query: who is the coach of the la lakers?

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: five games before the Lakers selected Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach. D'Antoni resigned at the end of the 2013–2014 season. In July 2014, Byron Scott was hired as head coach. After the 2015–2016 season ended, Scott was fired. On April 29, 2016, former Lakers player Luke Walton was named as Scott's replacement. The Lakers have 30 Hall of Famers (23 players, 4 head coaches, 1 assistant coach, and 2 contributors) who contributed to the organization. The Lakers have retired eleven jersey numbers and an honorary microphone in honor of their players and broadcaster: In addition, several other players

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: to a 5–5 record. On November 12, 2012, the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni as head coach. On February 18, 2013, Lakers owner Jerry Buss died from cancer at age 80. On the court, D'Antoni coached the Lakers to a 40–32 record the rest of the way to finish 45–37, their worst record since 2007. The Lakers clinched a playoff berth on the final game of the season and finished seventh in the Western Conference after beating the Houston Rockets on April 16, 2013. The Lakers battled injuries all season, the most prominent of which is the Achilles tendon rupture to

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: for the first time since 2005, for just the second time in the last two decades and for just the sixth time in franchise history. On April 30, 2014, Mike D'Antoni resigned from his position as head coach after a 27–55 season. After spending the majority of the off-season without a head coach, the Lakers named former player Byron Scott as the new head coach. After the season, he was the frontrunner to become the new Lakers head coach. Scott interviewed three times for the position, which had become vacant after Mike D'Antoni's resignation. On July 28, 2014, he signed

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: and Bryant's father was also playing there. Bryant grew close with D'Antoni during their time with the United States national team. D'Antoni's coaching debut with the Lakers was delayed as he recovered from knee replacement surgery he had weeks earlier. Bernie Bickerstaff, who was the Lakers' interim coach after Brown was fired, continued in that role after D'Antoni was hired. He was 4–1 as the interim coach, winning his last two as D'Antoni started leading team practices. D'Antoni predicted that the Lakers, then 3–5 and ranked 20th in scoring with 96.5 points per game, should instead be scoring "110–115 points

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: the direct lineal ancestor of today's NBA, this 1949 BAA championship is recognized today as an official NBA championship for the Lakers, whereas their 1948 NBL championship is not. This makes the Lakers the most successful expansion team in NBA history, since the NBA does not recognize NBL records and considers the Lakers to be a 1948 expansion team. The next year saw the absorbing of the defunct NBL by the BAA, to form today's NBA, and the Lakers won the championship on the backs of Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, and future National Football League coach Bud Grant. The Lakers' two-year

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Fisher, the Lakers would win their franchise's sixteenth NBA championship. Bryant was awarded his second consecutive Finals Most Valuable Player Award. In the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers advanced past the first round by defeating the New Orleans Hornets 4–2. However, the Dallas Mavericks swept the Lakers and ended Phil Jackson's career with a 36-point blowout in Game 4. After Jackson's retirement, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was hired as head coach. On December 8, 2011, the New Orleans Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets agreed to a trade that would send Chris Paul to

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: the team's financial ills, however. The Lakers found their way back the playoffs in 1957, when they lost to the Hawks once more. The following year was disastrous, however, as Mikan became head coach before finding he was not suited to the task. After compiling a 9–30 record, he stepped aside in favor of Kundla, but the Lakers found themselves last in the league that year with a 19–53 record. Last place, however, meant the first pick in the draft, and the Lakers chose wisely, picking Elgin Baylor, who went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award

title: Nipissing Lakers

text: Athletic Centre on the campus of Nipissing University. Nipissing Lakers The Nipissing Lakers are the athletic teams that represent Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Lakers varsity programs compete in men's and women's basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country running, rowing, and nordic skiing. There is also a cross country ski team that occasionally obtains varsity status depending on team size. The Lakers men's basketball team debuted USports and OUA play in the 2014-15 season. The head coach of the team is Chris Cheng, who is a coach of the Canadian Junior Cadet Team. The Lakers play

title: Nipissing Lakers

text: Nipissing Lakers The Nipissing Lakers are the athletic teams that represent Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Lakers varsity programs compete in men's and women's basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country running, rowing, and nordic skiing. There is also a cross country ski team that occasionally obtains varsity status depending on team size. The Lakers men's basketball team debuted USports and OUA play in the 2014-15 season. The head coach of the team is Chris Cheng, who is a coach of the Canadian Junior Cadet Team. The Lakers play their home games at the Robert J. Surtees

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 Professional Basketball League of America dispersal draft, which they used to select George Mikan, later to become one of the greatest centers of his time. With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players to replace those lost prior to the relocation, the Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season. The next year, the Lakers switched to the 12-team Basketball Association of America (BAA) and proceeded to win the championship in that season. As the BAA is considered

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: finished with a record of 17–65, eclipsing their 2014–15 season record for the worst record in franchise history. On April 24, 2016 the Lakers announced they had fired coach Byron Scott. He was replaced by Warriors assistant and former Lakers forward Luke Walton. Soon thereafter, the Lakers won the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and selected Brandon Ingram, a 6'9" freshman small forward from Duke University. On February 21, 2017, the Lakers fired general manager Mitch Kupchak, while Magic Johnson was named as the president of basketball operations. The team's governor Jeanie Buss, also announced the removal

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: make it to Las Vegas for the Lakers game. It was only the second game he had missed for the Lakers since starting with the team in 1961. It was also the last game he would miss for the next 36 years. Beginning on November 21, 1965, Hearn announced the next 3,338 consecutive Laker regular season and playoff games. As for the team that season, the Lakers would find themselves in the Finals once again in 1966, promptly losing to the Celtics once again. The Lakers moved to Cooke's brand-new arena, The Forum, in 1967 with new coach Bill van

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Johnson, who had just led Michigan State University to the NCAA championship, and was along with Indiana State University forward Larry Bird one of the top prospects in the 1979 draft. Just 14 games into the season, the Lakers' rookie head coach, Jack McKinney suffered a serious head injury in a bicycle accident. Assistant coach Paul Westhead stepped in as the team's new head coach. Officially, Westhead began his head coaching term serving as the "interim" head coach. But the severity of McKinney's injury meant a long convalescence, and that combined with Westhead's subsequent success in the job ultimately meant

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: James Worthy and Sam Perkins, the Lakers were overmatched by a powerful Portland Trail Blazers team and lost the first round series three games to one. That series featured one of the Lakers' "home" games being played in Las Vegas due to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Dunleavy decided to leave the Lakers prior to the 1992–93 season to take charge of the Milwaukee Bucks' organization. Long-time Laker assistant coach Randy Pfund was promoted to replace him. The 1992–93 Lakers fought off an early injury to guard Byron Scott and posted a respectable 33–29 record over the first 61 games.

