[89] West became upset, however, when Cooke refused to spend the money necessary to acquire forward Julius Erving, who the Nets were selling. The team was nicknamed the "Showtime Lakers" due to its fast break, transition offense facilitated by Johnson. [205] Buss initially agreed to seek a trade,[206] but also worked to try to change Bryant's mind. Thx for the answer. [335] Other draft picks include Jerry West and Gail Goodrich in the 1960s, Michael Cooper and Norm Nixon in the 1970s, A. C. Green and Vlade Divac in the 1980s, Elden Campbell, Nick Van Exel, Derek Fisher, and Devean George in the 1990s, and Luke Walton, Sasha Vujačić, and Ronny Turiaf in the 2000s. [67] In 1970, West won his first scoring title at 31.2 ppg, the team returned to the finals, and for the first time in 16 years, they did not have to face the Celtics; instead playing the New York Knicks, who defeated them 4–3. Magic is the originator of Showtime. [184][185] The Lakers started 18–3 and finished 56–26 and won the Pacific Division title, entering the playoffs as the No. [22][23], The Lakers had a solid roster, which featured forward Jim Pollard, playmaker Herm Schaefer, and center George Mikan, who became the most dominant player in the NBL. D'Antoni resigned at the end of the 2013–14 season. After cruising through the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers found themselves in the NBA Finals once again, their ninth trip to the Finals in 12 years. Jackson, who had two stints as head coach, was coach from 2005 to 2011. The rivalry reemerged in the early 2000s as both teams squared off against one another in the 2004 NBA Finals, which the Pistons won in five games. [148][149] The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs as O'Neal scored 46 points in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers, marking the highest single-game playoff scoring output by a Laker since Jerry West scored 53 against the Celtics in 1969. West and Cooke settled their differences—and the former Laker's lawsuit—and Cooke hired him to replace Sharman as the team's coach. They would go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and the 1980s, facing each other six times in the 1960s and three times in the 1980s. Los Angeles Lakers 1986-87 Roster and Stats. The Lakers then achieved a three-peat by sweeping Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals. [204] Frustrated by the team's inability to advance in the playoffs, Bryant demanded to be traded in the off-season. Off Rtg: 115.6 (1st of … Ten (10) division titles (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990). Prior to KHJ, Laker games were televised on KTLA. [91] They defeated the Warriors in a seven-game series to open the postseason before being swept by Portland in the Western Conference Finals. [159] During the 1999 preseason, the Lakers played their home games at the Forum before officially moving into Staples Center, and once again hosted a preseason game versus the Golden State Warriors on October 9, 2009, this time to commemorate the team's 50th anniversary season in Los Angeles. In their seventh trip to the Finals in nine years, they met the Detroit Pistons. [163] West retired from his spot in the team's front office after the season after a power struggle between him and Jackson over control of the team's operations. [134] During the 1993–94 season, Pfund was fired during the season that would result in the Lakers failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976. Quick View Los Angeles Lakers 2020 NBA Champions Locker Room 9TWENTY Adjustable Cap … Who is the best player in the NBA right now? [100] The team fell off in the 1980–81 season, though, as the Lakers lost Johnson for most of the season to a knee injury. [30] Los Angeles moved to a brand-new arena, The Forum, in 1967, after playing seven seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. [318][6] The Lakers logo consists of the team name, "Los Angeles Lakers" written in purple on top of a gold basketball. The team selected Jerry West from West Virginia University. The series would then shift in Sacramento's favor, with the Kings winning the next two games. [46] On November 15 that season, Baylor set a new NBA scoring record when he scored 71 points in a victory against the New York Knicks while grabbing 25 rebounds. Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff served as interim head coach for five games before the Lakers selected Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach. The Lakers have won championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010,2020. [83], During the 1973–74 season, the team was hampered by the loss of West, who played only 31 games before his legs gave out. First Player In NBA History With A 30-Point Triple-Double In A Team Debut Goes To: James Harden Of The Brooklyn Nets In 2021? [194] Derek Fisher, frustrated with losing playing time, opted out of his contract and signed with the Warriors. [274] The two teams have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. The Lakers won the first of five championships in the decade, capped by rookie Magic Johnson's famous 42-point outing in the Game 6 clincher. $25.99. What caused the Boston Celtics to lose at home to the New York Knicks by 30 points (105-75) ? They then won their 15th NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in the NBA finals. It went straight into Robert Horry's hands, who drained a game-winning three with under three seconds to play. [108] Los Angeles stretched its postseason winning streak to nine games by taking the first contest of the NBA Finals from the 76ers. [101] The team turned in a 54–28 record and finished second behind the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division. [57] Down by 16 entering the fourth quarter, and 10 with a minute and a half to go, the Lakers mounted a furious rally in the closing moments, which fell just short. Why did the Miami Heat draft Precious Achiuwa when they already have a very similar player to him on their team who's a STAR in Bam Adebayo? [305] In 2013, Buss died at the age of 80 after being hospitalized for 18 months with cancer. [196] Assistant Frank Hamblen was named interim head coach to replace Tomjanovich for the remainder of the season. [15], The Lakers hold the record for NBA's longest winning streak, 33 straight games, set during the 1971–72 season. [232] On February 18, 2013, Lakers owner Jerry Buss died from cancer at age 80. [159], Led by league MVP O'Neal, the Lakers won 31 of their first 36 games. Clutch" nickname. Looking to make good on Riley's promise in the 1987–88 season, the Lakers took their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title with a 62–20 record. In one of the most controversial playoff games in league history (Tim Donaghy's betting scandal), the Lakers would win by four points. Quick View Los Angeles Lakers 2020 NBA Champions Youth Locker Room Snapback Cap New Era. [254], On February 21, 2017, the Lakers fired general manager Mitch Kupchak, while Magic Johnson was named as the president of basketball operations. [132], On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV and would retire immediately.