Latest Los Angeles Lakers News

    Los Angeles Lakers Franchise Information

    Have a read on below at some quick stats and facts on the Los Angeles Lakers to get you started:

    Established:1947
    Stadium:Crypto.com Arena
    Colours:Purple, Gold and Black
    Hall of Famers:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Zelmo Beaty, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Adrian Dantley, Vlade Divac, Gail Goodrich, Connie Hawkins, Spencer Haywood, Magic Johnson, Clyde Lovellette, Karl Malone, Slater Martin, Bob McAdoo, George Mikan, Vern Mikkelson, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Jim Pollard, Mitch Richmond, Dennis Rodman, Charlie Scott, Jerry West, Jamaal Wilkes & James Worthy
    Hall of Fame Coaches:John Kundla, Phil Jackson, Bill Sherman & Pat Riley
    Rivals:Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers & San Antonio Spurs
    Legends:Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, Gail Goodrich, Connie Hawkins, Pau Gasol, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Derek Fisher, Jerry West, Clyde Lovellette, George Mikan & Slater Martin
    Retired Numbers:8, 13, 22, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 42, 44 & 52
    Conference:Western Conference
    Division:Pacific Division
    NBA Championships16: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010 & 2020

    Los Angeles Lakers History

    The Los Angeles Lakers originated in Minneapolis in 1947 after two gentlemen bought the disbanded Detroit Gems and moved the franchise to Minneapolis and called the team the Lakers, named after Minnesota’s state nickname, the land of 10,000 lakes. 

    Led by center George Mikan, the team had immediate success in their first and only season in the National Basketball League, winning the championship before moving to the Basketball Association of America in 1948, which is now known as the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

    The Lakers NBA history is incredible, and it started immediately with the team winning the Championship in five of their first six seasons in the league. Mikan would continuously lead the league in scoring and was named 1953 All Star MVP, the year the Lakers won their fourth title. 

    Mikan retired after their fifth title in 1954, bringing a short end to their early golden years. They managed to make the playoffs the following three years but were unable to make the Finals during this time, before missing the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s 10 year history, in 1958. 

    This lull in performance saw the Lakers win the first pick in the 1958 draft, selecting Elgin Baylor, who went on to win Rookie of the Year and All Star MVP in his first season, while leading the Lakers back to the Finals, where they fell to the Boston Celtics. The team wasn’t able to live up to their performance in 1959 and was awarded the second pick in the 1960 draft, with which they selected Jerry West. 

    The 1960 off season saw the Lakers become the first NBA team on the West Coast, moving to Los Angeles. Baylor would average almost 35 points and 20 rebounds a game in the team’s first season in LA, helping the team improve by 11 more wins than the previous year, but they were unable to make the Finals yet again.

    Baylor would continue to dominate, breaking his own record for points in a game with 71, and then in the 1962 Finals, breaking the record for most points in a Finals game with 61, with that record still standing today. 

    From the 1961-62 season to the 1969-70 season, the Lakers would finish on top of the Western Division standings five times and make the Finals seven times, but were unable to taste the ultimate glory, losing to the Celtics six times and the New York Knicks once. 

    The Lakers acquired Wilt Chamberlain in 1968, hoping he would help get the team on top of the league and despite his stellar play along side Baylor and West, which included West scoring 51 points in a game of the 1969 Finals and winning Finals MVP despite his team losing, being the first and only player to do so, the Lakers were unable to win the final game of the season. 

    Baylor retired before the 1971-71 season, in what would turn out to be one of the Lakers’ best. They would win an NBA season best 33 consecutive games on their way to a 69-13 record. West would be named All Star MVP and would lead the league in assists, while Bill Sharman would win Coach of the Year after the team failed to score 100 points only once during the entire season. 

    The Lakers dominated the playoffs, winning 4-0 and 4-2 on their way to a rematch with the Knicks in the Finals. Chamberlain would prove too much for the Knicks to handle, winning Finals MVP while leading the Lakers to a 4-1 victory, winning their first title in 18 seasons. 