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: attempted to restructure the offense in a way that Magic Johnson opposed. Johnson was so upset that he demanded to be traded. Buss, however, sided with star player over head coach, and he fired Westhead just 11 games into the season. The fan reaction to Johnson for having triggered his head coach's firing was immediate and Johnson found himself roundly booed, even by the Lakers' home crowd in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, under the tutelage of new head coach Pat Riley, the Lakers returned to the finals that year by beating Phoenix and San Antonio in the playoffs. Furthermore, they found

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Mike Dunleavy as head coach. Michael Cooper, another great from the Showtime years, also retired. Johnson became the NBA's all-time assist leader, surpassing Oscar Robertson the next season, as Dunleavy's new philosophy incorporated a slow and deliberate style, instead of the fast breaking Showtime style of the Pat Riley era. After a slow start the Lakers finished with a 58–24 record, defeated the strong Portland Trail Blazers 4–2 for the conference championship and returned to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for the Lakers, though, a new dynasty was just beginning elsewhere, as Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls under second-year coach

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: the Lakers' 33-game winning streak remains the longest winning streak in the history of any major North American professional sport. The Lakers set another record in 1972 by winning 69 games; this mark would stand for nearly a quarter of a century. Los Angeles led the league in scoring, rebounds, and assists, and Sharman was named Coach of the Year. Chamberlain led the NBA in field goal percentage and rebounding, and West led the NBA in assists. Not only that, but the Lakers at long last shook the monkey off their back, conquering the Knicks in the 1972 NBA Finals

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: coming very close to signing with the Los Angeles Clippers before deciding to stay with the Lakers. Jackson retired to his ranch in Montana and Rudy Tomjanovich came in as the new head coach. Gary Payton was dealt to Boston and Karl Malone retired after undergoing knee surgery, but not before the possibility of his return was eliminated when he and Bryant had a falling-out. Despite all of the offseason movement, the Lakers did manage a 24–19 start at the beginning of the 2004–05 season, but it was at this time Tomjanovich left the team for health concerns. The Lakers

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: the final two points of his career. As he walked off the floor for the last time, everyone in the Forum, including the Pistons bench, stood up and applauded. The Lakers seemed to adapt well to Kareem's absence. New center Vlade Divac helped the team to a 63-win season in 1989–90 and their ninth consecutive division title, and Johnson took another MVP award. However, the Phoenix Suns had the Lakers' number that year in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, defeating the Lakers in a surprisingly easy five games. Pat Riley stepped down as coach and was replaced by

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: with the Lakers eventually defeating the Kings in overtime and advancing to the NBA Finals. The championship series against the New Jersey Nets was a mere formality, as the Lakers swept all four games in one of the most lopsided NBA Finals ever. By securing their third straight NBA Championship, the Lakers of 2000–2002 earned their place in NBA history. O'Neal won his third consecutive Finals MVP award joining only Michael Jordan as players to have achieved such honors, and Jackson won his ninth championship as a head coach, tying Celtics legend Red Auerbach, while surpassing Pat Riley as the

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: to earn the honor. Bryant had blossomed under Coach Jackson, as had Lakers role players such as Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Robert Horry. The Lakers certainly looked the favorite to repeat the following year, but they had a tougher time of it, accumulating 16 losses by the All-Star break, one more than they had had the entire season before. Nevertheless, they pulled together and were able to edge Sacramento for the division title. Then the team went on a tear, sweeping the first three playoff series. The Lakers-Spurs series in the conference finals was the most lopsided conference finals

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: in the seventh game. Entering the semifinals, the Lakers would lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder 4–1. Entering the 2012–13 season, the Lakers made key changes in their roster, trading several draft picks to the Phoenix Suns for two time MVP Steve Nash, and trading Andrew Bynum and a first round draft pick in a four team deal that netted them three time defensive player of the year Dwight Howard. After a 1–4 start to the season, Brown was fired as head coach. The Lakers first contacted Jackson to replace Brown; however, talks stalled as Jackson requested time to consider

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: fans, Johnson went on to lose the final ten games of the season, which is to date the worst losing streak in franchise history. Realizing that he was not cut out for coaching, Johnson stepped aside and the Lakers appointed Del Harris as their head coach going into the 1994–1995 season. The Lakers were one of the most improved teams in 1994–95, posting a 48–34 record and returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence. The vast improvement was due to several reasons, including the coaching of Harris, the improved play of second year guard Nick Van Exel, the maturing

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: of veteran players Vlade Divac and Elden Campbell, and the offseason signing of Cedric Ceballos and drafting of rookie Eddie Jones. Ceballos went on to record the first 50-point game by a Laker player in over 20 years. The Lakers won their first playoff series in the post-Magic era, beating the talented Seattle SuperSonics three games to one before losing to the Western Conference's number one seed San Antonio Spurs four games to two. Harris was named Coach of the Year and Jerry West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award. The Lakers brought back essentially the same team

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: point guard Jerry West. A third was the hiring of West's college coach Fred Schaus to helm the team, and a fourth was the post-season addition of Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn as the Lakers' play-by-play announcer. Hearn would go on to hold that post for the next 41 years. The new Los Angeles Lakers, behind Baylor's 34.8 points per game and 19.8 rebounds per game, improved on the previous year's results before losing once more to the Hawks in the Western Conference Finals. The duo of Baylor and West proved to be lethal and they both finished among the NBA's

