Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, and are a prominent member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Inaugurated in 1947 as the Minneapolis Lakers, the team relocated to Los Angeles in 1960 and has since become one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, with a rich legacy that includes numerous championships and a roster of legendary players. The Lakers are known for their distinctive purple, gold, and black team colors and play their home games at the Staples Center.
Throughout their history, the Lakers have been recognized for their competitive spirit and exciting style of play, earning the nickname "Showtime" during the 1980s when they enjoyed significant success. They have been home to many basketball icons, including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant, each contributing to the team's legacy and popularity. Beyond their achievements on the court, the Lakers are also committed to community engagement, particularly through the Lakers Youth Foundation, which supports underprivileged youth in the Los Angeles area. The team's financial success is notable, with an estimated worth of $6.4 billion as of 2023, solidifying their status as one of the most valuable franchises in sports.
Los Angeles Lakers
Team information
- Inaugural season: 1947
- Home arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
- Owner: Buss Family Trust
- Team colors: Purple, gold, and black
Overview
The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team that plays in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Succeeding the now-defunct Detroit Gems of the former National Basketball League (NBL), the team first took the court as the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947 and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1960. Over the course of their long history, the Lakers have won numerous NBA championships and earned many other accolades. Known for its remarkable success on the court and a history of being home to many of the game’s all-time greatest players, the Lakers has long be regarded as one of the most iconic teams in NBA history. It is also one of the league’s most financially successful franchises, worth an estimated $6.4 billion in 2023.
In addition to their on-court activities, the Los Angeles Lakers also maintain an active commitment to philanthropic endeavors. As part of that commitment, the Lakers organization seeks to support the Los Angeles community by serving the needs of the region’s underprivileged youth. Much of this work is carried out through the Lakers Youth Foundation, an official team charity that helps underserved youth develop their potential by providing much-needed resources for education, health and wellness, and sports, as well as other positive experiences.
History
The history of the Los Angeles Lakers began with the founding of a team called the Detroit Gems in 1946. After playing just a single season in the NBL, the Gems relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and became known as the Lakers. This name was inspired by the fact that Minnesota is nicknamed the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Heading into the 1948–1949 season, the Lakers joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and won what turned out to be the last BAA championship ever awarded. The following year, the Lakers entered the newly formed NBA and continued to enjoy breakout success on the court. In four of the fledgling league’s first five seasons, the Lakers won NBA championship titles. As a result, the team established itself as the NBA’s first great basketball dynasty.
When the Lakers’ fortunes began to dwindle as the 1950s wore on, attendance at home dropped precipitously. In response, team officials moved the franchise to Los Angeles ahead of the 1960–1961 season. Despite the move and the fact that Los Angeles had no lakes to speak of, the team retained the Lakers name. Before long, the team started returning to its winning ways, making it to the NBA Finals six times through the remainder of the decade despite ultimately losing to rival the Boston Celtics each time. The early 1970s brought greater success, however. Led by all-time greats like Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, the Lakers ran roughshod over the NBA in the 1971–1972 season, going on a historic thirty-three-game winning streak, earning a 69–13 regular season record, and eventually besting the New York Knicks to win another NBA championship. Yet after returning to the finals the following season in what turned out to be a losing rematch against the Knicks, the Lakers’ success came to a screeching halt. On the heels of a quick playoff elimination in the 1973–1974 season, the team subsequently missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in its history.
The Lakers’ effort to rebuild in the latter half of the 1970s came to a head when the team selected standout prospect Magic Johnson with the first pick in the 1979 NBA draft. With Johnson at the helm, the Lakers immediately became one of the league’s best teams once again. In fact, the 1980s would be the most successful period in franchise history. Over the course of that decade, the Lakers competed in the NBA Finals eight times and won a total of five championships, in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Moreover, the Lakers and their renewed rivalry with the Boston Celtics helped make the NBA more popular than ever.
With the Lakers based in the star-driven entertainment capital of the world, the franchise was given the nickname “Showtime” during its 1980s heyday. Many Lakers were stars both on and off the court, and the Lakers’ playing style was considered one of the flashiest shows in Los Angeles.
