What’s new with the Los Angeles Lakers? That’s what this page is all about.
The Team Spirit FAST BREAK website begins where the Team Spirit books end.
That’s because basketball never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!
Take a look at some of the Lakers collectibles I have in my home.
Enjoy this site, check back whenever you like, and contact me with any questions or comments.
Updates
2020-21 Season
Season Preview: Most championship teams spend the off-season resting, but the Lakers were one of the busiest clubs in the NBA. They signed LeBron James and Anthony Davis to long-term deals and replaced departing team members with quality players. Newcomers Wesley Matthews, Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, and Marc Gasol all play key roles in what LA fans hope will be another run to the NBA Finals.
2019-20 Season
December 26, 2020: LeBron James became the first player in history to score in double-figures 1,000 games in a row.
Season Recap: The Lakers were favored by most experts to win the NBA Championship and they did just that, defeating the Miami Heat in the Finals, 4 games to 2. Anthony Davis led the team in scoring and rebounding in 2019–20, while LeBron James led the entire NBA with 10.2 assists per game. James and Davis had a solid supporting cast that included Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It was the first NBA title for LA since 2010, and it provided a fitting tribute to the star of that 2010 team, Kobe Bryant, who perished in a helicopter crash earlier in the season. James was named MVP of the 2020 Finals.
September 9, 2020: When the Lakers defeated the Rockets in Game 3 of their playoff series, it marked the 162nd postseason victory of LeBron James—which set a new record for an individual player. Derek Fisher (161), Tim Duncan (157), Robert Horry (155), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (154) are the only other players with more than 150.
January 25, 2020: LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant for third place on the all-time NBA scoring list. The next day, Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash.
December 18, 2019: Anthony Davis scored 50 points in a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He and LeBron James, who scored 28, were the first Lakers to team up for 70-plus points since 2003.
November 19, 2019: LeBron James recorded a triple-double against the Thunder. He became the first player in history with a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams.
Season Preview: LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Anthony Davis on the floor at the same time? That could be a nightmare for LA’s opponents this season. The three veterans are joined by Rajon Rondo and Danny Green give the Lakers championship-caliber support players. They have the talent to win 50-plus games, and LeBron might end up as the team’s point guard. It should be an interesting season for Lakers fans.
2018-19 Season
Season Recap: Los Angeles fans expected big things from the young Lakers after LeBron James joined the team, but not even King James could turn the Lakers into a playoff team. Injuries and inexperienced slowed the team all year. James led the Lakers in scoring, assists and rebounds, but missed more than 25 games. Young guns Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram missed even more. The good news is that Los Angeles has the makings of a winning team as long as those three players are able to stay on the court.
February 15, 2018: Kyle Kuzma led all scorers with 35 points in the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge.
December 15, 2018: LeBron James and Lonzo Ball recorded triple-doubles in a win over the Hornets. It was the first time since 2007 that teammates had triple-doubles in the same game. The last time two Lakers had triple-doubles in the same game was in 1982 (Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar).
October 14, 2018: LeBron James scored 44 points against the Trail Blazers to pass Wilt Chamberlain for #5 on the all-time scoring list. Four days later James had his forst 50-point game as a Laker.
Season Preview: The Lakers should be fun to watch in 2018-19, even of they don’t have the talent to win a championship. Newcomer LeBron James leads a group of fast, young kids and wily veterans into battle. Will he do so as a power forward? A shooting guard? A center? There are a lot of pieces for coach Luke Walton to sort out. Point guard Lonzo Ball knows how to get the ball into the right hands. Will Lonzo and LeBron click? That could make the difference between a .500 season and a trip to the conference finals!
2017-18 Season
Season Recap: The Lakers finished third in their division but 11th overall in the Western Conference, which meant they did not make the playoffs again. Rookie Lonzo Ball had good games and bad games, but was always exciting. However, it was another 20-year-old, Brandon Ingram, who often stole the show. The Duke forward led the club with 16.1 points per game.
December 18, 2017: The team held a halftime ceremony to officially retire the two numbers Kobe Bryant wore during his career, 8 and 24.
November 11, 2017: Lonzo Ball had 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds to become the youngest player in NBA history to complete a triple-double.
Season Preview: Los Angeles scored three first-round picks last spring, including #2 Lonzo Ball. They will join center Brook Lopez in a lineup that includes Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Julius Randle. That adds up to great offensive potential, but not much defense. The Lakers may not win more than half their games, but they should be fun to watch.