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: number of critics, such as Bill Simmons suggested that Bryant, with his team trailing by so much, should have attempted more shots in the second half; some, such as Charles Barkley even suggested that Bryant refused to shoot to "prove a point" about the inferior scoring ability of his teammates. Bryant and coach Phil Jackson denied this, with both stating that Kobe was following the halftime gameplan by getting others involved. During the 2006 off-season, the Lakers drafted UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar. To the surprise of many fans, the Lakers started the season strongly with key victories over teams

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: 70's, a new coach in Phil Jackson, and a new system: the triangle offense. The new philosophy proved to be potent, as the Lakers started off strong, winning 31 of their first 36 games. They also were able to string together winning streaks of 16, 19, and 11 games, becoming only the third team in NBA history to have three double-digit streaks in one season. Despite topping the league with a 67–15 record in the regular season, the Lakers found themselves struggling in the playoffs, needing all five games to knock off the Sacramento Kings and coming back from 15

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: but the inspired Knicks already had 24-point lead at that point, and went on to rout the Lakers. It was Los Angeles' seventh NBA Finals failure in the last nine years. The next year would not be the Lakers' year either. Baylor played in only two games due to injuries, and the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), defeated Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals. That year, however, did see the Laker debut of their future coach, Pat Riley. No one could have foreseen the team's domination the next season, however. Bill Sharman had been installed

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: final game, with Phoenix prevailing over the Lakers three games to two. Vlade Divac and draft pick Nick Van Exel led the team in scoring the next year, but it was rough going. After losing veteran players Byron Scott and A. C. Green to free agency and with James Worthy in the final season of his career, the team posted a 33–49 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. The Lakers did make a late playoff push when Pfund was fired and Magic Johnson took over as head coach. Unfortunately for Laker

title: Lakers–Spurs rivalry

text: 9 of his 28 shots. Fans of the Lakers have been known to denounce the Spurs for "dirty", "overaggressive play", and vice versa with Spurs fans who claim Kobe Bryant is "overrated". Notable instances have been observed of fans chanting "Spurs Suck!" from the Lakers' fans, and "Beat LA" from the Spurs' fans. The results in parenthesis concern playoff games. The following players have played for both the Lakers and the Spurs in their careers: Lakers–Spurs rivalry The Lakers–Spurs rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. The rivalry started

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: winning the conference championship. In the Finals against the Orlando Magic, several games were close, but the Lakers still won 4–1 and were crowned NBA Champions for the first time in 7 years. Kobe Bryant was named the Finals MVP. On July 3, 2009, the Lakers signed Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest to a five-year contract to replace Lakers forward Trevor Ariza who signed with the Rockets. The Lakers once again won the Western Conference and made it to their third straight finals. In the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lakers were rematched with the Boston Celtics. Faced against much of

title: Lakers–Clippers rivalry

text: Angeles. The Clippers led the Lakers by games in mid-February before the Lakers overtook them by one game for the Pacific Division title. For the first time in 2012–13, the Clippers, like the Lakers, had reasonable expectations to win an NBA championship. The Clippers signed former Lakers Ronny Turiaf, Matt Barnes, and Lamar Odom, who joined Caron Butler as Clippers who had played for the Lakers. Coach Mike Brown of the 0–2 Lakers called the 1–0 Clippers "a better team" prior to their first meeting. He added, "It's sort of a rivalry now, and so it will probably be a

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Lakers certainly thought so, and they started strongly in the 2001–2002 season, winning 16 of their first 17, but an arthiritic toe hobbled O'Neal for much of the season and the Lakers lost the division crown to the Sacramento Kings. Thus began a memorable post-season for Robert Horry, who sealed the first series against Portland with a game-winning three-pointer, enabling the Lakers to sweep. The Lakers followed with a 4–1 defeat of San Antonio in the second round. In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers faced the immensely talented Sacramento Kings, a team many believed was ready to finally make

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: at center for an injured Abdul-Jabbar. That alone won Johnson the first of his three Finals MVP awards. The accomplishment would soon be followed by ugliness for the team, however. In a season that was marred by Johnson missing a large portion of time due to injury and a general state of unrest and dissension in the locker room, the Lakers stunningly fell in the first round of the 1981 NBA Playoffs to the Houston Rockets, who went on to the NBA Finals despite a 40–42 regular season record. The next season also began in rocky fashion, as Coach Westhead

title: Celtics–Lakers rivalry

text: the Lakers as head coach. The Lakers returned to prominence in the early 2000s. Under Jackson's guidance, and with O'Neal and Bryant leading the way, the Lakers won three straight championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Lakers' title in 2000 came against the Indiana Pacers who were coached by Celtic legend Larry Bird. Paul Pierce's nickname, "The Truth", was accorded to him by Shaquille O'Neal after a 112-107 Lakers' victory over the Celtics on March 13, 2001 in which Pierce scored 42 points on 13 of 19 shooting. O'Neal pulled a Boston reporter over and gestured toward his notepad.

title: Hutt Valley Lakers

text: seven games to go. Hutt Valley Lakers The Hutt Valley Lakers were a New Zealand basketball team based in Hutt Valley, Wellington. The Lakers were a National Basketball League (NBL) franchise for seven seasons after being promoted to the NBL in 1990 following their Conference Basketball League (CBL) title in 1989. Head coach Jeff Green guided the Lakers to two NBL titles in 1991 and 1993. The 1993 final saw Peter Pokai hit the game-winning jump shot to lift the Lakers over the Canterbury Rams. It was a special triumph for Green, who was sensationally sacked early in the season,

title: Hutt Valley Lakers

text: Hutt Valley Lakers The Hutt Valley Lakers were a New Zealand basketball team based in Hutt Valley, Wellington. The Lakers were a National Basketball League (NBL) franchise for seven seasons after being promoted to the NBL in 1990 following their Conference Basketball League (CBL) title in 1989. Head coach Jeff Green guided the Lakers to two NBL titles in 1991 and 1993. The 1993 final saw Peter Pokai hit the game-winning jump shot to lift the Lakers over the Canterbury Rams. It was a special triumph for Green, who was sensationally sacked early in the season, but brought back with

