Los Angeles Lakers (1960-Present)

Historical Moments:
1960/61: After 13 years in the Land of 10,000 lakes the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, becoming the first NBA team on the West Coast. Despite no lakes anywhere in site the team decides to retain their old nickname. To help the Lakers dominate out west the Lakers draft Guard Jerry West. In their first season in LA the Lakers finish in 2nd place with a 36-43 record. In the playoffs the Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons in a high scoring 5 game series. Moving on to the Western Finals the Lakers continues to rack up the points, but for the 2nd year in a row blew a 3-2 lead to the St. Louis Hawks, losing by 1 point in OT in Game 6 and by 2 points in Game 7.

1961/62: Despite Elgin Baylor missing a large part of the season on military duty the Lakers win the Western Division with a solid 54-26 record. When he did play he averaged 38.3 ppg giving the Lakers a dangerous 1-2 punch with Jerry West. In the playoffs the Lakers beat the Detroit Piston in 6 games in the Western Finals after earning a 1st round bye. In the NBA Finals the Lakers were matched up against the Boston Celtics, who were seeking their 4th straight Championship. After splitting the first 4 games the Lakers beat the Celtics 126-121 in Boston to grab a 3-2 series lead. However, with a chance to close things out in LA, the Lakers were blown out forcing a 7th game back in Beantown. Game 7 would go down in history as one of the best in NBA history, as with time expiring the Lakers had a shot at winning the championship as Frank Selvy's last second shot rimmed out forcing overtime. In OT the Lakers would be outscored 10-7 as their Championship dreams came to an end.

1962/63: Elgin Baylor scores 34 ppg as the Lakers win their 2nd straight Division title with a 53-27 record. After a first round bye the Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks in a 7 game series in which the home team dominated every game. The NBA Finals would end up being a rematch with the Boston Celtics, this time it would take the Celtics only 6 games to win their 5th straight NBA Championship.

1963/64: The Lakers weakness at center is exploited as the y finish in 3rd place with a 42-38 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would once again face the St. Louis Hawks in a series in which the home team won every game. However, this time the 5th a deciding game was in St. Louis.

1964/65: The Lakers rebound to recapture the Western Division Title with a 49-31 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would reach their 3rd Final in 4 years by beating the Baltimore Bullets in 6 games. However once again they are defeated by the Boston Celtics this time falling in 5 games.

1965/66: The Lakers are purchased for $5 million dollars by eccentric millionaire Jack Kent Cooke. The team is left virtual intact as they win the Western Division again with a 45-35 record. In the Western Finals the Lakers recover to win Game 7 after blowing a 3-1 series lead to the St. Louis Hawks to reach their 4th NBA Finals in 5 years. In the Finals it would be the Lakers who rallied coming back from a 3-1 deficit to force a 7th Game against the Boston Celtics. However, in Game 7 the Celtics would win their 8th Straight Title, 5 of which came at the expense of the Lakers with a 95-93 victory.

1966/67: Injuries take their toll on the Lakers as Jerry West and Elgin Baylor both miss long stretches of the season. Despite the injuries the Lakers would still make the playoffs by finishing in 3rd place with a disappointing 36-45 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would make a quick exit being swept by the San Francisco Warriors in 3 straight.

1967/68: Feeling his team needed a more fitting owner Jack Kent Cooke builds his team anew 17,000-seat arena that was ahead of its time. In their first season at The Forum, the Lakers finish in 2nd place with a solid 52-30 record, despite losing Jerry West for 31 games with an injury. In the playoffs the Lakers would turn it up a notch beating the Chicago Bulls 4 games to 1. Moving on to the Western Finals the Lakers would sweep the San Francisco Warriors in 4 straight to earn a rematch with Boston Celtics. In the Finals the Celtics would once again beat the Lakers taking their 10th title in 12 years by beating the Lakers in 6 games.

1968/69: To help fill their hole in the middle, the Lakers acquire Center Wilt Chamberlain, in the hope he would be the missing ingredient in winning an NBA Championship. With Wilt in the middle the Lakers win the Western Division with a 55-27 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would get off to a shaky start losing their first 2 games to the San Francisco Warriors. The Lakers would rally back to win the next 4 games. In the Western Finals the Lakers would have a much easier time beating the Atlanta Hawks in 5 games. Facing the Boston Celtics for the 7th time in 11 years the Lakers were heavy favorites holding home court advantage for the first time. This appeared they to finally give them the edge they needed as they took the first 2 games at the Forum. After losing Game 3 in Boston the Lakers held a 1 point lead in the final seconds but lost Game 4 when Sam Jones hit a last second shot to even the series. Back in LA the Lakers retook control taking Game 5. After the Celtics won Game 6 in Boston the Lakers were confident with the 7th game at home, in a series in which the home team won every game. However, the Celtics grabbed control early building a 17-point lead entering the 4th Quarter, the Lakers would not give up rallying in the 4th Quarter but falling 32 points short 108-106. Despite losing the series Jerry West would be named series MVP.