[133]. [118] The Rockets, however, defeated the Lakers in five games in the Western Conference Finals. Abdul-Jabbar had his fourth MVP season in 1975–76, leading the league in rebounding, blocked shots, and minutes played. From 1999 to 2004 the clubs' rivalry was often considered the premier rivalry in the NBA,[280] and each time the clubs faced each other in the playoffs the winner advanced to the NBA Finals. In May 2011, Mike Brown was named his replacement for the 2011–12 season. [327] Owned and operated by AEG and L.A. The Lakers would still make the playoffs, and would become the first eighth seed to win the opening two games on the road against a number one seed when they took a 2–0 lead against Phoenix. [16] Twenty-six Hall of Famers have played for Los Angeles, while four have coached the team. Gemeinsam dominierte man rund zehn Jahre den Osten, dazu gab's drei Titel. [38] After upsetting the Hawks in six games in the division finals, they returned to the NBA Finals, but were swept by the Celtics, beginning their long rivalry. ", "Shaq happy, Lakers in shock after trade", "Bryant: Shaq would be major reason if he left", "Jackson's L.A. Lakers book blames Bryant", "Book Burning Jackson scorches Kobe in new tell-all book", "Tomjanovich steps aside as Lakers coach", "Wizards Acquire Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins", >Lazenby, "Jackson, Lakers reunite with three-year deal", "Kobe's 81-point game second only to Wilt", "Lakers center Andrew Bynum to miss eight weeks", "Lakers cruise to rout of Kings, clinch No. It has been called the best rivalry in the NBA. [12][21] Hartman helped them hire John Kundla from College of St. Thomas, to be their first head coach, by meeting with him and selling him on the team. [177], The Lakers would attempt a four-peat the following year, but started the 2002–03 season 11–19. [288] Aided by Baylor's drawing power,[289][290] and the new locale, the team's finances improved when they arrived in LA. [71] They won three straight to open the year of 1972 but on January 9, the Milwaukee Bucks ended their winning streak by defeating the Lakers, 120–104. [262][263] By the Christmas Day game, the Lakers were six games over .500 before James sustained a groin injury leading to several weeks of missed games. [77] West's 9.7 assists per game (apg) led the league, he also averaged more than 25 points, and was named MVP of the 1972 NBA All-Star Game. [304] In 2009 major sponsors included Verizon Wireless, Toyota, Anheuser-Busch, American Express, and Carl's Jr., and the team's $113 average ticket price was the highest in the league. With their most recent win in the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers are now tied with the Celtics with 17 NBA championships. [111] Nevertheless, they advanced to play Philadelphia in the 1983 NBA Finals after defeating Portland and San Antonio. 4 in NBA draft lottery; New Orleans gets No. [30][324] The 2000–01 team set the NBA record for best playoff record at 15–1, which was later broken by the Golden State Warriors in 2017. Elmore Smith holds team records for blocks in a game (17), blocks per game for a season (4.85), and career blocks per game (3.93). Nach ihrem ersten Titelgewinn seit zehn Jahren spielte Los Angeles dieses Jahr eine perfekte Preseason. They swept the Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference Finals before pulling out a tough seven-game series win over the Utah Jazz led by youngsters Karl Malone and John Stockton. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics were again the Lakers' final hurdle. ‎Legendary Laker swingman, "Coop," lends his view on today’s NBA game in comparison to how basketball was played in the 1980s. [45] Led by Baylor's 34.8 ppg and 19.8 rpg, Los Angeles won 11 more than the year before in West's first season. [282] Marty Marion, a retired baseball player and manager, and his business partner Milton Fischman attempted to purchase the team with the intention of moving the club to Kansas City, Missouri. [30] These appearances include eight NBA Finals appearances in the 1980s. [195] Tomjanovich coached the team to a 22–19 record before resigning due to health problems. [17], The Lakers' franchise began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota purchased the recently disbanded Detroit Gems[18] of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 from Gems owner Maury Winston. Stu Lantz was retained as the color commentator. The scoring records are mostly shared by Elgin Baylor and Bryant, with Baylor having the highest average for a career (27.4) while Bryant has the highest points scored in a single game (81). [339] After the 2015–16 season ended, Scott was fired. They faced off once again in the 2010 NBA Finals, which the Lakers won in 7 games. [250], On April 24, 2016, the Lakers announced that they would not exercise their option on Byron Scott's contract for the following season. [25], In 1948, the Lakers moved from the NBL to the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and Mikan's 28.3 point per game (ppg) scoring average set a BAA record. [138][139] The team was led by young guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. You can sign in to vote the answer. 1986-87 Season - All Things Lakers - Los Angeles Times. [115], In the 1985–86 season, the Lakers started 24–3 and went on to win 62 games and their fifth straight division title. [281] After Mikan retired, attendance plummeted and the team lost money for several seasons, leading the ownership group to put the team up for sale in 1957. Before resigning due to health problems five in Phoenix in overtime Lakers received the fourth overall pick the. Interviewed three times for the full season-by-season history, 11–0 's inability advance. 192 ] the team in NBA history, 11–0 championships in a,... Guard Eddie Jones share to Mikan in 1954 five BAA/NBA championships from 1949 to 1954 and their eighth Pacific! 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