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: from $6 million a year to $12 million that he wanted to continue. Also, assistant coach Tex Winter said Jackson announced at the 2004 All-Star break that he would not want to return to the Lakers if Bryant returned. The long-simmering tensions between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant finally came to a head. When Jackson was not retained as coach (a move many believed to have been orchestrated by Bryant), O'Neal demanded a trade and it was granted; he went to the Miami Heat in return for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. Bryant tested the free-agent market, apparently

title: Newman Lakers

text: Newman Lakers The Newman Lakers are a 3v3 basketball team based out of Newman Lake, Washington. They are currently coached by Team Captain Hayden Stevens. Other members of the team include: Kenny Martinez, (James) Winston Scott, and Brenten Goodwater. The Newman Lakers currently have no Spokane Hoopfest championships as of 2017. The Newman Lakers are known for their ability to shoot 3 point shots. On June 15, 2017, Coach/Owner/Captain Hayden Stevens made a bold & confident choice of holding the teams celebration for winning Hoopfest on June 23, 2017, one day before the actual tournament. Coach Stevens has come under

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: season after 20 seasons with the team. In Bryant's last season the team missed the playoffs for the third straight year with a 17–65 record, the worst in franchise history. On April 24, 2016, the Lakers announced that they will not exercise their option on Byron Scott's contract for the following season. On April 29, the Lakers announced another former Laker, Luke Walton, as their new head coach. At the time of his hiring, Walton was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, who were in the playoffs, so Walton could not officially begin his duties as head coach

title: 2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season

text: 2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season The 2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 63rd season of the franchise, 62nd in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 51st in Los Angeles. Coming off back-to-back championships, the Lakers attempted their third "three-peat" in franchise history (1952–54) and (2000–02), but were swept by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Lakers marked the end of an era for legendary head coach Phil Jackson who diagnosed with Prostate cancer in March 2011 announces his retirement as head coach after playoffs. The Lakers once again sold out all 41 home games

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: waiting for Bynum's return, the Lakers were playing very well and got a second taste of being best in the Western Conference. With Kobe Bryant leading the charge with his MVP-caliber season, the month of April was very triumphant for the Lakers, who quickly surged to the top of Western Conference. Aided by Gasol's versatile abilities and Lamar Odom's stellar play as a third option, the Lakers clinched their playoff berth for the 55th time in their 60 years with the league, won the Pacific Division from the Phoenix Suns (their first since Shaq left in 2004), and clinched the

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: one team in the Western Conference for three days. Capped by an early season trade for Trevor Ariza, rumors of Bryant wanting to leave Los Angeles were finally beginning to die. However, before the Lakers could savor their new success, Bynum would go down with a knee injury that would take him out for the remainder of the season. Suddenly, the contending Lakers would lose three straight games. The remainder of the season looked bleak for the Lakers, who were struggling to win games. It seemed that injuries, once again, would cripple another Laker season. On February 1, 2008, the

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: to claim their first NBA title since 1954 and their first since moving to Los Angeles. The Lakers would fall to the Knicks in the Finals in 1973, and Chamberlain, who had set a record for field-goal percentage that year, making 72.7% of his shots, announced his retirement. West followed suit a year after that and the Lakers bottomed out in 1975, finishing 30–52 and failing to make the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, wanted out of Milwaukee, and the Lakers acquired him in a trade. His first year in Los

title: Celtics–Lakers rivalry

text: to "Beat L.A.!" Despite the encouragement, the 76ers lost the 1982 NBA Finals to the Lakers, who were led by new head coach Pat Riley. However, the 76ers defeated the Lakers the following year in the 1983 NBA Finals. The 1982–1983 season would also be the rookie year of Laker James Worthy, another Hall of Famer in the storied rivalry. The Celtics would get a new head coach in K.C. Jones, who was also a former Celtics player, and two teams finally had their long-awaited rematch in the 1984 NBA Finals, a grueling seven game series that had many memorable

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: that McKinney would not return to the Lakers. Westhead's promotion to the head coaching position also meant there was an assistant's post open, for which the Lakers hired then-TV commentator Pat Riley to fill in. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a fantastic year (earning his sixth and final MVP award) as the Lakers won 60 regular season games. They beat the Suns and SuperSonics in the playoffs and then defeated Julius Erving's 76ers to win the NBA championship, behind an incredible Game 6 performance by the rookie Magic Johnson, who scored 42 points, pulled 15 rebounds, and dished 7 assists, while starting

title: Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey

text: Assistant Varsity Hockey Coach for the past 2 years (1986-1988). Before Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Gotkin was a coach at SUNY-Brockport (Division III), coached the Enschede Lions in the Netherlands, was Head Coach at SUNY-Canton (NCAA-Junior College), and was Head Coach of the Fife Flyers of the British Hockey League. After coaching Rensselaer, was hired as Head Coach for the Mercyhurst Lakers. For the 1988-1989 season, the Mercyhurst Lakers played in the ECAC-West Division alongside SUNY-Brockport, Canisius College, SUNY-Fredonia, SUNY-Potsdam and St. Bonaventure University. In the Lakers first full season as a NCAA Division III program, the Lakers took a record

title: Newman Lakers

text: attribute primarily contributing to their notoriety in the community is the tenacity the team exudes despite a reputation of being an underdog in the tournament. Newman Lakers The Newman Lakers are a 3v3 basketball team based out of Newman Lake, Washington. They are currently coached by Team Captain Hayden Stevens. Other members of the team include: Kenny Martinez, (James) Winston Scott, and Brenten Goodwater. The Newman Lakers currently have no Spokane Hoopfest championships as of 2017. The Newman Lakers are known for their ability to shoot 3 point shots. On June 15, 2017, Coach/Owner/Captain Hayden Stevens made a bold &

