50 Fun Facts About Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers got their name from the nickname of which state, where the franchise began?

The team had been the Detroit Gems before being sold to Minneapolis owners for $15,000 in 1947.

Which big man did the Minneapolis Lakers select first in a 1947 dispersal draft, launching the first NBA dynasty?

The Lakers won the NBL title in his first season and four of the first five NBA championships after the 1949 merger.

In what year did the Lakers move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, the NBA's first West Coast team?

Owner Bob Short made the move; the team kept the name even though Los Angeles is somewhat short of lakes.

Which Laker scored a then-record 71 points against the Knicks in November 1960?

The 1958 first overall pick also grabbed 25 rebounds that night; his number 22 hangs in the rafters.

Whose silhouette is generally understood to appear on the NBA's official logo?

"Mr. Clutch" played all 14 of his seasons for the Lakers and later, as general manager, traded for Kobe and signed Shaq.

"Mr. Clutch" holds a unique 1969 distinction. What is it?

The Lakers lost that series to Boston, one of six Finals defeats to the Celtics in the 1960s.

The Lakers' 1971-72 winning streak, still the longest in major US pro sports, ran to how many games?

That team went 69-13, a record that stood until the 1995-96 Bulls, and Wilt Chamberlain was Finals MVP.

The Lakers acquired Wilt Chamberlain in July 1968 from which team?

Darrell Imhoff, Archie Clark and Jerry Chambers went the other way; Wilt led the league in rebounding in the 1972 title season.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arrived in Los Angeles in 1975 in a trade with which team?

He had already won three MVPs; he finished with a record six and five Lakers titles.

How many regular-season MVP awards did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar win, an NBA record?

His 38,387 points stood as the all-time record until LeBron James passed it in February 2023.

Jerry Buss bought the Lakers, the Kings and the Forum from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for how much?

The former USC chemistry PhD won ten championships as owner and turned games into entertainment, Laker Girls included.

The Lakers took Magic Johnson first overall in the 1979 draft out of which college?

The 6'9" point guard had just beaten Larry Bird's Indiana State in the NCAA final.

In Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, rookie Magic Johnson filled in for the injured Kareem at which position?

He put up 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists and remains the only rookie ever named Finals MVP.

What nickname did the fast-breaking Lakers of the 1980s earn?

They won five titles in nine years, coached mostly by Pat Riley.

How many championships did the Lakers win in the 1980s?

1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988; the 1988 title was the last until 2000.

The Lakers' first Finals win over the Celtics, in 1985, followed how many straight series losses to them?

The 38-year-old Kareem was Finals MVP; the two franchises have met in the Finals a record 12 times.

The "Beat LA!" chant was first aimed at the Lakers by Boston fans urging which team to victory in 1982?

The Celtics had just lost the Eastern Conference Finals to Philadelphia and wanted someone, anyone, to beat the Lakers.

Which first-overall pick from North Carolina won Finals MVP with a Game 7 triple-double in 1988?

"Big Game James" wears number 42 in the rafters.

On what date did Magic Johnson announce he was HIV-positive and retiring?

He still won the 1992 All-Star Game MVP, co-captained the Dream Team, and later coached and ran the Lakers.

The Lakers acquired 17-year-old Kobe Bryant in 1996 by trading which player to the team that drafted him?

The same summer they signed free agent Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $121 million deal.

Which team drafted Kobe Bryant, 13th overall, before trading him to Los Angeles?

He spent all 20 seasons in purple and gold, and the Lakers retired both his numbers, 8 and 24.

Which coach, fresh from six titles in Chicago, led the Lakers to a three-peat from 2000 to 2002?

He brought Tex Winter's triangle offence with him and won five titles in two stints, the most of any Lakers coach.

Who was named Finals MVP in all three of the Lakers' 2000-2002 championships?

He was also the 2000 regular-season MVP; the tension with Kobe ended with his trade to Miami in 2004.

Against which team did Kobe Bryant score 81 points on January 22, 2006?

It is the second-highest single-game total in NBA history behind Wilt's 100.

