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Los Angeles Lakers information, Starting out in Detroit before moving to Minneapolis, the Lakers were a team to be reckoned with from the start. They were the NBA's first dynasty, after winning five championships in six years between 1949-1954. The team was moved in 1960 to Los Angeles and featured Hall of Famers like Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain. Overall the Lakers have won fifteen NBA titles and thirty Conference titles. The most recent Lakers dynasty went from 2000-2002, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the squad to three straight championships. Although the two players were recognized as the most dominant duo in NBA history, their egos could not coexist. O'Neal joined the Miami Heat after LA was defeated by the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. The following year he won a championship with his new found team as Kobe struggled to bring squad back to the top.
In 2008 Kobe had his chance to be victorious without Shaq by his side as the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals to face off against their longtime rival opponent Boston Celtics. Bryant found exactly what he was looking for in teammates with center Pau Gasol and forward Lamar Odom. Unfortunately for LA, their tandem couldn't conquer the Celtic's Big Three that includes Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. 2009 turned out much better for the Lakers as they met a different opponent in the finals; the Orlando Magic. The Lakers ended up winning the series in five games, giving Kobe his fourth NBA title and first NBA Finals MVP award. The Lakers should surprisingly come back even stronger for 2010. They recently acquired defensive specialist Ron Artest and are in the process of extending forward Lamar Odom’s contract. If all goes as expected Los Angeles will be back in the later rounds of the playoffs and fighting to earn their second consecutive championship.