title: South Bay Lakers

text: staffers. Glenn Carraro, the remaining D-Fender Assistant General Manager was promoted to general manager. Thereafter, on August 18, 2011, the D-Fenders announced Eric Musselman as their new head coach. Among Musselman's body of work was previous service as head coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. The NBA lockout began and the "world famous" Los Angeles Laker Girls, who had been practicing all summer for their upcoming Lakers game performances, now had no audience. The Lakers organization decided the Laker Girls would perform at the D-Fender home games for the duration of the season. With a new

title: 1948 Globetrotters–Lakers game

text: 1948 Globetrotters–Lakers game The 1948 Globetrotters–Lakers game was a dramatic match-up between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Minneapolis Lakers. Played in Chicago Stadium, the game took place two years before professional basketball was desegregated. The Globetrotters' 61–59 victory – by two points at the buzzer – challenged prevailing racial stereotypes about the abilities of black athletes. The idea for the game, which was held on Feb. 19, 1948, was hatched by Globetrotters owner and coach Abe Saperstein and Lakers general manager Max Winter, two friends who both believed they had the best basketball team in the country. Each had good

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that would send him to the Lakers in exchange for the Lakers' 2013 and 2015 first round draft picks, 2013 and 2014 second round draft picks, and $3 million. The trade was made official on July 11, 2012, the first day the trade moratorium was lifted. On August 10, 2012, in a four-team trade the Lakers traded Andrew Bynum and acquired Dwight Howard. On November 9, 2012, Mike Brown was relieved of coaching duties after a 1–4 start to the 2012–13 season. Assistant Coach Bernie Bickerstaff took over as interim head coach, leading the Lakers

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1999–2000 NBA season. Bryant was also named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. Entering the post-season, the Lakers would post a 12–3 record entering the Finals. However, problems suddenly arose when the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. The Celtics, the best-record team during the regular season, convincingly beat the Lakers 4–2 in the best of 7 series. In the 2009 season, the Lakers had only one goal in mind: "ring", their huddle chant throughout the year. In January, the Lakers would again

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: deal and later the team. Inspired by Minnesota's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the team christened themselves the Lakers. 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. 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. In their first season, they led the league with a 43–17 record, later winning the NBL Championship that season. In 1948, the Lakers moved from the NBL

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and the 25th overall selection in the 2018 NBA draft. That draft pick was used to select center Moritz Wagner from Michigan during the 2018 NBA draft. On July 9, 2018, the Lakers signed LeBron James to a 4-year, $154 million contract. http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24052129/official-lakers-announce-lebron-james-signed History of the Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and

title: Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies

text: from Minneapolis (where they had already won five Championships) in 1960. Lakers players featured included Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis, and Bob McAdoo, along with the team's long time former general manager Jerry West and former coaches Paul Westhead and Pat Riley. The Celtics are represented by Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Cedric Maxwell, M.L. Carr, Quinn Buckner, and former coach K. C. Jones among others. Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies is a 2017 documentary film about the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between

title: Wallaceburg Lakers

text: Wallaceburg Lakers The Wallaceburg Lakers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club based in Wallaceburg, Ontario. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. The Wallaceburg Lakers have made the All-Ontario Final once since 1972, in 1999 they lost the Clarence Schmalz Cup to the Glanbrook Rangers. From the 1997-98 season to the 2000-2001 season the Lakers made it to the Great Lakes Junior C Finals. Winning the League Championship in 1998-99 season. The Lakers Revamped themselves in the 2006-2007 season, with Head Coach Mark Davis returning to the club, as they knocked off the

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: as the new head coach, and on the afternoon of November 9, 1971, just nine games into the season, the legendary Elgin Baylor retired, finally accepting that his injuries would no longer allow him to play professional basketball. That very evening, the Lakers proceeded to win the first game of what would turn out to be a 33-game winning streak; the streak was snapped with a loss to the Bucks on January 9, 1972. The streak shattered the previous NBA record of 20 consecutive victories, which happened to have been set by the Bucks the year before. To this day,

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: saw one of the ugliest moments in professional sports history. Future Laker coach Rudy Tomjanovich, then of the Houston Rockets, ran onto the court in an attempt to break up a fight between the Lakers' Kermit Washington and the Rockets' Kevin Kunnert. Washington, in the corner of his eye, saw that there was an opposing player rushing toward him. Instinctively thinking that he was going to be attacked, Washington turned and landed a devastating blow to Tomjanovich's face, with the unsuspecting Tomjanovich running headlong directly into the punch. Tomjanovich was hit so hard that he has said that his first

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers franchise began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota purchased the recently disbanded Detroit Gems franchise of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 from Gems founder/owner C. King Boring, and business partner Maury Winston. They hired John Kundla as their first head coach. Berger and Chalfen relocated the team to Minneapolis, with home games being played at both the Minneapolis Auditorium and the Minneapolis Armory. The "team" that Berger and Chalfen had actually purchased

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: the two surfaced throughout their first season reunited, and the player-coach relationship appeared to remain solid. In the off-season, the Lakers' most significant player personnel moves had been acquiring Kwame Brown from Washington in exchange for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins, and drafting center Andrew Bynum straight from high school. After the previous seasons's poor showing, most felt that simply making the playoffs would be an accomplishment. The new Laker team seemed somewhat modeled after Jackson's 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty which had garnered 6 championships. Lamar Odom, a gifted facilitator forward, was also seen by some to be a "Scottie

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: for the first time since moving to Los Angeles, they did not have to face the Celtics. This time it was the New York Knicks, a team which included future Lakers coach Phil Jackson. West made a memorable 60-foot shot as the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded in Game 3, forcing that game into overtime and helping West earn the nickname "Mr. Clutch". However, the Knicks recovered from what might have seemed a crushing blow and took the game in overtime. In Game 5, Knicks center Willis Reed tore a muscle in his leg and it looked as if he would not

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: History of the Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, the Lakers hold the all-time records for wins (3,125), winning percentage (.620), and NBA Finals appearances (31). They are second in NBA championships only to the Boston Celtics, winning 16 championships to the Celtics 17 NBA titles. Their rosters have included some of the game's greatest players, including George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Clyde Lovellette, Elgin