    The Lakers would dominate the following series, looking to go back-to-back, facing the Knicks in the Finals for the third time in four seasons. The Knicks would get the upper hand this time, winning 4-1 and marking the end of Chamberlain’s career, with the LA legend retiring after the season. 

    Due to injured legs, West could only manage 31 games in the Lakers’ first season without Wilt and would retire at season’s end, allowing Gail Goodrich to take the lead role on the team. LA could only manage a first round exit in 1974 before not making the playoffs at all the following season. 

    In 1975, the Lakers acquired 3-time MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite Kareem winning MVP in his first season with the team, they failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. 

    The Lakers almost created one of the best duos in NBA history during the 1976-77 season, but the front office wasn’t prepared to pay the fees for Nets forward Julius Erving. Despite not getting Erving, the Lakers were led back to the playoffs behind another MVP season from Kareem, but were swept by the Portland Trail Blazers in the West Finals. 

    LA was unable to make the Western Conference Finals the following two seasons being plagued with injuries and on-court discipline issues, but this led to them drafted Magic Johnson in 1979. It took time for the LA players to adjust to Johnson’s flashy playing style, but when they did, it was a thing of beauty. 

    Magic and Kareem, who would win his third MVP while with the Lakers and sixth overall, led the Lakers to the top of the West standings with a 60 win season, defeating the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle Supersonics on the way to the 1980 NBA Finals. Despite Kareem being injured, Magic would step up and lead the Lakers to a 4-2 victory, including a 42 point, 15 rebound and 7 assist performance in the final game. 

    A Magic Johnson injury meant the team was unable to perform to the same standard, but returned to glory in the 1981-82 season. The Lakers almost lost Johnson at the start of the season when he demanded a trade due to disagreements with coach Paul Westhead, but the Lakers fired Westhead, doing everything they could to keep the transcendent passing genius. 

    Pat Riley took over as coach and with Magic’s incredible passing and the team’s fast paced tempo, LA turned into the ‘Showtime Lakers’. Magic would lead the Lakers to win their first 9 games of the playoffs, only losing to the 76ers twice, winning 4-2. Magic would win his second Finals MVP and the Lakers winning their second title in the last three seasons. 

    Due to a midseason trade, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1982 draft and selected forward James Worthy. The Lakers would claim another division title and make the Finals to face the 76ers again, but missing Worthy with injury was costly and the Lakers would be swept by Philadelphia. 

    The 1983-84 season saw LA with a full strength team and Magic, Worthy and Kareem led the Lakers to their third straight season finishing on top of the West and advancing to the Finals. They would face the Celtics for the first time since 1969 and took a commanding 2-1 lead, before the series turned in game 4. 

    Celtics’ forward Kevin McHale clotheslined Lakers forward Kurt Rambis and ignited a flame in Boston that saw the Lakers drop three of the next four and lose the series. This put the Lakers to 0-8 in the Finals when playing the Celtics. 

    The Lakers were desperate for another Finals victory, winning 62 games during the regular season and 3-0, 4-1 and 4-1 in the playoffs, booking another trip to the Finals. They were to face the Celtics and lost game 1 in humiliating fashion, 148-114. 

    Kareem would show his dominance, winning Finals MVP due to willing the Lakers to win four of the next five games and winning the series. This would be the first time the Lakers defeated the Celtics in the Finals and would be their ninth NBA title. 

    LA was dominant again in the 1985-86 season but were defeated by the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. Riley knew that for the team to be successful, Magic would have to have dominance of the offence, with the 40-year-old Kareem beginning to show his age. 

    Magic would go on to win his first MVP while leading the Lakers to 65 wins and another trip to the NBA Finals after making easy work of their three Western Conference opponents in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. Magic continued his dominance, taking home his third Finals MVP while leading the Lakers to a 4-2 victory. 

    The Lakers would win back to back Championships, with Worthy winning Finals MVP behind a game 7 triple double, helping LA to a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Magic Johnson won his second MVP in the 1988-89 season but the team were unable to overcome the Pistons in a second straight Finals, being swept after injuries to key players. That would be Kareem’s last season, with the dominant big man retiring. 

