and a talented supporting cast, the Lakers won three consecutive NBA Finals from 2000-02.

Most recently, the Lakers endured a series of off-the-court problems, largely the result of friction among O'Neal, Bryant, and Jackson. In 2004, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Jackson temporarily retired. After the Lakers struggled in 2004-05, Jackson returned for the following season, and the Bryant-led team returned to the postseason, losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.

Celebrity fans

Laker fan Jack Nicholson

Given the team's proximity to Hollywood, the Lakers fan base includes many famous actors and musicians who are regularly seen at home games. Jack Nicholson is the most prominent member of this group, having held season tickets since 1967; other celebrities known as long-standing ticket-holders include Denzel Washington, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia, Penny Marshall, Ice Cube, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Clarke Duncan and Dyan Cannon.

The members of the Southern California-based Red Hot Chili Peppers are also known to be longtime Laker fans. The songs "Salute to Kareem" and "Magic Johnson", a tribute to the "Showtime"-era Lakers, can be found on the band's album Mother's Milk. As of the 2005-2006 season, Chili Pepper's bassist Flea, a self-proclaimed Lakers fanatic, writes a blog on the Lakers for NBA.com.

Season-by-season records

Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %

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 First Round
Won BAA Semifinals
Won BAA Finals		 Minneapolis 2, Chicago 0
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 0
Minneapolis 4, Syracuse 2
Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1949-50 51 17 .750 Won First-Place Game
Won Division Semifinals
Won Division Finals
Won NBA Semifinals
Won NBA Finals		 Minneapolis over Rochester
Minneapolis 2, Chicago 0
Minneapolis 2, Ft. 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, Ft. Wayne 2
Minneapolis 4, New York 1
1953-54 46 26 .639 Round-Robin
Round-Robin
Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals		 Minneapolis 3-0 over
Rochester and Ft. Wayne
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 1
Minneapolis 4, Syracuse 3
1954-55 40 32 .556 Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals		 Minneapolis 2, Rochester 1
Ft. Wayne 3, Minneapolis 1
1955-56 33 39 .458 Won Second-Place Game
Lost Division Semifinals		 Minneapolis over St. Louis
St. Louis 2, Minneapolis 1
1956-57 34 38 .472 Lost Division Tiebreaker
Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals		 St. Louis over Minneapolis
Minneapolis 2, Ft. 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 40 42 .488 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
1999-2000 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 3 0 1.0 TBD N/A
Totals 2795 1773 .635
Playoffs 382 254 .601 14 Championships

Current roster

Franchise leaders

Players 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.[4]

Basketball Hall of Famers

Other notable players

Retired numbers

Honored Minneapolis Lakers: Next to their retired numbers, the Lakers have hung a banner with the names of six Hall-of-Famers who were instrumental to the franchise's success during its days in Minneapolis:

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 and 1982 NBA Champions. Win-Loss record: 111-50 in regular season, 13-6 in playoffs.
  • Pat Riley Head Coach 1981-90; 1982, 1985 and 1987-88 NBA Champions; 1983-84 and 1989 Western Conference Champions; 1986 and 1990 NBA Pacific Division Champions. Win-Loss record: 613-194 in regular season, 102-47 in playoffs.
  • Mike Dunleavy -- 1990-92; Win-Loss record: 101-63 in regular season, 13-10 in playoffs.
  • Randy Pfund -- 1992-94; Win-Loss record: 66-80 in regular season, 2-3 in playoffs.
  • 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-present; 2000-02 NBA Champions and 2004 Western Conference Champions. Win-Loss record: 332-160 in regular season, 64-28 in playoffs.
  • Magic Johnson -- 1994 Win-Loss Recod 5-11.

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

Los Angeles Lakers Wordmark
Los Angeles Lakers Wordmark
  • 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.
  • The longstanding rivalry with the Boston Celtics is among the most famous in American sports.
  • Since 1976, KCAL-TV (previously KHJ-TV) Channel 9 and KLAC Radio have been the flagship broadcast homes of the Los Angeles Lakers. KCAL airs every Laker road game, while all home games can be seen on Fox Sports Net, the longtime cable television home of the Lakers. Prior to KCAL, KTLA televised Laker games for a time. KLAC/AM570 airs all Laker games via radio. KWKW/AM1330 provides a Spanish simulcast of Laker games.
  • The current TV announcers for the Lakers are Joel Meyers and former Laker Stu Lantz. Joel Meyers became the voice of the Lakers in 2005, replacing Paul Sunderland, who was the successor to the legendary Chick Hearn who died in 2002.
  • 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.
  • 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 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 NBDL Team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/
  2. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/1999/10/12/33_game_streak/
  3. ^ http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/
  4. ^ http://www.nba.com/history/players/50greatest.html
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