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: he demanded to be traded. For a week he tiraded and the situation escalated when a videotape about him was released. The video recorded him saying that the Lakers should have traded Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. Bryant insulted Bynum and was critical of general manager Mitch Kupchak. Roster management decided to resign Derek Fisher, a past hero, but the Lakers would enter the season frustrated and with question marks. The Lakers started the 2007–08 NBA season surprisingly well. Fueled by the emergence of Andrew Bynum as a main option at center, the Lakers would even enjoy being the number

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Johnson. The strategy worked, and the Lakers accumulated 65 wins, the second-most in franchise history up to that point. Johnson also won his first MVP award. Although the Showtime Lakers were famous for their scoring, they were also a great defensive team. Michael Cooper won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. After passing the Nuggets, Warriors, and SuperSonics in the playoffs, the Lakers headed to the Finals for the sixth time since 1980. Johnson then notched his last Finals MVP award as the Lakers defeated their arch-rival Celtics in the finals, highlighted by Johnson's running "baby

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: that amounted to little, as the Lakers ended the season below .500 and missed the playoffs. The 2005–06 season would see the Lakers reunite with Phil Jackson. Jackson's year off, including vacationing in Australia, left him rejuvenated, whereas the Lakers' struggle in 2004–05 caused Jerry Buss to reconsider his willingness to meet Jackson's salary demands. Although many have felt Kobe Bryant desired Jackson's departure in the first place, and though Jackson was subsequently critical of Bryant publicly, Bryant indicated that he welcomed Jackson's return, and the move left fans very optimistic about the Lakers season. Indeed, no public disagreements between

title: 1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers season

text: of 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game was enough to make the All-Rookie Team and become a starter on the All-Star Team, even though the NBA Rookie of the Year Award went to his rival Larry Bird, who had joined the Boston Celtics. The Lakers compiled a 60–22 win-loss record, and with Paul Westhead replacing coach McKinney as a coach after a serious bicycle crash, the Lakers reached the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Against the fierce resistance of Sixers Hall-of-Fame forward Julius "Doctor J" Erving and Darryl Dawkins, the Lakers took a 3–2 lead

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: to come out of retirement for the 1956 season. His play was not up to his former standards, however, and halfway through the season, he retired again, this time for good. The 1956 Lakers would go on to make the playoffs, only to lose to the St. Louis Hawks. After Mikan's retirement, attendance at Lakers games dropped off sharply. In 1957, the team was nearly sold to Kansas City interests who planned to relocate it there, before a local group helmed by businessman Bob Short purchased the team and kept it in Minneapolis. The new ownership was unable to cure

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Lakers dealt the unpopular Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton, veteran Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and first round picks in 2008 and 2010 for Spaniard all-star forward Pau Gasol (Marc's older brother) and a second round draft choice in 2010. With the Lakers now having a center and power forward who are both 7 feet tall, analysts have referred to Gasol and Bynum as "the twin towers", similar to famous NBA duos such as Tim Duncan and David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and Bill Cartwright, and the original named duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Even while

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: of the Finals by a lopsided score of 148–114, in what is now remembered as the "Memorial Day Massacre". But the Lakers were resilient and behind 38-year-old Finals MVP Abdul-Jabbar, they were finally able to topple Boston in six games. Abdul-Jabbar proceeded to dismember the Celtics with his deadly skyhook move, and Los Angeles won Game 6 111–100 in Boston Garden, one of the greatest triumphs in franchise history. The Lakers gained their first ever Finals victory over the Celtics, and they were the only visiting team to ever do this in Boston Garden. The Lakers were expected to meet

title: 1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season

text: 1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center. During the offseason, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A. C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agent John Salley. Green won championships with the team in the 1980s. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win 5 NBA Championships over the course of the next

title: Newman Lakers

text: fire by some other Teams for his overconfident ways. The Newman Lakers originally started in 2009 where they were unable to win a game in the Hoopfest tournament. After going on an indefinite hiatus the Newman Lakers announced their plans to play the Hoopfest Tournament for the first time in 8 years. <nowiki>*</nowiki>Also the Team Captain and Coach The Newman Lakers currently practice at Pavilion Park in Liberty Lake, Washington They often scrimmage local teams to prepare for Hoopfest or play 2v2 games. The Newman Lakers have generated a fan base composed mostly of local residents around Newman Lake. The

title: 1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season

text: Grant Hill, but it never came close to consummation. 1999–2000 Los Angeles Lakers season The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center. During the offseason, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A. C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agent John Salley. Green won championships with the team in the 1980s. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win

title: Grand Valley State Lakers

text: 2005 volleyball team is the first women's team to win a National Championship for the school. The Lakers ended their season with a 32–6 record. Coach Deanne Scanlon was voted the Tachikara/AVCA D2 National Coach of the Year for her efforts in guiding the Lakers. The Lakers have a 20–6 overall record for the NCAA D2 Playoffs and are currently in a streak of 13 straight years with winning seasons. GVSU has had a club hockey team since the mid-1970s. As the NCAA does not offer Division II ice hockey, GVSU participates in the American Collegiate Hockey Association within the

title: Wallaceburg Lakers

text: no match for the 73's as Essex swept the finals in 4 games and claimed their 4th straight League Title. On December 28, 2008, tragedy struck the Wallaceburg Lakers organization as they lost a valuable member of their team. 19-year-old Tristan Carswell (Forward, #16) died suddenly in his sleep. In the first game the Wallaceburg Lakers played following the death of Carswell, the Lakers coach asked in a pre-game speech for Tristan to send down a message to let them know he's still with them. The Lakers proceeded to score a goal 16 seconds into the game, and then again

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: of the organization caused him to seek out a bigger name. Los Angeles hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who had coached that team to six championships, and gave him a lucrative $6 million a year contract. He brought along assistant Tex Winter and they installed Winter's version of the triangle offense. The Lakers signed veterans Brian Shaw, John Salley, Ron Harper, and A. C. Green, who was a Laker during the "Showtime" era. The team also moved to a new arena, the Staples Center. Led by league MVP O'Neal, the Lakers won 31 of their first 36 games.