1969/70: With new Coach Joe Mullaney, the Lakers overcome a season of injury in which Wilt Chamberlain was limited to 9 games, and Elgin Baylor was limited to 54 to finish in 2nd place with a 46-36 record, as Jerry West led the league in scoring with 31.2 ppg. The Lakers would get healthy just in time for the playoffs as Chamberlain and Baylor both returned from knee injuries. However both were rusty and the Lakers found themselves in a 3-1 hole to the Phoenix Suns. However, both would find their footing as the Lakers rallied to win the series in 7 games. In the Western Finals the Lakers stayed hot as they swept the Atlanta Hawks in 4 straight. In the Finals the Lakers were matched up against the New York Knicks. After splitting the first 2 games in New York the Lakers sent Game 3 to overtime when Jerry West sank a game-tying basket from half court. However, in an era before the 3-point shot the Knicks would win the game in overtime 111-108. Game 4 would also go to overtime with Lakers tying the series again with a 121-115 victory. The Knicks would bounce back to win Game 5 despite losing Willis Reed to a torn calf muscle. Without Reed the Lakers would take advantage in Game 6 winning 135-113. With Game 7 back in New York the Lakers were poised to win their first Championship since moving to LA, but their psyches took a bruising when Reed came out of nowhere and scored the game's first 2 baskets. It would be the only ones he would hit but the Lakers were already physiologically beaten as they came up 1 game short again losing 113-99.

1970/71: Elgin Baylor's career comes to an end when his nagging knee limits him to just 2 games. Without Baylor new acquisitions Gail Goodrich and Harold Harriston would fill in gamely leading the Lakers to the Pacific Division Championship with a 48-34 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would survive a 7-game series against the Chicago Bulls to reach the Western Conference Finals. However, in the western Finals the Lakers would be dominated by former UCLA star Lew Alcindor who leads the Milwaukee Bucks past LA in 5 games.

1971/72: Prior to the season the Lakers change coaches again hiring Bill Sharman a key player on the Boston Celtics team that won 11 Championships in 13 years. On November 5th the Lakers beat the Baltimore Bullets 111-106. The win was the first of 14 straight to close out the month of November. In December the Lakers continued to roll as they surpassed the Milwaukee Bucks record-winning streak of 20 games. The Lakers would continue to roll into the New Year before losing to the Bucks 120-104 on January 9th. Along the way the Lakers won 33 straight games setting an American Professional Sports record. The Lakers would go to finish with a then NBA all-time best record of 69-13. In the playoffs the Lakers remained unstoppable as they swept the Chicago Bulls in 4 straight. Moving on to the Western Finals the Lakers lost Game 1, and escaped with a 135-134 win over the Bucks in Game 2. After splitting the next 2 in Milwaukee the Lakers dominance took over again as they won the final 2 to dethrone the defending Champion Bucks in 6 games. In the finals the Lakers overcame another Game 1 loss to beat the New York Knicks in 5 games to finally earn their first World Championship in Los Angeles, as Wilt Chamberlains was named Finals MVP.

1972/73: The Lakers dominated the West again winning the Pacific Division by 13 games with a 60-22 record. In his final season Wilt Chamberlain leads the NBA in rebounds and Field Goal percentage setting a new NBA record at .727. After surviving a 7-game series with Chicago Bulls the Lakers breezed past the Golden State Warriors in 5 games to earn a rematch with New York Knicks in the Finals. The Lakers would get off to a promising start beating the Knicks 115-112 in Game 1. However, the Knicks would rally to win the next 4 to take the Championship.

1973/74: The acquisitions of Connie Hawkins and Elmore Smith help the Lakers fill the void left by Wilt Chamberlain as they win the Pacific Division with a 47-35 record despite Jerry West playing in only 31 games. Helping to drive the Lakers to the postseason is Gail Goodrich who averages 25.3 ppg. However, in the playoffs the Lakers are bounced quickly falling to the Milwaukee Bucks led by Kareem-Abdul Jabbar in 5 games.

1974/75: With Jerry West retiring before the season the Lakers signed Cazzie Russell. However, Russell is limited to 40 games as the Lakers miss the playoff for the first time in 17 years when they still played in Minneapolis, while finishing in last place with a 30-52 record.

1975/76: To help reload the Lakers acquire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, and Dave Meyers. Kareem was already failure to fans in Los Angels as he led UCLA to 3 straight titles when he was known as Lew Alcindor. in his first season with Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had won the NBA MVP for the 4th time in his career by leading the league in rebounding, blocked shots, while finishing 2nd in scoring. However, the Lakers endure a 3-10 January and miss the playoff for the 2nd straight season with a 40-42 record. Following the season the Lakers would lose Gail Goodrich to free agency when he signs with New Orleans Jazz.

1976/77: With Jerry West taking over as Coach the Lakers climb back to the top of the Pacific Division with a league best 53-29 record, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wins his 2nd straight MVP. However, in the playoffs the Lakers would struggle needing 7 games to knock off the Golden State Warriors before being swept by the Portland Trailblazers in the Western Conference Finals.

1977/78: Just 2 minutes into the season opener Kareem Abdul-Jabbar punched Kent Benson of the Milwaukee Bucks in retaliation for an overly aggressive elbow. Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand and was out for 2 months. Then another fight gave the Lakers a black eye when Kermit Washington punched Rudy Tomjanovich of the Houston Rockets shattering his face. Washington who claimed him though Tomjanovich was running at him received an NBA record 60-game suspension. Despite the poor start the Lakers would finish strong winning 28 of their final 41 to make the playoffs with a 45-37 record. However, in the first round the Lakers are beaten by the Seattle Supersonics in a 3 game series.