2016-17 Season
Season Recap: The Lakers took the floor without Kobe Bryant for the first time since the 1990s and struggled mightily at times. Even so, they improved by 15 victories! Teenage rookie Brandon Ingram showed signs he could be a big star, while second-year guard D’Angelo Russell was L.A.’s most consistent player.
2015-16 Season
January 7, 2016: Kobe Bryant joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone as the only NBA players to score 33,000 points. All three have worn Los Angeles uniforms.
Season Preview: As the Kobe Bryant era draws to a close, the Lakers find themselves short on talent at several positions. Roy Hibbert is solid at center, but the team needs its youth movement—featuring Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and D’Angelo Russell—to grow up fast.
2014-15 Season
Season Recap: The Lakers spent the year rebuilding and paid the price, with a 21–61 record—the worst in team history. Kobe Bryant missed more than half the year with an injury, leaving Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer, and Jordan Hill to pick up the pieces.
January 14, 2015: Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Season Preview: Injuries destroyed the Lakers in 2013–14, so this season will help the team better understand its strengths and weaknesses. Kobe Bryant will lead the team in scoring, but behind him are several question marks, including center Jordan Hill and guard Jeremy Lin. The Lakers hope first-round pick Julius Randle can become one of the best young power forwards in the NBA. He will learn the game watching Carlos Boozer, who came o L.A. after four seasons with the Bulls.
2013-14 Season
Season Recap: Age and injuries slowed the Lakers down for much of the season. Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant were unable to stay in the lineup, and their teammates could not pick up the slack. In a February game against the Timberwolves, three Lakers went down with injuries! Pau Gasol stayed healthy and led the team in scoring and rebounding.
More Go-To Guys
Vern Mikkelsen — 6′ 7″ Forward
Born: 10/21/1928
Died: 11/21/2013
Played for Team: 1949–50 to 1958–59
Vern Mikkelsen was the most physical forward of the 1950s. He played close to the basket and was a fierce rebounder. Mikkelsen made six All-Star teams and was inducted in to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.Rudy La Russo — 6′ 7″ Forward
Born: 11/11/1937
Died: 7/9/2004
Played for Team: 1959–60 to 1966–67
Rudy LaRusso played alongside Elgin Baylor on the Lakers’ front line in the 1960s. He averaged a double-double three years in a row and was an All-Star twice for L.A.Gail Goodrich — 6′ 1″ Guard
Born: 4/23/1943
Played for Team: 1965–66 to 1967–68 & 1970–71 to 1975–76
The Lakers lost Gail Goodrich in the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft, but traded to get him back two years later. He was an All-Star four years in a row after his return to L.A. and was the leading scorer on the 1972 championship team.Happy Hairston — 6′ 7″ Forward
Born: 5/31/1942
Died: 5/1/2001
Played for Team: 1969–70 to 1974–75
Harold “Happy” Hairston was a rebounding machine. He once had 13 defensive rebounds in one quarter. Los Angeles fans were pleased the team traded for Happy. The Lakers went to the NBA Finals three times after he joined the team.Jamaal Wilkes — 6′ 6″ Forward
Born: 5/2/1953
Played for Team: 1978–77 to 1984–85
Jamaal Wilkes was nicknamed “Silk” for his smooth game. He averaged over 17 points six years in a row for the Lakers and represented the team in two All-Star Games. Wilkes was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.Byron Scott — 6′ 3″ Guard
Born: 3/28/1961
Played for Team: 1983–84 to 1992–93 & 1996–97
Byron Scott was a key part of the Lakers attack. He could start a fast break or finish one. He could also hit long 3-pointers. Scott helped L.A. win three championships.A.C. Green — 6′ 9″ Forward
Born: 10/3/1963
Played for Team: 1985–86 to 1992–93 & 1999–00
A.C. Green led the Lakers in rebounding six times. His defense helped L.A.
win back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988.
More Fun Facts
FIRST & FOREMOST
In 1987–88, the Lakers traded for Mychal Thompson, who had been the first pick in the NBA Draft in 1978. That gave L.A. four players who had been the #1 overall pick—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969), Magic Johnson (1979), James Worthy (1982), and Thompson (1978). The Lakers defeated the Celtics that season to win the NBA title.BEAT YOU TO IT
Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher rank among basketball’s greatest backcourt duos. In 2010, Fisher played his 1,000th NBA game on February 10. One game later, Bryant played in his 1,000th game. Later that season, Bryant and Fisher won their fifth championship together.BRIGHT AND EARLY
When Bill Sharman became the coach of the Lakers in 1971, he introduced a new routine to the NBA: the morning shoot-around. That season the team won 33 games in a row.SUPER, MAN
Kurt Rambis was the “Clark Kent” of the Lakers during the 1980s. He didn’t look like much of a player when he took the court wearing thick glasses and a bushy moustache. But his defense and rebounding helped the team win four championships.YER OUT!
