Los Angeles Lakers History Online Information and NBA Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook

NBA Los Angeles Lakers History betting odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook

NBA Los Angeles Lakers History

The Lakers began in 1946 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for $15,000 and relocated it to Minneapolis. As the Gems had by far the worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 dispersal draft of players from the Professional Basketball League of America, which they used to select George Mikan, later to become arguably the greatest center of his time.

With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players, the Lakers won the NBL championship in that 1947-48 season and joined three other NBL teams in jumping to the Basketball Association of America, where they promptly won the 1948-49 BAA championship. The NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA in 1949.

The Minneapolis Lakers were one of the dominant teams of the fledgling NBA. With Hall of Famers George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, and Clyde Lovellette, they were the NBA's first "dynasty", winning five championships in six years (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954).

After their move to Los Angeles in 1960, the team would go on to feature Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain. But despite the wealth of talent, they were repeatedly foiled by the Boston Celtics, losing the championship to them six times in eight years. It wasn't until 1972, when the Lakers strung together a record 33-game win streak under Coach of the Year Bill Sharman, that they were able to secure their first championship in Los Angeles.

However, even with the addition of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers weren't able to win another championship until the arrival of Earvin "Magic" Johnson in 1979, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to an MVP performance by the rookie Johnson, who, starting for the injured Abdul-Jabbar, had 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to clinch the series. Under coach Pat Riley, a former Laker player, the Lakers then went on to dominate the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times in the decade and being crowned champions five times, including consecutive championships in 1987 and 1988, the first team to do so since Boston in 1969.

Although they made another finals appearance in 1991, they spent most of the 1990s fielding teams that were not considered legitimate title contenders. However, during the 1996 offseason, the Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal and acquired rookie Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets. Following the hiring of Phil Jackson as head coach in 1999, the team returned to championship form; led by O'Neal, Bryant, and a talented supporting cast, the Lakers won three consecutive NBA Finals from 2000-02.

Most recently, the Lakers endured a series of off-the-court problems, largely the result of friction among O'Neal, Bryant, and Jackson. In 2004, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Jackson temporarily retired. After the Lakers struggled in 2004-05, Jackson returned for the following season, and the Bryant-led team returned to the postseason, losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. They start the offseason hoping to gain a stronger lineup.

Season-by-season records

Season	W	L	%	Playoffs	Results
Detroit Gems (NBL) (Not included in W/L totals)
1990-91	58	24	.707	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals	LA Lakers 3, Houston 0 LA Lakers 4, Golden State 1 LA Lakers 4, Portland 2 Chicago 4, LA Lakers 1
1991-92	43	39	.524	Lost First Round	Portland 3, LA Lakers 1
1992-93	39	43	.476	Lost First Round	Phoenix 3, LA Lakers 2
1993-94	33	49	.402
1994-95	48	34	.585	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	L.A. Lakers 3, Seattle 1 San Antonio 4, L.A. Lakers 2
1995-96	53	29	.646	Lost First Round	Houston 3, L.A. Lakers 1
1996-97	56	26	.683	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	L.A. Lakers 3, Portland 1 Utah 4, L.A. Lakers 1
1997-98	61	21	.744	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals	L.A. Lakers 3, Portland 1 L.A. Lakers 4, Seattle 1 Utah 4, L.A. Lakers 0
1998-99	31	19	.620	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	L.A. Lakers 3, Houston 1 San Antonio 4, L.A. Lakers 0
1999-2000	67	15	.817	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals	L.A. Lakers 3, Sacramento 2 L.A. Lakers 4, Phoenix 1 L.A. Lakers 4, Portland 3 L.A. Lakers 4, Indiana 2
2000-01	56	26	.683	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals	L.A. Lakers 3, Portland 0 L.A. Lakers 4, Sacramento 0 L.A. Lakers 4, San Antonio 0 L.A. Lakers 4, Philadelphia 1
2001-02	58	24	.707	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals	L.A. Lakers 3, Portland 0 L.A. Lakers 4, San Antonio 1 L.A. Lakers 4, Sacramento 3 L.A. Lakers 4, New Jersey 0
2002-03	50	32	.610	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	L.A. Lakers 4, Minnesota 2 San Antonio 4, L.A. Lakers 2
2003-04	56	26	.683	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals	L.A. Lakers 4, Houston 1 L.A. Lakers 4, San Antonio 2 L.A. Lakers 4, Minnesota 2 Detroit Pistons 4, LA Lakers 1
2004-05	34	48	.415
2005-06	45	37	.549	Lost First Round	Phoenix 4, L.A. Lakers 3
2006-07	42	40	.519	Lost First Round	Phoenix 4, L.A. Lakers 1
Totals	2848	1799	.613
Playoffs	381	256	.598	14 Championships

Sportsbook Expert Columns
	NBA odds: Will Kobe explode in Game 6?- WagerWeb Sportsbook Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook Arguably the story of the NBA Finals thus far has been the Boston defense on Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The NBA's MVP is averaging a quite solid 26.4 points (although on nearly 22 shots) on 42.2 percent read full article...
	NBA odds: Celtics' Perkins game-time decision - WagerWeb Sportsbook Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook The L.A. Lakers won Game 5 of the NBA Finals in large part because Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom had good games on the interior. And that came about likely because Boston starting center Kendrick Perkins d read full article...
	NBA odds: Clips may let Livingston go - WagerWeb Sportsbook Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook Do you remember Los Angeles Clippers guard Shaun Livingston? He was one of the league's most promising players but then suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in NBA history -http://www.youtube.co read full article...
	NBA odds: Celtics' Perkins unsure for Game 5- WagerWeb Racebook Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook The Boston Celtics are one win from clinching the NBA Finals against the L.A. Lakers, but if you look at the injured list, it's Los Angeles that's the team in better shape.Center Kendrick Perkins suff read full article...