1978/79: The Lakers show sings of greatness as they finish in 3rd place with a 47-35 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would beat the Denver Nuggets in a 3 game series before falling to the Seattle Supersonics in 5 games. Following the season owner Jack Kent Cooke sold his sports empire, which included the Lakers and the Great Western Forum, to Santa Monica real estate developer Jerry Buss for $67.5 million. With Jerry West leaving the bench to run the front office, Jack McKinney is brought in as the new coach. In Jerry West's first draft the Lakers had the top pick as compensation for losing Gail Goodrich 3 years earlier and select Guard Magic Johnson who led Michigan State to National Championship.

1979/80: Magic Johnson makes a big splash in his very first game as nailed a game winning shot over the San Diego Clippers in his very first game. The Lakers would get off to a solid 10-4 start before new Coach Jack McKinney is injured in a serious bicycle accident. With Paul Westhead running the team the rest of the way the Lakers win the Pacific Division with an impressive 60-22 record, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wins his 6th MVP. In the playoffs the Lakers fly through the west knocking off the Phoenix Suns and Seattle Supersonics in 5 games each. In the NBA Finals the Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers split the first 4 games all of which were decided in the final minutes. In Game 5 at the Forum Kareem would fight through a sprained ankle to score 40 points in a Lakers 108-103 win. However, in Game 76 at Philadelphia, Kareem was unable to play and 20-year old Magic Johnson was moved over to center. In one of the most impressive single game performances in Finals history Magic single-handedly carries the Lakers to a 123-107 victory by tallying 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, as the Lakers win their 2nd Championship since moving to LA. With his Game 6 heroics Magic Johnson would be named Finals MVP.

1980/81: Coming off their Championship the Lakers lose Magic Johnson for half the season due to a knee injury, and fall into 2nd place with a 54-28 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would make a quick exit falling to the Houston Rockets 2 game to 1 in the first round.

1981/82: The Lakers play mediocre basketball out of the gate winning 7 of their first 11 games when Coach Paul Westhead who clashed with Magic Johnson is fired. To replace Westhead the Lakers promote assistant Coach Pat Riley. The move paid dividends right away as the Lakers won 17 of their first 20 under Riley, on the way to winning the Pacific Division with a 57-25 record. In the playoffs the Lakers swept through the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs on the way to the NBA Finals. In the Finals the Lakers continued to fly jumping out to a 3-1 series lead before beating the Philadelphia 7ers in 6 games for their 2nd Championship in 3 years. Magic Johnson once again proved to shine brightest in the spotlight as he won the Finals MVP.

1982/83: The NBA Champion Lakers benefit from future considerations again, landing the Number 1 overall pick from a 1980 trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Don Ford. With the top pick the Lakers would select North Carolina Forward James Worthy. Worthy was the perfect complement for Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, while the Lakers were completing a 58-24 season that saw them win their 2nd straight Division Title Worthy suffered a broken leg forcing him to mss the playoffs. In the Playoffs the Lakers had no problem advancing back to the finals as they beat the Portland Trailblazers in 5, San Antonio Spurs in 6. However in the Finals the Lakers express would run into a brick wall, as they are swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in 4 straight.

1983/84: The Lakers overcome an early injury to Magic Johnson to finish with a 54-28 record that wins them the Pacific Division for the 3rd year in a row. As the season wounded down on April 5 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA's all-time leading scorer when he scored point 31,420 to pass Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list. In the playoffs the Lakers swept the Kansas City Kings in 3 straight. The Lakers stayed hot in the 2nd round beating the Dallas Mavericks in 5 games, to reach the Western Finals, where they would eclipse the Phoenix Suns in 6 games. In the NBA Finals it was a return to the days of old as the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics. The featured match up of the revival of the NBA's old rivalry was Magic Johnson battling Larry Bird. The 2 had battled 5 years earlier in the most watched NCAA Championship Game of all-time. Since entering the NBA each had been key into driving the league to new heights of popularity. The Lakers would get off to a fast start winning Game in Boston. After the Celtics won Game 2 in overtime the Lakers blew apart the Celtics at the Forum. With a shot to take a 3-1 lead the Lakers blew a lead and fell in OT as the Celtics even the series. After losing Game 5 in Boston, the Lakers forced a 7th game with a 119-108 win in LA. However, as was the case in the 60's the Lakers would lose the series falling in Game 7 in Boston 111-102.

1984/85: Showtime continued to reign out West as the Lakers cruised to their 4th straight Division Title with a 62-20 record. In the playoffs the Lakers ran through the West easily again sweeping the Phoenix Suns in 3 straight, before beating the Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets in 5 game series to earn a NBA Finals rematch with the Boston Celtics. After losing the previous 8 Finals match ups with Celtics the Lakers looked to be in trouble after losing Game 1 in Boston by 34 points. However, The Lakers would rebound to win the next 2. After the Celtics won Game 4, the Lakers won a crucial 5th game to take a 3-2 lead as the series shifted back to Boston. In Game 6 led by Finals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the Lakers finally solved the Celtics by winning the series with a 111-100 victory.

1985/86: Once again the Lakers and Boston Celtics appeared to be on a collision course as the Lakers dominated the West with a 62-20 record, winning their 5th straight Division Title. In the playoffs the Lakers continued to roll as the swept the San Antonio Spurs before beating the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. However, the Lakers-Celtics Finals match up would never take place as the Lakers are stunned by the Houston Rockets in 5 games, as Ralph Sampson nails a stunning buzzer beating shot in Game 5 at the Forum.

