Name Origin:
When the Detroit Gems moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the new owners changed the name to Minneapolis Lakers. What does Lakers mean? There's not much solid data about the origin of the name. The NBA's website lately says it is in reference to the "The Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's nickname, But other version indicates that it makes reference to the name
of a type of cargo ship used on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi river.
Franchise History:
Season 1946-47 Detroit Gems (NBL)
Season 1947-48: Minneapolis
Lakers (NBL)
Season 1948-49: Minneapolis Lakers (BAA)
From 1949-50 to 1959-60: Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
From 1960-61 to the present: Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
* Note: the BAA league is the origin of the NBA and its titles are officially considered as NBA titles.
NBA Titles:
A total of 16 championships: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953,
1954, 1972, 1980,
1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.
Los Angeles Lakers appeared in 31 of the NBA's 64 finals
and is the second team with more titles won among 16 teams with titles (complete list) :
|
Championships |
NBA Finals |
| Boston Celtics |
17 |
21 |
| Los Angeles Lakers |
16 |
31 |
| Chicago Bulls |
6 |
6 |
|
Most Valuable Players (MVP):
8 times a Laker player won the Season MVP award
(complete list of Lakers MVPs...)
and 12 times the Finals MVP
(complete list of Lakers finals MVPs ...)
Coaches:
21 coaches have coached the Lakers, 5 of them won titles.
Phil Jackson and John Kundla won 5 each
(complete list of coaches...)
Retired Jersey's Numbers: |
 (13)
Wilt Chamberlain
(22) Elgin Baylor
(25) Gail Goodrich
(32) Magic Johnson
(33) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
(42) James Worthy
(44) Jerry West (The NBA logo is
his silhouette)
Two banners were raised at Staples Center in the 2001-02 season,
one representing the Minneapolis Lakers in the Hall of Fame: players
George Mikan, Slater Martin, Jim Pollard, Vern Mikkelsen, Clyde
Lovellette and coach John Kundla; the other banner in recognition
of the five championships they won before the team moved west in
1960.
more details here... |
Lakers NBA statistics
year by year:
History
