Los Angeles Lakers History

The Los Angeles Lakers is one of two basketball franchises based in Los Angeles, California that play in the NBA. The Lakers have proven themselves to be one of the league’s premier teams, participating in the NBA championship 28 times and winning 14. The Los Angeles Lakers is such a tenacious team that they only failed to attend the play-offs five times.

The Los Angeles Lakers has also been the home to athletes who have made an indelible mark in the NBA. Among them is the legendary George Mikan, whose dominant play as a center inspired the game of other NBA athletes like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Shaquille O’Neal. George Mikan’s game is so authoritative that new rules were introduced, such as the goaltending rule and the 24-second shot clock rule, to give the other teams in the league a fair chance. George Mikan also holds the record on the highest percentage of a team’s point in a single game in the NBA. George Mikan scored 15 of the Lakers’ 18 points, accounting for 83.3 percent of the team’s score, in the lowest scoring game ever in NBA history.

Another legendary athlete who wore the Los Angeles Lakers jersey #13 is Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt Chamberlain holds the number 2 spot in SLAM Magazines Top 75 NBA players of all time, due to his numerous achievements and excellent athletic ability. Wilt holds the record in scoring 60 or more points in a game, accomplishing the feat 32 times. Wilt Chamberlain is also the only player in the NBA to score 100 points in a single game.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is another legendary Laker, credited as the 5th in SLAM Magazines Top 75 NBA players of all time. Magic Johnson is a 3-time NBA MVP, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 12-time NBA All-Star. Magic Johnson is regarded as one of the best point guards and was the strict rival of Boston Celtic guard Larry Bird.

Another memorable athlete who played for the Lakers is the 7’2” center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Master of the “sky hook,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time NBA MVP, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, and holds the 7th spot in SLAM Magazines Top 75 NBA players of all time.

The tradition of excellence built by these outstanding athletes is upheld by the Los Angeles Lakers current line-up. Keeping updated in the Los Angeles Lakers schedule is a must, as the Lakers rising stars may step up due to an injury-riddled start of the season. Starting forward Lamar Odom suffered a sprained right knee last December 12, 2006, in a game against the Houston Rockets taking him out for 3-6 weeks. Lamar Odom is arguably the second most dominant player in the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. His offensive and defensive efforts are proven by his season average of 17.5 PPG, 8.70 RPG, and 4.9 APG.

Another starter of the Lakers who is missed this season is the center Chris Mihm. The Los Angeles Lakers center got injured last March 12, 2006. Mihm will be out for the season due to his injured right ankle and needed to undergo surgery.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Aaron McKie is also out of the line-up since the 29th of October due to a back injury.

The slack in the line-up is picked up by the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers team. Franchise player, premier shooting guard, and the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team captain Kobe Bryant leads the franchise to rally despite set-backs due to injuries. The explosive shooting guard is one of the league’s leading scorers and is one of the reasons why Los Angeles Lakers merchandise are such a hot property for fans. Kobe Bryant averages 28.7 PPG, 5.30 RPG, and 5.0 APG. The 10-year veteran guard is the first guard to be drafted off high school. Kobe Bryant has proven his skills time and again, and among his achievements are 8 consecutive NBA All-Star appearances, and is second only to Wilt Chamberlain when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. In the month of January 2006, Bryant averaged 43.4 PPG. Kobe Bryant’s tenacious game play is another reason why Los Angeles Lakers tickets are worth your money.

Starting center Kwame Brown is another pivotal player of the Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles tickets are a must to fully appreciate Brown’s defensive capability. The Los Angeles Lakers center averages 6.5 RPG and 1.1 BPG. Brown is also a considerable offensive threat with his average of 8.4 PPG.

Another player to watch out for is the Los Angeles Lakers jersey # 17. Center Andrew Bynum’s 1st year in the NBA is off to a good start, as the center from St. Joseph High School in New Jersey is under the direct tutelage of NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The second string center averages 7.3 PPG, 5.20 RPG, 1.0 APG, and 1.3 BPG. With a little more experience, Andrew Bynum could prove to be a force to be reckoned with.