    The first season without Kareem saw Magic continue his dominance, winning MVP and All Star MVP, but the team fell to the Phoenix Suns in the second round, causing Riley, who won Coach of the Year that season, to step down as coach. Magic would lead the Lakers to the Finals yet again in 1991, but ran into the emerging Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, losing 4-1. 

    In November, 1991, Magic Johnson announced that he tested positive for HIV, retiring from the league immediately. Despite his retirement, Magic was voted by the fans to start in the 1992 All Star Game. Magic came out of retirement to win All Star MVP. The Lakers would miss Magic, unable to make the West Finals the following five seasons, even though he would come out of retirement for the end of the 1995-96 season!

    The 1996 off season saw Magic retire for the second time, with the Lakers acquiring Kobe Bryant, who had been selected with the 13th pick by Charlotte, drafting Derek Fisher at pick 24 and signing dominant big man Shaquille O’Neal as a free agent. The Lakers traded for Robert Horry during the 1996-97 season, which saw Shaq lead the team to 56-26, but were undone by the Utah Jazz in the second round. 

    The next two seasons saw the Lakers undone by the Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs during the playoffs, before everything clicked in the 1999-00 season. Phil Jackson was hired as coach and O’Neal had one of the most dominant individual seasons in league history, winning MVP, All Star MVP and Finals MVP in the same season. The Lakers went on to win the 2000 NBA Championship and started a dominant era led by O’Neal and Bryant.

    The Lakers would again make the Finals in 2001 after sweeping all three opponents in the playoffs before facing Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite Iverson willing the 76ers to a game one victory, the Lakers won the next four with O’Neal winning Finals MVP again. 

    The 2001-02 season saw LA dominate again, with Bryant winning All Star MVP and the team making it to the Western Conference Finals, facing the Sacramento Kings. This would go down as one of the best playoff series of all time, highlighted by a game winning three pointer in game 4 by Robert Horry, known as Big Shot Bob. 

    The series would go to seven games and the Lakers would narrowly escape, winning the series 4-3. LA went on to sweep Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets to win their third straight title, with O’Neal again winning Finals MVP. 

    This would be the end of this team’s championship glory, with the Lakers being eliminated in the second round the next year, before losing to the Pistons in the 2004 Finals. After the Finals defeat, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for three players and a first round pick, including Lamar Odom. 

    The 2005-06 season was a mixed bag for the Lakers. They drafted center Andrew Bynum and Bryant scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors, with the team being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Suns. 

    After another first round exit the following season Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers, frustrated with the team’s inability to perform in the playoffs, but he was convinced to stay. They re-signed Fisher, who had left to the Warriors for three seasons, and after Bynum went down with a serious knee injury, traded for Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers went 22-5 after the trade, Bryant won his first MVP and finished on top of the West standings, making their way to the Finals yet again. They faced their long time rival Boston Celtics, losing 4-2. 

    The Lakers finished the 2008-09 season with the best record in the West again, with Bryant winning All Star MVP and leading LA back to the Finals, this time facing the Orlando Magic. The Lakers made easy work of the Magic, winning 4-1, with Bryant winning his fourth title and his first Finals MVP. 

    The Lakers had a strong core of Bryant, Gasol, Bynum, Fisher and Odom as well as wings Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, which led the team to the top of the West for the third consecutive season, making their way to the Finals to face the Celtics for the 12th time in history. The Lakers would be able to avenge their defeat from 2008, coming back from a 3-2 deficit to win the last two games.

    With the series tied 3-3, the Lakers found themselves down by 13 points in the fourth quarter of game seven, and despite Bryant shooting 6-24 for the game, the Lakers rallied to win their 16th NBA Championship, with Bryant winning his fifth and his second Finals MVP. 

    The 2010-11 season saw Bryant win another All Star MVP and Odom win Sixth Man of the Year but the Lakers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual Champions, the Dallas Mavericks. 

    Odom and Fisher were both traded, with the Lakers eliminated in the second round for a second straight season, in 2012, before adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard via trade. Despite the star power joining Bryant and Gasol, the team managed their first regular season record in 7 seasons, and the team was swept by the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. A main reason for this loss was Bryant tearing his achilles last in the season. 

