This team has been called the greatest NBA franchise of all time. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be continuing our series of the most successful sports franchises with a look at the LA Lakers.
Founded in 1946 the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers franchise originated in Detroit, Michigan; however, once Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen paid $15,000.00 for Detroit Gems they moved the team to Minneapolis. In fact, the team’s official title comes from the Minnesota state nickname “Land of 10,000 Lakes”.
Within already reliable lineup of players the Club brought on center George Mikan who promptly became the game’s leading player. The Minneapolis Lakers went on to win the first ever NBA Championship in 1950 and then three-peat from 1952 to 1954. The Lakers return to the NBA finals in 1959 only to lose to the Boston Celtics. This match ups sparked one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. Nonetheless, the Club managed to win five championships before owner Bob Short relocated the franchise to Los Angeles in the 1960-1961 season giving the NBA its first West Coast team.
The team’s last season in Minneapolis was a dizmo one. However, this bleak effort earned them the second pick in the 1960 NBA draft. The Club chose Jerry West from the West Virginia University despite featuring a roster of future Hall of Famers such as Elgin Baylor and West, the Club’s first five years in LA saw dramatic drop in crowd turnout losing to the Celtics in the finals four years at a five didn’t help of course, but moving to a brand new arena did.
The Lakers acquired Will Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers on July 9, 1968. The Club then went to set a record during the 1971-1972 Season by winning 69 games. The Lakers finally ended their championship drought that season by defeating the New York Knicks in five games giving the team their first championship in Los Angeles.
The team missed the playoffs during the 1974-1975 Season and subsequently acquired star player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This move ushered in the show time era which lasted through the 1980s. This was even more evident once the team had drafted Earvin “Magic” Johnson from Michigan State, a move that helped the team defeat the Philadelphia’s 76ers in the 1980 championships. Johnson not only led his squad to 60 wins in his rookie season but he also earned MVP awards in the finals after replacing the injured Abdul-Jabbar.
With the Lakers show time era in full swing, the 1980s heated the physical play of the Celtic against the more finesse-based game of the Lakers. The Lakers took the honors in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. But then everything changed.
In June 1989, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement after an illustrious 20-year-career and of course on November 7, 1991 Magic Johnson announced he tested positive for HIV, and that he would retire immediately. The Lakers didn’t win an award in the 1990s, but during the 1996 off season the Club acquired 17-year-old Kobe Bryant from Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vlade Divach.
The Lakers also signed free agent Shaquille O’Neal during the off season and drafted Derek Fisher. In 1999, Phil Jackson joined the Lakers as head coach and the Club moved into the Staples Center. Ushering in a new era of dominance, the new century saw the team three-peat in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
With so much talent and so many personalities eventually the Club fell apart. The team underwent another rebuilding period from 2004 to 2007 with Shaq leaving and Kobe remaining with the Club. Assembling another cast of players around Kobe the Lakers won again in 2009 earning the team’s 15th title and their first in seven years. The Club repeated it in 2010 this time beating their arch rival the Celtics for their 16th championship with Kobe managing to pickup the NBA Finals MVP in both years.
Incidentally the Lakers boast only one fewer championship title that the Celtics who lead all NBA teams with 17 wins. And with a steady stream of star players ready to play in the city there is no doubt they’ll continue to be winners for years to come.
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