Another player to watch out for is the Serbian forward Vladimir Radmanovic. The 5-year veteran guard’s season average may not be as impressive as Odom’s or Bryant’s, posing only 6.5 PPG, 3.00 RPG, and 1.0 APG; but his deadly mid to long range shooting is more than enough to make him an offensive threat. Radmanovic’s Offensive talents could be best pictured when he posted 27 points, 15 of which are from the 3-point line, against the Washington Wizards last December 17, 2006.

Yet another deadly shooter in the Lakers line-up is the junior forward from Arizona, Luke Walton. Though not as flashy as team captain Kobe Bryant, the Lakers forward shows great knowledge in the fundamentals of the game. His good passing skills are a great complement to coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. This is a deadly combination as Walton is efficient in mid-long range, and has a 3pt% of .512. Luke Walton has a season average of 12.8 PPG, 4.80 RPG, and 4.3 APG.

Of course all this talents are brought together under the guidance of the “Zen Master” Phil Jackson. Arguably one of the best NBA coaches of all time, Coach Phil currently has 9 NBA titles, 6 with the Chicago Bulls, and 3 with the Lakers. Phil Jackson is also known for his mastery of the triangle offense and his innate talent in handling challenging players such as Dennis Rodman and Kwame Brown. With its young, talented players and excellent coach, the Los Angeles Lakers is truly one of the NBA’s premier teams today.

The Los Angeles Lakers improved roster this past season, making the playoffs, but failed to advance any further losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round. They did force the series all the way to game seven, but fell to Steve Nash and his uptempo offense. The Los Angeles Lakers finished 45-37 in the regular season and in 3rd place in the Pacific Division behind the Phoenix Suns and cross-town rivals the Los Angeles Clippers, but ahead of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

Last season, fans of the Los Angeles Lakers witnessed the reunion of the Zen master, Phil Jackson, and superstar Kobe Bryant. They also witnessed history when Bryant dropped 81 points in a game, the most since Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. Many wondered why Jackson was returning after writing a book constantly slamming Bryant, but no hard feelings were shown throughout the season as the two worked together in a way never before.

The Los Angeles Lakers struggled this year with many new faces on the team but core players returned. Players like Luke Walton, Brian Cook, and Devean George. New additions such as Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, and Sasha Vujavic helped the team progress, but also brought up questions. After the ugly game seven loss to the Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers need to address the issue if the point guard position is strong enough. Point guards Parker and Vujavic showed signs of talent and potential but also a great deal of inexperience. The organization plans to not change the team drastically for the next year. They plan on improving the current team and looking at the 2008 free agent season.

The only free agents on the team this offseason is Devean George, Jimmy Jackson, and Devin Green. Devean George wants to explore free agency and it is not likely he will return to the team. Despite the players possibly leaving, one thing the Los Angeles Lakers hope will return is Kobe Bryant’s new personality. Players have explained Bryant as “more personable” this year and not acting like the introvert everyone is accustomed to seeing. Bryant’s leadership has led to the team to grow up and get along with each other tremendously.

The Los Angeles Lakers came away with a steal in the NBA Draft selecting hometown kid, Jordan Farmar from UCLA. Farmar brings intelligence and quick instincts and could be a great replacement for Smush Parker. Even though the need for a point guard was answered, there are many areas the Los Angeles Lakers need to improve. Looking to find another shooter for the triangle offense, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Vladimir Radmanovic with the $5 million mid-level exception. Ties with former Los Angeles Laker Vlade Divac helped the transaction.

Other questions the Los Angeles Lakers need to answers is Kwame Brown’s health because of a leg injury and the lack of a solid big man. The development of center Andrew Bynum should continue and he should be better than last year. They will win many games though if Kobe Bryant continues to put up 40 points almost every other night like he did the previous year and Lamar Odom continues his occasional All-Star play. Either way, their goal this year was to make the playoffs and they reached that. Hopefully, the Los Angeles Lakers will have the same approach in achieving their goals like they did this past year.

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Los Angeles Lakers News

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