As the Lakers greats of the 1980s gradually moved on—Johnson, most notably, was forced to retire in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV—the team receded into mediocrity during the 1990s. In addition to a string of abbreviated playoffs runs throughout the decade, the Lakers even failed to make the postseason at all in 1993–1994. Redemption came by the start of the 2000s, however. In the 1999–2000 season, new head coach Phil Jackson led a resurgent Lakers team built on the backs of star players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to an NBA championship win over the Indiana Pacers. This victory marked the beginning of another great era for the Lakers that included two more consecutive championship wins, including one over the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and another over the New Jersey Nets in 2002. Although their fortunes wavered somewhat through the remainder of the decade, the Lakers returned to the NBA Finals four more times. In both 2004 and 2008, the Lakers reached the finals only to lose to the Detroit Pistons and Celtics, respectively. In the 2009 postseason, however, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to once more reign as NBA champions. They subsequently repeated the feat the following year when they overcame the Celtics to win the sixteenth NBA championship in franchise history.
The 2010s ultimately proved to be a more difficult era for the Lakers. Despite adding new stars like Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, injuries and general inconsistency left the team struggling to find success on the court. After a trio of early playoff exits in the 2010–2011, 2011–2012, and 2012–2013 seasons, the Lakers went on to miss the postseason altogether for the longest stretch in franchise history. Even signing superstar LeBron James before the 2018–19 season did not immediately return the team to contention, as they missed the playoffs for a six straight year. However, the 2019–2020 season, although shortened by the global COVID-19 pandemic, would end the postseason drought. With James paired up with fellow superstar Anthony Davis, the Lakers reached the NBA Finals once again and defeated the Miami Heat to claim their seventeenth championship title, tied the Celtics for the all-time record.
Although injuries began to slow the Lakers’ core of James and Davis, the team returned to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 after missing the playoffs the previous season and being bounced out of the first round in 2021.
Notable players
A number of former Los Angeles Lakers players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Chief among these honorees is the legendary Earvin “Magic” Johnson. A remarkably charismatic athlete who could play at every position on the court, Johnson led the Lakers to championship glory in the 1980s and established himself as one the greatest players in franchise and league history in the process. Over the course of his thirteen-season career, Johnson scored more than 17,000 points and made more than 10,000 assists. One of the major reasons for the Lakers’ 1980s dominance was the fact that Johnson was playing alongside towering 7-foot-2 center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Known for his signature skyhook, Abdul-Jabbar seemingly overcame defenders with ease. In his fourteen seasons with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar scored more than 24,176 points en route to an NBA record overall tally of 38,387 career points. Power forward and small forward James Worthy was another key Lakers player during the Showtime era. During a twelve-year career that he spent entirely in Los Angeles, Worthy scored more than 16,000 points and made more than 4,700 rebounds. One of the largest players in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal spent more time—a total of eight seasons—with the Lakers than any other team. In the early 2000s, he helped lead the Lakers to three NBA championships in as many years. Ultimately, he scored more than 13,000 points during his time with the Lakers. Widely considered one of the best players in NBA history, center Wilt Chamberlin spent the last five years of his career with the Lakers. During that time, he scored nearly 6,000 points and led the team to an NBA championship. Other noteworthy Lakers Hall of Famers include Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Elgin Baylor, and Jamaal Wilkes.
There have been many other notable Los Angeles Lakers as well. Six-foot-ten George Mikan is often considered to be the first true NBA superstar. Mikan played for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1948 to 1956 and won three scoring titles during that time. He also led the NBA in rebounding twice. Mikan was part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1959. Often counted among the greatest players in Lakers history, Kobe Bryant brought five NBA championships to Los Angeles, won numerous personal awards, and set several franchise records. During his twenty-year career, Bryant scored a total of 33,643 points and made more than 7,000 rebounds. Tragically, Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. Bryant was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Shooting guard Michael Cooper was part of the 1980s Showtime squad and a reliable lockdown defender. In addition to contributing to the team’s five NBA championships during that era, Cooper scored more than 7,000 career points before stepping away from the game in 1990. Yet another important member of the Showtime Lakers was point guard and shooting guard Byron Scott. Over the course of his ten seasons in Los Angeles, Scott contributed to three NBA championship wins and scored more than 12,000 points. Widely considered one of the best players in basketball history, LeBron James signed with the Lakers in 2018 after an already decorated career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, instantly returning them to title contender status. Other notable Lakers include Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Happy Hairston, A.C. Green, Norm Nixon, Mychal Thompson, Robert Horry, and Pau Gasol.
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