Laker's tickets - LOS ANGELES LAKERS

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Based in Los Angeles, California, the Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team. The Los Angeles Lakers play their home games at the Staples Center, a venue they also share with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League. BUY LAKERS TICKETS LAKER VIDEOS

Los Angeles Lakers Team History

The Lakers were born in 1944 when Morris Chalfen and Ben Berger bought the Detroit Gems of the NBL (National Basketball League) for $15,000. The team was then relocated to Minneapolis for the 1947 season. This is where the team got its official title from the state's nickname - Land of 10,000 Lakes. Because they had the worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 draft of players from the Professional Basketball League of America. They selected George Mikan, who later would become arguably one of the greatest centers of his time. With George Mikan, new coach John Kundla, and a fresh infusion of former University of Minnesota players, the Lakers won the NBL championship in the 1947-48 season. They then joined the Basketball Association of America, where they then won the 1948-49 BAA championship. Then in 1949, the NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA. The Minneapolis Lakers were one of the dominant teams of the newly born NBA with Hall of Famers such as George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen, and Clyde Lovellette. They were considered the NBA's first "dynasty", and won five championships in six years : 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954.

Despite a finals appearance in 1991, the early 1990's were quiet until, during the 1996 offseason, the Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal and rookie Kobe Bryant. With the hiring of Phil Jackson as head coach in 1999, the team quickly returned to championship form. Led by O'Neal, Bryant, and a talented team behind them, the Lakers went on to win three consecutive NBA Finals from 2000-02. Most recently, however, the Lakers have endured a series of off court problems, mainly due to problems between Bryant, O'Neal, and Jackson. In 2004, Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Coach Jackson temporarily retired. With a lackluster 2004-05 season, Jackson returned for the following season, and the Kobe Bryant-led team returned to the postseason, but lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The 2006-07 season saw the Lakers finishing 42-40 in Jackson's worst record of his entire coaching career. In the off season, rumors were wild that Kobe Bryant had requested to be traded. The trade did not happen however a massive trade came on February 1, 2008 when the Lakers sent center Kwame Brown, veteran Aaron Mckie, guard Javaris Crittenton, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and two first round draft picks in 2008 and also in 2010 to the Memphis Grizzlies for Pau Gasol, along with a second round draft choice in 2010.

The Lakers are also known for their star following as it is not uncommon to see numerous A-List stars courtside. Along with their Hollywood following the Lakers are distinguished in the NBA for having, at the end of the 2005-06 season, the most wins (2,806), the highest winning percentage (61.5%), the most finals appearances (28) of any other NBA franchise. They are only second behind the Boston Celtics for the most championships, 14 to the Celtics' 16. The Lakers are regarded as one of the NBA's most successful franchises and they hold the record for the longest consecutive win streak in U.S. professional team sports - 33 games. The Los Angeles Lakers have only missed the NBA playoffs an astounding 5 times. Financially, they are the second most valuable basketball franchise in the United States, valued at an astounding $568 million, surpassed only by the New York Knicks.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS CAREER AVERAGES
Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
06-07	LAL	19	12	27.5	.556	.000	.403	2.5	4.1	6.6	2.3	1.2	1.1	1.63	2.80	8.8
Career		344	155	23.9	.474	.125	.621	2.0	3.8	5.8	1.1	0.6	0.7	1.43	2.20	7.7

Los Angeles Lakers coach, Phil Jackson

Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is a National Basketball Association (NBA) coach and former player. He is tied with the late Red Auerbach for coaching a record number of NBA title-winning teams, with nine, and has one of the best post-season records. Jackson is one of three head coaches, aside from Alex Hannum and Pat Riley to win the NBA Finals with two different teams. He is known for employing the triangle offense ballplaying scheme as well as a holistic approach to coaching players, influenced by Eastern philosophy, notably Zen. The latter is the source of his sports media nickname: "The Zen Master". He is considered by many to be one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time. Some will add that he also had the good fortune to get a Bulls team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (constructed by Jerry Krause); and then after that stunning success, got another great opportunity with the Lakers (understandably at that point and delivered again).

Los Angeles Staples Center

Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles, California at the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District. It is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex. Staples Center was financed privately at a cost of $375 million USD and is named for the Staples office-supply company, one of the center's corporate sponsors that paid for naming rights. Spectator amenities include a full-service ticket window, 1,200 television monitors throughout the facility, 23 refreshment stands spread among the arena's five concourses, as well as the Fox Sports SkyBox restaurant on the main plaza, the Royal Room on main concourse, the Arena Club and Grand Reserve Club above the premier seating level, and the outdoor City View Grille, offering a look at the downtown skyline. There is also a TeamLA store on the plaza level, accessible from outside the arena, and offers a complete array of apparel and merchandise for the arena's resident teams and top events. Event presentation is augmented by a $2 million specialty lighting package, a $1.5 million Bose sound system, a Mitsubishi eight-sided, center-court scoreboard and videoboard, as well as a fascia board along the upper seating level, provided by Daktronics.

Staples Center seats up to 20,000 for concerts, 18,997 for basketball, and 18,118 for hockey and arena football. Two-thirds of the arena's seating, including 2,500 club seats, are in the lower bowl, and there are 160 luxury suites, including 15 event suites, on three levels between the lower and upper bowls. The arena's attendance record is held by WWE WrestleMania 21 with a crowd of 20,193 set on April 3, 2005.

Meet the 2006-07 Laker Girls

First row, sitting left to right: Leslie, Jenna, Allison, Katie
Second row, kneeling left to right: Chandra, Candace, Meki, Kristin, Lisa, Pennee
Third row, on stools left to right: Bria, Brittany, Tiffany, Megan, Ally
Fourth Row, standing left to right: Chanada, Lindsey, Annika, Shea, Becky, Jessica

During halftime, some time outs and in between quarters the Laker Girls take over the court and give Laker fans even more to cheer about (other than the score). With their provacative and ever changing style of dancing, the Laker Girls not only are cheerleaders but also incredible athletes themsleves.