    Bryant would only manage a handful of games during the 2013-14 season, and the Lakers would miss the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Injuries during this time would be the beginning of the decline in play for both Bryant and the Lakers, with the team unable to make the playoffs again until 2020. 

    During this time the team drafted young stars with potential such as Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russel, but they were never able to reach the heights needed to help Bryant get back to the playoffs. 

    In November, 2015, Bryant announced that he would retire at the end of the season. He was given a farewell tour in all of his games, including his last game against the Utah Jazz where he scored 60 points in a victory. This season was disastrous for the team though, finishing with a 17-65 record, the worst in franchise history. 

    After Bryant’s departure, the team added more young guns, including Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball, but lost Russell to trade after some locker room issues. 

    2018 saw the Laker’s fate turn around, with LeBron James joining as a free agent. James had previously gone to eight straight Finals and looked to take the Lakers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, but suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day, and would only play a few games for the rest of the season. The 2018-19 season, while unable to make the playoffs, was filled with speculation after trade rumours with New Orleans Pelicans’ star Anthony Davis picked up. 

    During the 2019 offseason, the Lakers traded for Davis, sending Ingram, Ball among other players and a record number of first round picks. 

    The James and Davis pairing worked wonders, with the team starting the season 17-2 before finishing up 52-19 with the first seed in the Western Conference in the COVID-19 interrupted season. The Lakers lost the first game of their series against Portland in the first round and the Rockets in the second round, but would win the next four games to win both series 4-1, overcoming superstars like Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook and James Harden on their way to their first Western Conference Finals since 2010. 

    The Lakers would face the Nuggets in the Conference Finals and despite Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic firing for Denver, the star power of James and Davis was too much, winning the series 4-1 and advancing to the NBA Finals to face the Miami Heat. 

    Despite incredible play from Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, the duo of James and Davis was once again too much for the opposition, as the Lakers went on to win their 17th NBA Championship in six games.

    Many expected the Lakers to be able to go back-to-back, but the short 2020 offseason wrecked havoc on LA. Davis went down with a serious calf strain before James was sidelined with a turned ankle. Both missed 6-8 weeks of action and it saw the Lakers plummet to seventh in the West.

    They faced the Suns in the opening round and despite leading 2-1 at one stage, the Lakers lost in six games. Davis got injured, again, and James didn’t look as explosive or dynamic upon returning from his injury.

    LA are now up against the wall, limited in their ability to make moves in the offseason due to their current financial obligations but in serious need of some changes to help their two stars lift the title yet again.

    Much like their Los Angeles counterparts, the Clippers, the Lakers were expected to be contenders as well. However, it didn’t work out that way and they missed the playoffs entirely in 2021-22.

    Expert 2022-23 Picks & Preview on Los Angeles Lakers

    If you are a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, then you know that the only thing that matters right now is how they are expected to perform in the 2022-23 season. Do the Los Angeles Lakers have the star power to make it all the way to the playoffs and win The Finals in 2023?

    Have a read on below at SportsTips expert picks & preview on the Los Angeles Lakers:

    Front Office

    Darvin Ham is the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and this upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his first season in charge of the franchise. He has been coaching in the league for 14 years overall but this will be his first head coaching job. He is a former NBA player and he spent nearly a decade in the league. He has previously spent time as an assistant coach with Milwaukee, Atlanta, and the Lakers. 

    Rob Pelinka is the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers and he has held that position within the franchise since 2017. This upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his sixth season as the decision maker for the franchise. He is a former college basketball player and National Champion. He is also Kobe Bryant’s former agent. 

    Key Players

    LeBron James is the best player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season as well. This upcoming season will be his 20th season in the National Basketball Association. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 23 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around seven assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around eight rebounds per game. He is highly regarded as one of the best players in the world. 

    The second key player on this roster is Anthony Davis and this upcoming season will be his 11th season in the National Basketball Association. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 23 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around three assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around ten rebounds per game.

    Breakout Player

    Scotty Pipen Jr. will be the breakout player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. He went undrafted in the 2022 National Basketball Association Draft. This upcoming season will be his rookie season in the National Basketball Association after attending Vanderbilt. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 20 points per game. 

