Los Angeles Lakers Information
Starting out in Detroit before moving to Minneapolis, the Lakers were a successful team from the start. They were the NBA's first dynasty, winning five championships in six years between 1949-1954. The team was moved in 1960 to Los Angeles and featured Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Overall, the Lakers have won 16 NBA Titles and 31 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 his 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 the 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 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.
After claiming their second straight championship in 2010 over their rival Celtics, LA was bounced out of the playoffs by eventual NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. This season, the Lakers are in first place in their division and primed to make the playoffs.