Pro basketball was a rough sport in the 1950s. No player was rougher than Vern Mikkelsen of the Lakers. He fouled out of 127 games—about one in every five that he played. No one held it against Mikkelsen, however. He was picked for the All-Star Game six times.
League Leaders
SCORING
1947–48 — George Mikan — 21.3*
1948–49 — George Mikan — 28.3**
1949–50 — George Mikan — 27.4
1950–51 — George Mikan — 28.4
1969–70 — Jerry West — 31.2
1999–00 — Shaquille O’Neal — 29.7
2005–06 — Kobe Bryant — 35.4
2006–07 — Kobe Bryant — 31.6REBOUNDING
1951–52 — George Mikan — 13.5
1952–53 — George Mikan — 14.4
1968–69 — Wilt Chamberlain — 21.1
1970–71 — Wilt Chamberlain — 18.2
1971–72 — Wilt Chamberlain — 19.2
1972–73 — Wilt Chamberlain — 18.6
1975–76 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 16.9
2012–13 — Dwight Howard — 12.4- ASSISTS
1971–72 — Jerry West — 9.7
1982–83 — Magic Johnson — 10.5
1983–84 — Magic Johnson — 13.1
1985–86 — Magic Johnson — 12.6
1986–87 — Magic Johnson — 12.2
2019–20 — LeBron James — 10.2 STEALS
1980–81 — Magic Johnson — 3.4
1981–82 — Magic Johnson — 2.7Steals did not become an official statistic until 1973–74.
BLOCKED SHOTS
1973–74 — Elmore Smith — 4.9
1975–76 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 4.1
1978–79 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 4.0
1979–80 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 3.4Blocks did not become an official statistic until 1973–74.
* National Basketball League Leader
** Basketball Association of America Leader
Playing for the Championship
LAKERS in the FINALS
National Basketball League
SEASON | OPPONENT | SCORE |
---|---|---|
1947–48 | Rochester Royals | Won 3–1* |
Basketball Association of America
SEASON | OPPONENT | SCORE |
---|---|---|
1948–49 | Washington Capitols | Won 4–2* |
National Basketball Association
SEASON | OPPONENT | SCORE |
---|---|---|
1949–50 | Syracuse Nationals | Won 4–2* |
1951–52 | New York Knicks | Won 4–3* |
1952–53 | New York Knicks | Won 4–1* |
1953–54 | Syracuse Nationals | Won 4–3* |
1958–59 | Boston Celtics | Lost 0–4* |
1961–62 | Boston Celtics | Lost 3–4 |
1962–63 | Boston Celtics | LostL 2–4 |
1964–65 | Boston Celtics | Lost 1–4 |
1965–66 | Boston Celtics | Lost 3–4 |
1967–68 | Boston Celtics | Lost 2–4 |
1968–69 | Boston Celtics | Lost 3–4 |
1969–70 | New York Knicks | Lost 3–4 |
1971–72 | New York Knicks | Won 4–1 |
1972–73 | New York Knicks | Lost 4–1 |
1979–80 | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4–2 |
1981–82 | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4–2 |
1982–83 | Philadelphia 76ers | Lost 0–4 |
1983–84 | Boston Celtics | Lost 3–4 |
1984–85 | Boston Celtics | Won 4–2 |
1986–87 | Boston Celtics | Won 4–2 |
1987–88 | Detroit Pistons | Won 4–3 |
1988–89 | Detroit Pistons | Lost 0–4 |
1990–91 | Chicago Bulls | Lost 1–4 |
1999–2000 | Indiana Pacers | Won 4–2 |
2000–01 | Philadelphia 76ers | Won 4–1 |
2001–02 | New Jersey Nets | Won 4–0 |
2003–04 | New York Nets | Lost 1–4 |
2007–08 | Boston Celtics | Lost 2–4 |
2008–09 | Orlando Magic | Won 4–1 |
2009–10 | Boston Celtics | Won 4–3 |
* Played in Minneapolis