1986/87: The focus of the Lakers offense is shifted from an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson in the hopes off reclaiming the NBA Championship. The move would pay off as the Lakers finished with a league best 65-17 record, as Magic won his first MVP award. In the playoffs the Lakers dominated the West sweeping the Denver Nuggets, before beating the Golden State Warriors in 5. Learning from their mistakes of the previous year the Lakers made a statement sweeping the Seattle Supersonics in 4 straight to earn a rematch with the Boston Celtics. In previous Finals match up with Celtics it was the Lakers who were the underdog, but this time around they were heavy favorites facing a banged up Celtics team. The Lakers would get off to a fast start winning the first 2 games in LA. The Celtics would rebound to Game 3, and appeared to be on the way to evening the series with a lead late in the 4th Quarter of Game 4. However, wit time winding down Magic Johnson hit a baby skyhook that gave the Lakers a 107-106 win, and a 3-1 series lead. After the Celtics won Game 5, the Lakers closed out the series with a 106-93 Game 6 win at the Forum. Magic Johnson would go on to be named Finals MVP.

1987/88: Motivated by Coach Pat Riley who guaranteed the Lakers would repeat the Lakers finish with best record in the NBA again at 62-20. In the playoffs the Lakers got off to a fast start sweeping the San Antonio Spurs in 3 straight. However, the Lakers would find themselves in tough series the rest of the way needing 7 games to get past both the Utah Jazz, and Dallas Mavericks on the way to the NBA Finals. In the Finals the Lakers were given an early wake up call when they dropped Game 1 at home to the Detroit Pistons 105-93. The Lakers would rebound to win the next 2. However, after being blown out in Games 4 and 5 the Lakers returned to LA down 3 games to 2. In Game 6 the Lakers would rally to win 103-102 to force a 7th Game. In Game 7 led by a triple-double from Series MVP James Worthy, the Lakers won their 5th title of the decade and second straight with a 108-105 win.

1988/89: With Coach Pat Riley trade marking the phrase Three-peat the Lakers looked to be heading for another Championship as they posted a 57-25 record, as Magic Johnson was his 2nd MVP in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final season. After Kareem's victory tour the Lakers season began in earnest in the playoffs as they swept through the Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Supersonics, and Phoenix Suns on the way to a Finals rematch with the Detroit Pistons. However, as the Finals began the Lakers broke down first Byron Scott went down to a hamstring injury then Magic Johnson was hobbled as the Lakers were swept in 4 straight.

1989/90: Without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the Lakers did not skip a beat as Vlade Divac took over for the legend at center while the Lakers won their 9 straight Division Title with a 63-19 record. Leading the way for the Lakers was Magic Johnson who won his 3rd MVP in 4 years. The Lakers would begin the playoffs on a strong note beating the Houston Rockets 3 games to 1. However in the 2nd Round Showtime would come to a sudden end when the Lakers are beaten by the Phoenix Suns in 5 games. Following the loss Pat Riley would resign as Coach.

1990/91: Under new Coach Mike Dunleavy the Lakers would get off to a slow start losing 5 of their first 7 games. However the Lakers would recover, and would go on to finish with a 58-24 record. However, the Lakers reign as Pacific Division Champions came to an end as they are beaten out by the Portland Trailblazers by 5 games. During the season Magic Johnson would make history breaking Oscar Robertson's record for career assists. In the playoffs the Lakers would get to the Western Conference Finals by sweeping the Houston Rockets, and beating the Golden State Warriors in 5 games. In the Western Finals the Lakers would reassert themselves as the Best in the West as they shocked the Trailblazers in 6 games. In the NBA Finals it was a match up of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan as the Lakers faced the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers would get off to a fast start in the Finals as Sam Perkins nailed a last second 3-pointer to beat the Bulls 93-91. However, the rest of the way it was the Michael Jordan show as he led the Bulls to their first title by winning the next 4 games.

1991/92: The Lakers suffer devastating blow before the season even starts as Magic Johnson is forced to retire after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Magic would make a brief return playing in the All-Star Game where he stole the show and won the Game's MVP. However, without him Magic the Lakers would struggle just to earn the 8th seed with a 43-39 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would make a quick exit losing to the Portland Trailblazers in 5 games.

1992/93: After playing in the Olympics Magic Johnson attempts a comeback, but cuts in short when other NBA players express fear of playing against him. With new Coach Randy Pfund the Lakers would struggle all season, but would gain the 8th Playoff spot despite a 39-43 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would show signs of Showtime as they beat the Phoenix Suns in the first 2 games of their first round series. With the series heading to Los Angeles the Lakers appeared on their way to one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. However the Suns would recover and would send the series back to Phoenix for Game. In Game 5 the Lakers would have a shot for the upset again missing a last second shot as the game went to overtime where the Suns pulled out a 112-104 victory.

1993/94: With Lakers out of playoff position and struggling in March, the team decides to bring Magic Johnson back as Coach. The moved seemed to work at first as the Lakers won 5 of their first 6 under Magic. However, reality would strike as the Lakers lost their final 9 games to finish with a 33-49 record, missing the playoffs for the first time in 18 years. Following the season Magic Johnson would announce he would not return as Coach.