How many points did Kobe Bryant score in his final NBA game, against Utah on April 13, 2016?

Two years later he won an Oscar for the animated short Dear Basketball.

The trade for which Spanish big man sent the Lakers to the 2008 Finals and 2009–10 titles?

His number 16 was retired in 2023 next to Kobe's.

The Lakers' 2020 championship was won inside a pandemic "bubble" at which location?

They beat the Miami Heat 4-2 with no fans present, and LeBron James won a Finals MVP with a third different franchise.

The 2020 title was the Lakers' 17th, tying them at the time with which franchise?

Boston moved back ahead with its 18th in 2024; the two clubs own 35 of the league's championships between them.

In February 2025 the Lakers made a stunning trade with Dallas that brought in which star?

Anthony Davis went the other way; the swap was called one of the most shocking trades in American sports history.

Which former player was hired as Lakers head coach in June 2024?

He replaced Darvin Ham; Frank Vogel had coached the 2020 champions.

In June 2025 the Buss family agreed to sell majority control of the Lakers to which Dodgers owner?

The roughly $10 billion valuation was the largest ever for a sports team.

What milestone did Jeanie Buss reach when the Lakers won in 2020?

She took over after her father Jerry died in 2013 and had started at 19 running the family's tennis team.

The Lakers' home from 1967 to 1999 was which Inglewood arena?

They moved downtown to Staples Center in October 1999.

What new name did the Lakers' downtown arena, formerly Staples Center, take in December 2021?

The naming deal was reported at $700 million over 20 years; the Clippers left for the Intuit Dome in 2024.

Broadcaster Chick Hearn called how many consecutive Lakers games in a streak that ran from 1965 to 2001?

The streak ended only for heart bypass surgery; his microphone is retired alongside the jerseys.

Which of these basketball phrases is Chick Hearn credited with popularising?

"Air ball", "no harm, no foul" and "the mustard's off the hot dog" were his too.

Through the 2024-25 season, how many NBA Finals had the Lakers reached, a league record?

The Celtics are next; the Lakers lost their first eight Finals against Boston before winning in 1985.

What was the Lakers' record in their worst season, 2015-16?

It was Kobe's farewell year, in the middle of six straight seasons without the playoffs.

Which number was retired for the franchise's first superstar, the Minneapolis-era centre?

The team has retired 14 numbers in all, plus Chick Hearn's microphone.

Which Lakers champion of the 1980s wears number 21 in the rafters?

The defensive specialist joins Wilkes (52), Worthy (42) and Goodrich (25) among the less obvious retired numbers.

Which coach won four titles with the Lakers and 533 regular-season games in the 1980s?

He had been promoted to "co-head coach" alongside Jerry West in November 1981 before taking sole charge.

How many of the Lakers' NBA championships were won in Minneapolis?

Five came in Minneapolis and 12 in Los Angeles through the 2020 title; the Celtics-Lakers article counts them 12 and 5.

The 1971-72 Lakers were coached by which former Celtics guard?

The former Boston sharpshooter guided them to 69 wins and the 33-game streak.

Which coach won five titles in the team's Minneapolis era?

He was the franchise's first NBA coach and had George Mikan in the middle for most of that run; only Phil Jackson later matched his five.

The Lakers franchise began in 1946 in the National Basketball League under what name?

The Gems won just 4 of 44 games before being sold to Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen for $15,000.

Who owned the Lakers when they moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960?

Short's group had bought the team in 1957 with an agreement to keep it in Minnesota.

Which Lakers coach was fired early in 1981-82 shortly after Magic Johnson publicly demanded a trade?

Jerry Buss insisted Johnson's comments played no part, but Magic was booed at home and on the road.

Which coach presided over the Lakers' first losing season since 1976, a 43-loss campaign in 1992-93?

Del Harris followed and made the playoffs in each of the next two seasons.

What did the Lakers give Phoenix in the July 2012 sign-and-trade for Steve Nash?

The picks were first-rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second-rounders in 2013 and 2014.

On October 23, 2024, the Lakers made NBA history when which father and son played together?

It came in a season-opening win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.