title: 2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers season

text: center. Hill helped the Lakers defeat the Thunder, 114–106. 2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers season The 2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers season is the 64th season of the franchise, its 63rd season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 52nd season in Los Angeles. For the first time since 2005, Phil Jackson did not return as the Lakers coach and replaced by former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown. Following the 2011 NBA lockout each team only played 66 games instead of the usual 82. At midseason they traded longtime point guard Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill

title: Lake Superior State Lakers cross country

text: Lake Superior State Lakers cross country The Lake Superior State Lakers cross country team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II college running program that represents Lake Superior State University. The Lakers are a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Steve Eles has been the head coach since the mid-2000s. Prior to his coaching career at LSSU, he was an assistant coach at Tiffin University and a runner at LSSU. LSSU reached its successful peak in the late 90s and early 2000s. Recently, the Lakers have finished 10th in the GLIAC respectively for the past

text: two years. Lake Superior State Lakers cross country The Lake Superior State Lakers cross country team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II college running program that represents Lake Superior State University. The Lakers are a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Steve Eles has been the head coach since the mid-2000s. Prior to his coaching career at LSSU, he was an assistant coach at Tiffin University and a runner at LSSU. LSSU reached its successful peak in the late 90s and early 2000s. Recently, the Lakers have finished 10th in the GLIAC respectively for

title: Logos and uniforms of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: season, the Lakers unveiled a white alternate uniform. The white jerseys were designed by Lakers owner Jerry Buss' daughter Jeanie Buss, in tribute to Chick Hearn, who was regarded as the voice of the team for forty years until his death in August 2002. Along with the unveiling of the white alternate uniform, the Lakers released a new alternate logo featuring the purple "L" outside a gold basketball. This logo was then placed on the purple and gold uniforms prior to the 2004–05 season. These jerseys are only played on Sunday games. From the 2013–14 to the 2016–17 seasons, the

title: Lakers–Clippers rivalry

text: the first round, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs, and the Clippers lost in six games to the Memphis Grizzlies. It also marked the last time the Lakers made the playoffs. The Clippers in 2013–14 hired former Clippers player Doc Rivers as their new coach. He previously coached the Boston Celtics, whom the "Los Angeles Times" called "the Lakers' true rivals", where he won one NBA Finals and lost another in the Celtics–Lakers rivalry. Rivers said that Los Angeles "always will be" a Lakers town, but he also predicted that people that moved from the East

title: Los Angeles Lakers

text: named Finals MVP for the second year in a row, despite a 6–24 shooting performance in game seven. After much speculation, head coach Phil Jackson returned for the 2010–11 season. In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in the first round. But their opportunity for a three-peat was denied by the Dallas Mavericks in a four-game sweep of the second round. After the season, it was announced that Jackson will not be returning to coach the Lakers. After Jackson's retirement, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was hired as head coach on May 25, 2011. Before

title: Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey

text: Association. Along with Head Coach Fred Lane, was Associate Coach Bob Cisek who ran the program a year ago at the club level. For the 1987-1988 season, the Lakers had a very competitive schedule in their first season as a Division III team playing a combination of both club and varsity teams. The Lakers opened up their first NCAA Division III season on Saturday, October 31 at West Chester University of Pennsylvania playing their home games at both the Erie Civic Center and Glenwood Ice Rink. The highlight of the season being the game against Division I Notre Dame Fighting

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: consisted only of equipment; since the team had appeared to be on the verge of folding, all of its players had already been assigned to other NBL teams. The franchise was re-christened the "Lakers" in reference to Minnesota's nickname, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes". Berger and Chalfen brought in Max Winter, later to become a founder and owner of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings, to become the Lakers' new general manager. Winter also took an ownership stake in the team, which he would maintain until he left the Lakers in 1955. As the Gems had recorded by far the

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: nowhere to being close as the Spurs won all four games easily. In the 2013–14 season, the Lakers started 10–9, which would be their high point, as the team collapsed in every sense of the word, finishing 27–55, and missing the playoffs for just the seventh time since moving to Los Angeles. The Lakers won the rights to the seventh pick of the 2014 NBA draft with which they selected Julius Randle, a freshman power forward from the University of Kentucky. The Washington Wizards agreed to sell the Lakers the rights to the 46th pick of the draft for cash

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: considerations. The Lakers drafted Jordan Clarkson with the 46th pick of the draft and agreed terms for a two-year deal. The Lakers finished their 2014–15 season with a record of 21–61 and missing the playoffs for just the eighth time since moving to Los Angeles. It was the worst record in franchise history. The Lakers obtained the second pick of the 2015 NBA draft at the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery. They drafted Ohio State University freshman point guard D'Angelo Russell with the second pick of the draft. They also drafted Larry Nance, Jr. with the 27th pick and Anthony Brown

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: lose Andrew Bynum to injury. Bynum would return for the last few games of the regular season, and the Lakers ended up with a record of 65–17. In the playoffs, Los Angeles easily beat the Utah Jazz in the first round, but faced a tough Houston Rockets team the next round. Though the Rockets stunned the Staples Center crowd with a Game 1 win, the Lakers took the series in seven, with most games of the series ending as a blowout. The Denver Nuggets kept the next round tight for L.A., until the Lakers blew them out in Game 6,

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: the Lakers in Game 6 and put an end to the Lakers' dreams of a fourth consecutive NBA championship. Determined to reclaim the title in Dr. Buss' 25th year of ownership, the Lakers brought in free agents Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and started the 2003–04 season with a bang, winning 20 of their first 25 games, during which time Malone became the oldest player to record a triple-double. But then Malone went down with a knee injury, and other ailments to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant soon followed, leaving Payton to lead the younger players in an offensive system

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: The Lakers then traded Sam Perkins to the Seattle SuperSonics for Benoit Benjamin and the rights to rookie Doug Christie. The trade upset an already fragile team as they closed the season with a poor 6–14 run, but did manage to qualify for the playoffs. The Lakers surprised the basketball world by winning the first two games of the series against the powerful Phoenix Suns on the road, including a 35-point performance by Sedale Threatt in Game 1. However the Lakers lost the final three games of the series, including an overtime thriller on the road in the fifth and