1994/95: With the new Coach Del Harris the Lakers were one of the most improved teams in the NBA as Nick Van Exel emerged as one of the best point guards in the NBA. The Lakers would finish the season in 3rd place earning a trip to the playoffs. In the playoff Van Exel continued to emerge as a star as he averages 24.2 ppg in a 1st round upset over the Seattle Supersonics in 4 games. In the 2nd Round Van Exel made the highlight reel again as he nailed to buzzer beating shots in a dramatic overtime win in Game 5. However, it was not enough as the Lakers fell to the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games.

1995/96: The Lakers were already a top playoff contender in January when Magic Johnson made an unexpected return. Playing Forward Magic put up solid numbers (15.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 6.5 apg), but his presence seemed to upset the team's chemistry. However, the Lakers would still manage to finish in 2nd place with a 53-29 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would make a quick exit falling to the Houston Rockets in 4 games. Magic Johnson's return would be short lived as he retired again after the season.

1996/97: The Lakers would go from solid playoff performer to true Championship contender when they signed Center Shaquille O'Neal prior to the start of the season. To make room for Shaq the Lakers traded Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for their first round draft pick a High School star named Kobe Bryant. Despite missing 31 games with a knee injury Shaq was an overwhelming presence in the middle as the Lakers battled all season for the division title before finishing in 2nd place by 1 game with a 56-26 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would make quick work of the Portland Trailblazers advancing in 4 games. However, not even a 46-point effort in Game 1 by Shaq was enough as the Lakers lost the game and eventually the series in 5 games to the Utah Jazz.

1997/98: Kobe Bryant emerged as a star making the All-Star Game at the age of 19. Joining Kobe on the all-star roster was Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Van Exel, and Eddie Jones, as the Lakers lost the Division via tiebreaker with a 61-21 record. In the playoffs the Lakers ripped through the northwest beating the Portland Trailblazers in 4 games before beating the Division Champion Seattle Supersonics in 6. However, in the Western Finals the Lakers would hit a sour note as they were swept by the Utah Jazz in 4 straight.

1998/99: In a season which start was delayed for almost 4 months de to a lockout the Lakers get off to a slow start as the players openly feuded with each other. The feuding would eventually coast Coach Del Harris his job, as Kurt Rambis replaced him the middle of the season. Along with a new coach the Lakers signed eccentric star Dennis Rodman. The Lakers would go on to finis the season in 2nd place with a 31-19 record. In the playoffs the Lakers would dispatch the Houston Rockets in 4 games. However, their problems would boil to the surface again as they are swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 4 straight. The season would mark the end of basketball at The Forum, as the Lakers got set to move into a brand new state of the art arena for the new Millennium.

1999/00: In their first season at the Staples Center the Lakers hired Coach Phil Jackson with the hopes he could have the Lakers come together and play to their full potential after disappointing results in the playoffs. The moved would work right away as the Lakers stormed through the regular season with a league best 67-15 record, as Shaquille O'Neal was named MVP for the first time in his career. In the playoffs the Lakers got off to a shaky start nearly blowing a 2-0 series lead to the 8th seeded Sacramento Kings, before winning in 5 games. After knocking of the Phoenix Suns in 5 games the Lakers looked to be heading to the Finals with momentum holding a 3-1 series edge over the Portland Trailblazers. However the Blazers would force, a 7th Game. Things would get even bleaker for the Lakers as they trailed Game 7 at home by 13 points in the 4th Quarter. Facing disappointment again the Lakers would come storming back to win the game. In the Finals the Lakers would once again race out top a 3-1 lead, but they would only need 6 games to beat the Indiana Pacers, for their 7th Championship since moving to Los Angeles, as Shaquille O'Neal was named Finals MVP. Following the season GM Jerry West would leave the Lakers ending a 40-year relationship with the franchise.

2000/01: The Lakers struggled through most of the first half with injuries, as they found themselves in 2nd Place most of the season. As the season drew to a close the Lakers began o get healthy and make a playoff push. The Lakers would lose an April 1st National TV match up at home to the New York Knicks that dropped them to 48-26. It would be the last loss the Lakers would suffer for 2 months as they ran of 8 straight wins to close the season with a 56-26 record, earning 1st Place in the processes. In the playoffs the Lakers continued to roll sweeping the Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs on the way to the NBA Finals. With a 19-game winning streak the Lakers looked unstoppable as they faced the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the winning streak would come to an end as the 76ers took Game 1 at the Staples Center in overtime. However, it was a minor bump in the road as the Lakers won the next 4 for their 2nd straight NBA Championship as Shaquille O'Neal was named Finals MVP for a 2nd year in a row with 33.0 ppg.