    He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around four and a half assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around three and a half rebounds per game. He put in some work on the defensive end of the court as well, averaging around two steals per game and one block per game. His list of accolades is impressive as he is a former first time two team all-SEC.

    Los Angeles Lakers Betting and Odds Preview 2022-23

    The Los Angeles Lakers campaign during the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season went about as you would’ve expected. They finished the year with a record of 33-49 and in fourth place of the Pacific Division.  

    There is a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. If they want to improve or keep up their current level of play they will certainly need a ton of production from their stars over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. The most important thing in any season is how a team starts out of the gate, and then how they look when the all-star break approaches. 

    In the National Basketball Association, a lot can change over a single off-season. It will be interesting to see how their offseason moves translate onto the basketball court over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. Based on their odds to win some hardware headed into the season it is clear how the oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel about them heading into the year. 

    Their odds to bring home the Pacific Division championship this season currently sit at +800 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them fourth in the Pacific Division out of five teams. 

    While their odds to win the Western Conference currently sit at +550 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them fourth in the Western Conference out of 15 teams. Their overall odds to bring home the championship are currently sitting at +1800 heading into the 2022-23 season, as they rank 10th out of all 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

    Los Angeles Lakers FAQ

    Still got some burning questions about the Los Angeles Lakers? Well, we have answered some of the most common questions people have, hopefully you will find the answer you are looking for below! 

    Where do the Los Angeles Lakers play?

    The Los Angeles Lakers play their home games at the Crypto.com Arena. 

    Who owns the Los Angeles Lakers?

    The Buss Family Trusts is the majority ownership group of the Los Angeles Lakers, with Patrick Soon-Shiong being a minority owner. 

    Have the Los Angeles Lakers won an NBA Championship?

    The Los Angeles Lakers have won 17 NBA Championships, which is tied for most in league history, equal with the Boston Celtics. Their most recent was in 2020, led by LeBron James. 

    Who is the Los Angeles Lakers coach?

    Darvin Ham is currently the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Ham was hired after a disappointing 2021-22 season resulted in Frank Vogel being fired. 

    Do the Los Angeles Lakers play tonight?

    Are you wondering if the Los Angeles Lakers are playing tonight? Well, SportsTips has all the details you need about upcoming Los Angeles Lakers games! Make sure you check this page at the top for all the details you are looking for.

    What is the Los Angeles Lakers record?

    The Los Angeles Lakers had a 33-49 win-loss record for the 2021-22 NBA season. 

    Did the Los Angeles Lakers win last night?

    Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers are all wanting to know if they won the game last night. You can find more information in relation to the team’s recent form in games on the page at the top.

    How much are the Los Angeles Lakers worth?

    According to Forbes Magazine, the Los Angeles Lakers are worth $5.5 billion, third in the league behind the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors. 

    Who do the Los Angeles Lakers play tonight?

    Like a lot of things in the NBA, things change pretty quickly. So, if you are looking for more information about who the Los Angeles Lakers play tonight, you have come to the right place. We have all this information for you in detail, you can find these details for upcoming games at the top of the page.

    How to watch the Los Angeles Lakers?

    You can watch the Los Angeles Lakers on TV channels like ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV or Spectrum SportsNet, or subscribe to NBA League Pass. 

    Will the Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs this year?

    The Los Angeles Lakers did not make the playoffs in the 2021-22 season after finishing 11th in the West with a 33-49 record. 

    Will the Los Angeles Lakers get the 1st pick in the NBA Draft?

    The Los Angeles Lakers did not received the top pick in the 2022 NBA draft. 

    When do the Los Angeles Lakers play?

    Los Angeles Lakers fans are always looking for more information about when their team plays the next game. For all the information you have been craving and more, be sure to check the top of this page. Here at SportsTips, we list all the information you need like the tip off time, location of the game and the all important NBA odds.

    Where did the Los Angeles Lakers finish the season?

    The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2021-22 NBA season in 11th in the Western Conference. 

    How many games did the Los Angeles Lakers win?

    The Los Angeles Lakers won 33 games during the 2021-22 NBA season.