Los Angeles Lakers Events

1979 Jun 25 Los Angeles Lakers Select Magic Johnson with the No. 1 Draft Pick
After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, Johnson declared himself eligible for the 1979 NBA Draft. Johnson was drafted ...
1980 May 4
to 1980 May 16
 1980 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat 76ers
The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1979–80 NBA season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP. But in a Game 5 victory, the Laker center suffered ...
1981 Jun 26 Magic Johnson Signs 25-year $25 Million Contract with Lakers
During the off-season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers, which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. At the beginning of the 19...
1982 May 27
to 1982 Jun 8
 1982 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat 76ers
The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1981-82 NBA season, the top level of competition in men's professional basketball in North America. The series saw...
1984 May 27
to 1984 Jun 12
 1984 NBA Finals- Celtics Defeat Lakers
The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Ga...
1985 May 27
to 1985 Jun 9
 1985 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Celtics
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1984–85 NBA season. The Boston Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA Champions for the first time since the 1968-...
1987 Jun 2
to 1987 Jun 14
 1987 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Celtics
The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1986-87 NBA season. The match took place between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won 4–2, beating the Celti...
1988 Jun 7
to 1988 Jun 21
 1988 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Pistons
The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1987–88 NBA season. One of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley's most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat ch...
1991 Jun 10 The Chicago Bulls Defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals
The Bulls would defeat the Lakers in 4 games to 1. This would ultimately turn out to be Magic Johnson's last NBA Finals appearance, who was without James Worthy and Byron Scott, the Laker...
1991 Nov 7 Magic Johnson Announces He is HIV+ and Retires From Basketball
After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. In a press conference held on November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement ...
1994 Mar 22 Magic Johnson Takes Over as Head Coach for Lakers
He returned to the NBA as coach of the Lakers near the end of the 1993–94 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund. After losing five of six games, Johnson announced he would resign after the se...
1996 Jan 29 Magic Johnson Returns to Playing for the Lakers
He returned to the NBA as coach of the Lakers near the end of the 1993–94 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund. After losing five of six games, Johnson announced he would resign after the se...
1996 May 14 Magic Johnson Final Retirement
May 14, 1996: Final retirement. Finished regular season with averages of 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. Lakers are eliminated in four games by Rockets in first round ...
2000 Jun 7
to 2000 Jun 19
 2000 NBA Finals - Lakers Beat Pacers
It's a Wrap by Phil Taylor They finally figured it out. It was there on both their faces, the jubilation and relief that came with knowing that they had cracked the safe and learne...
2001 Jun 6
to 2001 Jun 15
 2001 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Sixers
Take Two for Tinseltown Nobody's perfect, not even the Los Angeles Lakers. They sure came close, though. The winningest postseason run in NBA history came to a conclusion Friday nig...
2002 Jun 5
to 2002 Jun 12
 2002 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Nets
Shaq, MJ only players to win three straight Finals MVPs EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Shaq got his three-peat, too. Shaquille O'Neal, cementing his reputation as one of the most do...
2004 Jun 6
to 2004 Jun 15
 2004 NBA Finals - Pistons Beat Lakers
Motown is Titletown AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Lakers left the court in pieces. Karl Malone kept his head down, Shaquille O'Neal absently slapped a few high-fives and Kobe Bryant jogge...
2007 Nov 23 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 107-94
Many Celtics fans wore shirts that read, "Beat LA." The sellout crowd of 18,624 at TD Banknorth Garden included a long list of celebrities. And it was the first time the Celtics' star tri...
2007 Dec 30 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 110-91
LOS ANGELES - The Lakers' Phil Jackson will pass late Celtics legend Red Auerbach on the all-time coaching wins list. But it didn't happen on the Celtics' watch. The Celtics completed ...
2008 May 3 Kobe Bryant Wins 2008 NBA MVP Award
It took 12 seasons, but Kobe Bryant has finally been selected the NBA’s most valuable player, The Times has learned. Sources familiar with the outcome who were not authorized to speak ...
2008 Jun 5
to 2008 Jun 17
 2008 NBA Finals - Celtics Defeat Lakers
Three Party triumph: KG leads, Allen scorches and Pierce takes MVP By Marc Stein ESPN.com BOSTON -- Kevin Garnett got the cover of the new Wheaties box, Breakfast of Champions edit...
2008 Jun 5 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 98-88
Don't get cocky. Resist the urge to fire off that sarcastic e-mail to your old college roommate currently residing in Reseda. Just appreciate the fact that the championship of the world's...
2008 Jun 8 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 108-102
The X-factor guys are the ones who make it fun. Everybody knows what the Pierces, Garnetts, Allens, and Bryants can, and probably will, do. That's why they get the eight-figure paychec...
2008 Jun 10 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 87-81
LOS ANGELES - This one screamed for tape delay. This was not exactly a great demonstration of the product. The Lakers won it, but how happy can they be, needing all that huffing and pu...
2008 Jun 12 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 97-91
Celtics erase 24-point deficit, lead series, 3-1 LOS ANGELES - Staging perhaps the greatest comeback in their storied history, the Celtics recovered from a 24-point deficit on the road...