2001/02: The Lakers would come flying out of the gate winning 16 of their first 17 games. However the Lakers would slow down and would fall out of first place as they managed only a 17-12 record in their next 29 games. The Lakers would go on to finish in 2nd place with a 58-24 record, as Shaquille O'Neal hobbled through most of the 2nd half with a foot injury. In the playoffs the Lakers would get off to a good start as they swept the Portland Trailblazers in 3 straight, as Robert Horry nailed a series ending 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left. In the 2nd Round the Lakers continued their dominance as they beat the San Antonio Spurs in 5 games. In the Western Finals the Lakers would find themselves in a battle for their lives against the Sacramento Kings. After splitting the first 2 games in Sacramento the Lakers would drop a key 3rd game at home. With time running out in Game 4 the Lakers were down by 2 points when Robert Horry was in the right place and the right time for a buzzer beating 3 pointer to even the series. After losing Game 5 the Lakers won a Game 6 from the foul line to force a 7th Game The Lakers would go on to win a back and forth battle in overtime to return to the NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals the Lakers would find things much easier as they faced an overmatched New Jersey Nets team. Shaquille was unstoppable as he averaged 36.3 ppg, for his 3rd straight Finals MVP as the Lakers pulled the Three-peat. The Lakers 3rd straight Championship was tempered by sadness when longtime announcer Chick Hearn passed away following the season. Hearn who has been behind the microphone since the Lakers had moved to Los Angeles, had his incredible 36-year 3,338 game streak ended when he entered the hospital for heart surgery. Hearn would return for the end of the season and playoffs, and was beginning to recover from both his heart surgery as well as a hip replacement, which he need after falling during recovery from his heart surgery. However, Hearn's life would come to an end in August shortly after he suffered another fall, at his home.

2002/03: As Shaquille O'Neal recovered from off-season toe surgery the Lakers got off to a slow start losing 9 of their first 12 games. When Shaq returned he was slow and out of shape as the Lakers continued to struggle, holding an 11-19 record after a 105-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Christmas. As January started the Lakers began to recover making the climb back to .500 and into the playoff race, finally climbing above .500 at 24-23 just before the All-Star Break. As the season reached the halfway point Kobe Bryant got red hot scoring at least 30 points in 16 straight games, including 9 straight with at least 40, as the Lakers won 15 of 18 games, on the way to another solid 50-32 season in which they finished in 2nd place. In the playoffs the Lakers were matched up against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and appeared to be in some trouble as they dropped 2 of the first 3 games and trailed heading into the 4th Quarter of Game 4. However the Lakers would rally to win Game, and didn't look back taking the next two games as well to eliminate the T-Wolves in 6 games. In the second round the Lakers long season began to take its toll on them as they dropped the first 2 games on the road to the San Antonio Spurs losing Derek Fisher and Rick Fox to injuries in the process. However the Champion Lakers would not go down without a fight winning the next 2 games in LA to even the series. In Game 5 at San Antonio the Lakers were being blown out all game down as much as 24 points in the 3rd Quarter the Lakers made a late rally going on a 24-8 run to pull within 2 points in the final seconds, with a shot to win the game Robert Horry found himself in familiar position behind the 3-point line with a wide open 3-point shot. However, unlike the pervious year against the shot rimmed out as the Spurs held on to a 96-94 win. In Game 6 back at the Staples Center the Lakers just ran out of gas as the Spurs pulled away in the 4th quarter to end the Lakers 3-year Championship reign with a 110-82 victory.

2003/04: As the season started the Lakers appeared to have one of the best teams in the history of the NBA as they added future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton in the off-season. However, storm clouds began to gather around Kobe Bryant who found himself in the center of a highly publicized sexual assault trial in Colorado. Just before the start of the season the feud between Kobe, and Shaquille O'Neal also began to boil over with each taking turns at criticizing the other through the media, with Kobe threatening to exercise his option and leave via Free Agency following the season. The Lakers Fab 4 got off to a great start as they won 18 of their first 21 games. However in December Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal both missed time due to injury while Gary Payton struggled to adapt to the Triangle offense, as the Lakers went 13-16 over the next 2 months into All-Star Weekend which was played at the Staples Center. After the All-Star Game where Shaq was named MVP the Lakers began to round into the team fans expected to dominate the entire season as Kobe Bryant playing while facing charges for sexual assault had a knack of playing his best when he had a court date and had to flay in just before the start or after the game had started. The Lakers would slowly climb their way back of the Pacific Division and on the last day of the season won the Division Title on a dramatic game winning shot with a record of 56-26. In the playoffs it was a match up of superstar centers as Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets faced off. The match up would be a mismatch as Shaq dominated as the Lakers won in 5 games. In the 2nd round the Lakers were matched up against the San Antonio Spurs who knocked them out of the playoffs the previous year. Once again the Spurs got the jump on the Lakers winning the first two games in San Antonio. As the series shifted to LA the Lakers bounced back winning Games 3 and 4. Game 5 in San Antonio would go back and forth as the Spurs took the lead with 0.4 seconds on a dramatic shot by Tim Duncan. Needing a miracle Derek Fisher got the inbound and launched a prayer that was nothing but net giving the Lakers a dramatic shot to give the Lakers a 74-73 win. The Lakers would go on to win the series in 6 games with an 88-76 win at home. In the Western Conference Finals the Lakers would face the Minnesota Timberwolves after splitting the first two games in Minnesota the Lakers took full control of the series by taking the next two games at home to establish a 3-1 series lead. After losing Game 5 on the road the Lakers completed their long strange trip to the NBA Finals by beating the Timberwolves 96-90 in Game 6.