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: series in NBA History, with the Lakers winning by an average of 22 points per game. The Lakers lost the first game of the NBA Finals to Philadelphia, but that only proved to be a temporary blip, as they swept the next four games to claim their second consecutive championship. O'Neal collected his second Finals MVP and Derek Fisher set a playoff record with 15 three-pointers in the series against San Antonio. The Lakers concluded the 2001 playoffs with a staggering 15–1 record, the best single season playoff record in NBA history. Would a third consecutive championship be possible? The

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: of her brother, Jim Buss, from his position as executive vice president of basketball operations. On March 7, 2017, the Lakers hired Rob Pelinka as the general manager. In the 2017 NBA draft the Lakers had the second overall pick yet again, and selected Lonzo Ball, a 6'6" freshman point guard from UCLA. In a draft-day trade, the Lakers also acquired Brook Lopez and 27th overall selection Kyle Kuzma from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Russell and Timofey Mozgov. The 2017–18 season saw another improvement with a 35–47 record, nine more wins than the previous season. In addition, Jordan

title: Grand Valley State Lakers football

text: high school coach at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills High School, became the program's first head coach. In their first two seasons, the Lakers did not even have a home field or stadium to host games. They played the third game of their inaugural season at Soldier Field versus University of Illinois-Chicago Circle. The Lakers lost the game 27–7. Success didn't come quickly for the Lakers as it took almost three years for them to win their first football game. Coach Collins was unable to get the program off to a successful start after going 0–13 and being outscored 534–58 in

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: advantage of their chance to finish off the Spurs, taking the game to advance to the Western Conference Finals. After storming through the number one seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers were expected to run roughshod over their NBA Finals opponents, the Detroit Pistons. But it wound up being the other way around, with the Pistons winning the series easily in five games, playing a team-oriented game featuring a particularly stingy defense. The following summer after the 2003–04 season, the Lakers imploded. Jackson was burned out, and the Lakers' management was unwilling to raise his salary

title: Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey

text: Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey The Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents the Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. The program started in 1999 and Michael Sisti has been the only coach in the history of the program. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers were part of the Great Lakes Women's Hockey Association. While in the Great Lakes Women’s Hockey Association, the Lakers qualified for the GLWHA twice (in 2001, and 2002). The Lakers were regular season champions in 2000–01 and 2001–02, and won the playoff championships in 2002. Starting in the 2002–03 season, the

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: Breda Kolff. That year saw the team repeat its now-bitter pattern, losing to the Celtics in the 1968 NBA Finals. It had become clear that the Lakers needed to counter the great Celtics center, Bill Russell, and thus Cooke obtained Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping to supplement the aging and ailing Baylor. The move seemed at first to have worked, as the 1969 Lakers proceeded to compile a better record than the Celtics behind Chamberlain's league leading 21.1 rebounds per game. The two clubs met once again in the NBA Finals, but for the first time the Lakers

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: in blocked shots (2.88 bpg) in 51 games. The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs. 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. Despite a NBA-record 7-for-7 three-point shooting performance from Horry in game 2, the Lakers lost the next round four games to one to the Utah Jazz. In the following 1997–98 season, the Lakers were the only team without a player over the age of 30

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: potential game-winning three-pointer – only this time the Lakers saw the ball go in, then inexplicably rim out. A shot that had always fallen in the past would not this time around. Rather than rejoicing in another last-second victory that would have given them a 3–2 series lead and a chance to finish the Spurs off back home in Los Angeles, the Lakers instead faced the dejection of having been so close, but now facing a 3–2 deficit and now being on the brink of elimination. The Spurs did not waste "their" chance to finish off the Lakers. They swarmed

title: Lakers–Clippers rivalry

text: more [wins], our fans won't have to cover their heads with their hats anymore." The Clippers marketed themselves as the "People's Team" with ticket prices ($4, $8, $12, and $15) that were lower than the Lakers ($7, $9.50, $13.50, and $27.50 and above). Lakers coach Pat Riley commented, "I felt we've done more the last 20 years to be the 'People's Team'" By 1986, the Lakers were still undefeated against the Clippers, and AP offered that it was "a crosstown rivalry that hasn't been much of one." Lakers fans would outnumber Clippers fans at the Sports Arena during the teams'

title: History of the Los Angeles Lakers

text: with the 34th pick of the 2015 NBA draft. Early in the 2015–16 season, Bryant announced that this season would be his last. In Bryant's final game, he gave the Laker faithful one last unbelievable performance, scoring 60 points in a 101–96 victory over the Utah Jazz. On March 9, 2016 with a 14–51 record, the Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention for the third straight season and for the ninth time since moving to Los Angeles. It became the longest postseason drought for the Lakers surpassing their two straight misses in the 1974–75 and 1975–76 NBA seasons. The Lakers

title: Lakers–Spurs rivalry

text: On Saturday, the 5th of February, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers went to San Antonio, Texas to play the San Antonio Spurs for Kobe's final game there. The Spurs honored Kobe Bryant with a 2½ minute video while the spotlight shone on Kobe, seated on the Lakers bench. The video showed highlight plays of Kobe, and interviews with Coach Greg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. 3 of spurs players who have faced Kobe during his entire career. The Spurs won the game with 106-102 and Kobe finished the game with 25 points and converted just

title: Celtics–Lakers rivalry

text: defiant coach to insert Wilt, but to no avail. This would prove critical as the Celtics held on and triumphed 108–106. The first ever Finals MVP award was given to Jerry West, despite being on the losing team (thus far the only time this has happened). Despite this, West was inconsolable. In a show of good sportsmanship, Bill Russell held West's hand and John Havlicek said: "I love you, Jerry!" By virtue of a 62–20 record, the Celtics had homecourt advantage over the Lakers who finished the regular season with a 54–28 mark. The Celtics defeated the Lakers four games