2008 Jun 15 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 103-98
LOS ANGELES - Not so fast, my friend. If the Celtics are to win championship No. 17, it will have to be in TD Banknorth Garden. But be advised that it could very easily have taken plac...
2008 Jun 17 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92
There were legendary Celtics sitting in the stands, with names like Russell, Havlicek, Heinsohn, Maxwell, Ainge, and White, who could all tell stories about the days when they touched the...
2008 Dec 25 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 92-83
LOS ANGELES -- It was inevitable that the Celtics would lose at some point. But the rare agony of defeat was much more bitter after their bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, made it ha...
2009 Feb 5 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 110-109
So much for home-court advantage. The Celtics did not receive the benefit of a couple of potential hometown calls from the officials in a 110-109 overtime loss to the Lakers last night at...
2009 Jun 17 Fans Celebrate Los Angeles Lakers' 15th NBA Championship
"Thank you for all the support, baby. We love you. Let’s go, Lakers" —Derek Fisher, Lakers Guard
2009 Nov 24 Los Angeles Lakers defeat New York Knicks, 100-90
LOS ANGELES - Only the A-list stars are supposed to show up fashionably late for Lakers games. The Knicks, though, tweaked that concept Tuesday night by arriving 55 minutes before tip-off...
2009 Dec 11 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Minnesota Timberwolves, 104-92
LOS ANGELES – Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis brought his new franchise back home with him to play the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night in a game that featured teams who share nothing in co...
2009 Dec 16 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Milwaukee Bucks, 107-106
Michael Redd made some serious strides in his comeback on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing in just his second game since returning from a left patellar tendon in...
2010 Jan 10 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Milwaukee Bucks, 95-77
Los Angeles — The offensively challenged Milwaukee Bucks got off their six-game Western trip off to an unsightly start Sunday night by getting blown out of the Staples Center, 95-77, by t...
2010 Jan 22 Los Angeles Lakers defeat New York Knicks, 115-105
Nate Robinson was unavailable for the second half of Friday night's game against the Lakers after suffering a strained right hamstring, and was replaced by Larry Hughes. Robinson playe...
2010 Jan 31 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 90-89
With a chance to not just seal a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the current overlords of the NBA, but also to stop a slide that’s lasted more than a month and to salvage a three-game st...
2010 Feb 18 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 87-86
Ray Allen missed a potential game-winning shot at the final horn the last time the Boston Celtics played the Los Angeles Lakers He was determined to make Derek Fisher suffer the same f...
2010 Mar 19 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Minnesota Timberwolves, 104-96
Kurt Rambis' work year stretched into June each of the past two seasons, an elongated spring in which he helped coach the Los Angeles Lakers to two NBA Finals and one NBA title. He has...
2010 Apr 9 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Minnesota Timberwolves, 97-88
After 78 games and 164 days, the champion Los Angeles Lakers arrived in Minnesota on Friday night for their first and only visit in a season that now has just three games remaining. Fa...
2010 Jun 3 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 102-89
LOS ANGELES — The Graduate was there. So were Rocky Balboa, Jack Dawson, Happy Gilmore, Snoop Dogg, and the Million Dollar Baby. If Jack Nicholson had yelled “You can’t handle the truth!’...
2010 Jun 6 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 104-94
LOS ANGELES — The script seemed tailor-made for a stocky guy styling courtside in the designer shades. Yo, that guy, “Rocky’’ Stallone. Three nights after Ray Allen sat helplessly foul...
2010 Jun 8 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 91-84
Paul Pierce was not planning on returning to his Los Angeles roots until after the playoffs ended, but he will have to revise his plans, provided the Celtics win at least one of the next ...
2010 Jun 10 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 96-89
Understand this about Glen Davis: He is a basketball player. He may look like a football player and he may harbor a secret desire to be a movie star, talk-show host or a contestant on ...
2010 Jun 13 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 92-86
They were the old bones, the annoying underachievers who slogged through the final four months of the regular season, bound to be bounced from the playoffs, maybe in the first round. N...
2010 Jun 15 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 89-67
LOS ANGELES — The Celtics have history on their side. . . . And not much else. Your Green Team was thrashed by the Lakers at Staples Center last night. Playing with none of the urge...
2010 Jun 17 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston Celtics, 83-79
LOS ANGELES — In the end, a team that spent all season dealing with — but never solving — their fourth-quarter woes was done in by it. The Celtics fell short in their quest for NBA tit...
2010 Jun 17 Los Angeles Lakers Defeat Boston Celtics for NBA Title
"It wasn't well done, but it was done." —Phil Jackson, Coach of LA Lakers
2010 Jun 21 Los Angeles Celebrates Lakers NBA Finals Victory with Parade
As the Lakers parade came to an end, fans exulted in their team's victory and in the joy of coming together as Angelenos to celebrate. But many said the celebration might have been mor...
2010 Nov 9 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Minnesota Timberwolves, 99-94
LOS ANGELES - In an hour of need, Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis sought inspiration for a team battered physically and emotionally, and he just might have found some in an old friend Tues...