2003/04: Entering the NBA Finals the Lakers were expected to walk over the Detroit Pistons on the way to the NBA Championship they were built to win from the beginning of the season. However the Lakers shot poorly in Game 1 as the Pistons took the opener in LA 87-75. In Game 2 the Lakers were in danger of losing again when Kobe Bryant nailed a 3-point shot at the end of regulation to force overtime where they would outscore the Pistons 10-2 for a 99-91 win that evened the series. However as the series shifted to Detroit the Lakers would go into self destruct mode as they were never in Game 3 losing 88-68 as the infighting which hung over the team all year threatened to rip them apart at the worst possible time. Rumors of Lakers ownership wanting to keep Kobe Bryant while letting both Shaq and Phil Jackson go hung over team as the triangle offense continued to frustrate Gary Payton. Game 4 would be more of the same as the Lakers lost 88-80 falling behind 3 games to 1. In Game 5 the Pistons would close out the upset with a 100-87 win. With in a matter of hours the Lakers dynasty crumbled as Shaq demanded a trade and Phil Jackson resigned clearing the way for Kobe Bryant to resign, as Lakers ownership chose Kobe Bryant in the simmering feud between their two superstars. Kobe's sexual assault case would fall apart in court as more evidence came into question the alleged victim's mental state. Shaq would go on to be traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick. They would also unload Gary Payton to the Boston Celtics as Derek Fisher left via free agency and Rick Fox retired. The Lakers would go on to name Rudy Tomjanovich as the coach to replace Phil Jackson, but in the after math of the Lakers implosion would be simmering bad feelings as the Zen master ripped Kobe in a book and Shaq ripped Kobe in a rap, as the war of words between the Lakers former 1-2 punch heated up once Shaq joined the Heat.

2004/05: With Shaquille O'Neal gone, Kobe Bryant looked forward to basking alone in the spotlight in Los Angeles. The Lakers now coached by Rudy Tomjanovich got off to a decent start posing a 9-6 record in November. However, as December rolled around the Lakers began to show signs of a team in trouble as they played just .500 ball. In January the Lakers continued their mediocre play when their season began to fall apart as Kobe Bryant injured his ankle during a January 13th game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, missing the next month. The Lakers would start off strong without Kobe winning 4 of their first 5 in his absence, but the toll would catch up with them as they lost 3 in a row. On February 3rd the Lakers stood at 24-19, when suddenly Coach Rudy Tomjanovich resigned sighting stress and lingering health problems from a previous battle with cancer. Under his replacement, Interim Coach Frank Hamblen the bottom would fall out. The Lakers would win just 10 more games the rest of the season plunging out of playoff contention. In April the Lakers would win just 1 of 11 games as they ended up tied with the Golden State Warriors for last place with a 34-48 record. It was the first time in 11 years and just the 4th time since moving to Los Angeles that the Lakers missed the playoffs. Following the season the Lakers trying to pick up the pieces mended the fences between Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson, as the Zen Master returned to the bench to Coach the Lakers.

2005/06: A rejuvenated Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers bench as Kobe Bryant came out of the gate shooting, scoring more then 30 points in 9 of the Lakers first 13 games. Despite the hot hand from Bryant the Lakers struggled going 5-8 in their first month. Kobe continued to shoot the lights out in December as the Lakers started to turn things around winning 10 of 16 to climb above .500. Kobe Bryant would top himself in January as scored 40 points in 4 straight games, including a 50-point game against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 7th. Twelve days later Kobe would score 51 in a 118-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings. A day later he would score 37 points on the road against the Phoenix Suns. However, all games would pale in comparison to a Sunday Night game on January 22nd at the Staples Center as Kobe scorched the Toronto Raptors for 81 points as the Lakers won 122-104. Kobe's 81 would go down as the second highest scoring game in NBA history, 19 behind Wilt Chamberlain's historic 100-point performance. Kobe Bryant would go on to lead the NBA in scoring at 35.4 ppg as the Lakers finished in 3rd place with a 45-37 record that returned them to the playoffs. In the playoffs the Lakers would face the second seeded Suns. After splitting the first two games in Phoenix the Lakers took control of the series with a solid 99-92 win in Game 3. Two days later they would get a 3-1 series lead in dramatic fashion as Kobe Bryant nailed a dramatic shot at the end of regulation to force overtime where he would beat the buzzer again for a 99-98 victory. After losing Game 5 in Phoenix, the Lakers were out gunned by the shooting Suns losing Game 6 in Overtime 126-118, as a high scoring 5 minute extra session saw the Lakers outscored 21-13, as Tim Thomas became deadly from 3-point range. The Lakers would never be in Game 7 as they fell behind 32-15 after the first quarter and were blown out 121-90.

2006/07: Despite Kobe Bryant starting the season on the bench overcoming off-season knee surgery the Lakers got off to a strong start winning their first three games, including an opening night win over the Phoenix Suns. Kobe would return quickly and the Lakers would lead the Pacific Division early as the started the season 15-6. As the New Year began the Lakers strong start began to show signs of weakening as they fell out of first place. Still into January the Lakers had a solid record at 26-13, winning a game in San Antonio against the Spurs 100-96 on January 17th. However, the following night the Lakers would fall hard in Dallas, losing to the Mavericks 114-95, beginning a stretch where the Lakers did not play well. As the trade deadline approached there were rumors of a possible deal to acquire Jason Kidd from the New Jersey Nets. However, the Lakers were unwilling to part with budding star Andrew Bynum. This did not sit well with Kobe Bryant, who wanted help to take the Lakers further in the playoffs. Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall as the Lakers lost six straight in February, and then lost seven in a row in March, as there once secure playoff footing became tenuous at best. Sitting at 33-32 on March 16th, the Lakers rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in overtime 116-111, as Kobe Bryant scored 65 points. Two nights later it was all Kobe again, as he scored 50 in a 109-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not to be out done, Kobe would score 60 and 50, to record the second longest streak of 50 point games in NBA history, as the Lakers got back on the winning track. However, in March the Lakers would stumble again falling to .500 at 40-40 win two games to go. Fortunately it was Kobe Bryant to the rescue again as he scored 50 points as the Lakers secured a playoff spot with a 109-98 win over the Seattle Supersonics. The Lakers would go on to finish with a 42-40 record, earning a rematch with the Phoenix Suns. This time there would be no 3-1 lead, as the Suns jumped out early winning the first two games. With Kobe Bryant scoring 45 points the Lakers managed a 95-89 win in Game 3 at the Staples Center. However, the Suns were too strong and the Lakers had too many flaws, as the series ended in five games with the Suns on top. Following the season an unhappy Kobe Bryant expressed a desire to be traded. Then he rescinded his trade demand in a bipolar summer of sulking over the state of the Lakers, which would see Kobe Bryant go between asking to be traded, to asking the Lakers to trade for Kevin Garnett, to demand who the Lakers get in return if he was dealt away.

2007/08: After an off-season full of distractions, Kobe Bryant came to training camp more committed to being a team player, and putting his past selfishness behind him. The newly focused Kobe, would help the Lakers get off to a strong start as they were locked in a battle with the Phoenix Suns, for first place in the Pacific Division with a 19-11 record, which was helped by a strong December, in which the Lakers posted a 10-4 record. The Lakers would hit some rough waters in January as Alex Bynum was sidelined with a knee injury. With the trade deadline approaching the Lakers, vastly improved their team acquiring Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's Brother), and two first round draft picks. The deal immediately made the Lakers a serious force in the Western Conference as Gasol gave the Lakers that second all-star to go along with Kobe Bryant. In his first full month in Los Angeles the Lakers sprang to the top of the Western Conference, while pulling away from the Suns, by winning 13-of-15 games, highlighted by a ten game winning streak. With eight teams in the Western Conference winning 50 games, the Lakers needed Gasol and Kobe to mesh right away, and thanks to his changed attitude the Lakers were successful as Kobe Bryant captured the NBA MVP award, for doing the one thing he was not able to do previously, make the team around him better by distributing the ball, which helped him raise his own level of play. The Lakers would go on to capture the top seed in the West, with a 57-25 record, as they won eight of their last nine games. In the first round the Lakers were matched up against the Denver Nuggets. The series would be no contest as the Lakers exposed the Nuggets lack of defense, with a four game sweep, as they won the first three games, by steadily increasing double digit margins, before closing the series with a 107-101 victory. In the second round the Lakers appeared to be cruising again as they took the first two games against the Utah Jazz by double digits. However, the Jazz would defend their home court taking the next two games in Salt Lake City. Game 5 would demonstrate just how much Kobe Bryant's game had changed, as the Lakers won 111-104 despite their MVP not scoring in the fourth quarter, as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom led the way down the stretch with Kobe Bryant choosing to pass rather then attempt shots against the Jazz defense, which was focused on stopping him. It would be a different story in Game 6 as Kobe scored 12 of his game high 34 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers closed out the series with a 108-105 win, with standing a late charge on the road. In the Western Conference Finals the Lakers were matched up against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. After falling behind early in Game 1, Kobe Bryant led the way with 25 second half points as the Lakers took the opener 89-85. The Lakers would find things much easier in Game 2, winning 101-71 to take a 2-0 lead to San Antonio. After losing Game 3, by 19, the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead, by handing the Spurs their first loss at home in the playoffs as Kobe Bryant scored 28 points with 10 rebounds in a 93-91 win. Back at the Staples Center for Game 5, LA became party central as the Lakers dynamic duo of Bryant and Gasol led the Lakers back to the NBA Finals with a 100-92 win, as Kobe scored a game high 39 points, with Pau Gasol grabbing 19 rebounds.

2008 NBA Finals: In the Finals the Lakers found a familiar foe in the Boston Celtics, who they were facing with the NBA Championship on the line for the 11th time in 50 years. However, it was the first time they were matched in the NBA Finals since 1987 when Magic Johnson got the best of Larry Bird in six games. Things would not start off well for the Lakers, who lost the opener 98-88, as they were unable to find an answer for Paul Pierce who scored 15 points in the third quarter. In Game 2 the Lakers again found themselves unable to stop Pierce who scored 28 points to lead the Lakers to a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Lakers would cut the lead to two as they attempted to make a historic comeback. However, they would come up just short as they lost 108-102 despite scoring 41 points in the final period. As the series shifted to LA, it was all Kobe, as the Lakers took Game 3, with their MVP scoring 36 points 87-81. The Lakers appeared to be cruising to evening the series as they led Game 4 by 18 points at halftime and by as much as 24 points during the second quarter. However, the Celtics bench helped inspire a stunning comeback as the Lakers were outscored 57-33 in the second half, losing 97-91 to fall behind in the series 3-1. The Lakers would defend their home court with a 103-98 win in Game 5, but there would be no stopping the Celtics as the series shifted back to Boston for Game 6, as the Celtics handed the Lakers one of the worst losses in NBA Finals history to win their record 17th NBA Championship 131-92, of those 17 titles, nine had come at the expense of the Lakers.