Jackson was burned out, and the Lakers' management was unwilling to raise his salary from $6 million a year to $12 million that he wanted to continue. Worthy had a strong rookie campaign, but he broke his leg at the end of the season and could only watch helplessly as the Lakers, also hobbled by injuries in the post-season to Bob McAdoo and Norm Nixon, were swept by the powerful 76ers, led by regular season and Finals MVP Moses Malone, in the 1983 NBA Finals. There were 12,389 fixed upper-level, theatre-type seats, and floor-level seating which could be configured by sport. O'Neal won his third consecutive Finals MVP award joining only Michael Jordan as players to have achieved such honors, and Jackson won his ninth championship as a head coach, tying Celtics legend Red Auerbach, while surpassing Pat Riley as the coach with the most playoff victories. In order to reinforce the existing 316,700-square-foot (29,420 m2) structure, a series of steel braced frames were connected to the existing concrete structural system at both the arena and loge levels of the building. The team won the Pacific Division for the fourth straight year, this time by an NBA-record 20 games ahead of second-place Portland. Buss, however, sided with star player over head coach, and he fired Westhead just 11 games into the season. After Jackson's retirement, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was hired as head coach. Rotating billboards eventually became standard at all NBA arenas until the mid-2000s, when LED billboard/scorer's tables were introduced. The next day, the team talked with Mike D'Antoni and signed him to a multi-year contract in a unanimous decision by the front office. The cost of construction of this beautiful arena was $330 millons. Unfortunately for Laker fans, Johnson went on to lose the final ten games of the season, which is to date the worst losing streak in franchise history. It also hosted the Los Angeles Aztecs of the NASL played one season of indoor soccer (1980–81),[4] the Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League from 1961 to 1967, the Los Angeles Sharks of the WHA from 1972 to 1974, the Los Angeles Cobras of the AFL in 1988, and the original Los Angeles Stars of the ABA from 1968 to 1970. The arena has a unique, expansive floor-level footprint of nearly 130,000 sq ft (12,000 m2) and 101,557 square feet (9,435.0 m2) on the concourse level, allowing the installation of any needed display, food or other programming requirements. [6] Plans included a seating capacity of 18,000 for basketball, 84 luxury suites, and an on-site practice facility for the Clippers. [citation needed], After Mikan's retirement, attendance at Lakers games dropped off sharply. Print, radio and television media was serviced on each side of the arena by installation of any kind of portable facilities. In Game 4, the 42-year-old center made a bank shot at 1:42 seconds for the final two points of his career. 25 overall pick", "LeBron James agrees to four-year, $154-million contract with Los Angeles Lakers", "Lakers officially eliminated from NBA postseason contention by D'Angelo Russell and the Nets", "Magic Johnson Steps Down as Lakers' Team President", "Los Angeles Lakers and Luke Walton Mutually Agree to Part Ways", "Sources: Lakers coach search eyes Lue, Williams", "Lakers Announce Hiring of Frank Vogel as Head Coach", The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_Los_Angeles_Lakers&oldid=994028639, National Basketball Association history by team, Articles needing additional references from December 2016, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles with style issues from December 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Articles needing additional references from July 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 December 2020, at 19:36. Led by Bryant and Gasol's rebounding, and with clutch shots from Ron Artest and Derek Fisher, the Lakers would win their franchise's sixteenth NBA championship. [64] In Bryant's final game, he gave the Lakers one more 60-point game in a 101–96 victory over the Utah Jazz. Jackson retired to his ranch in Montana and Rudy Tomjanovich came in as the new head coach. After a slow start the Lakers finished with a 58–24 record, defeated the strong Portland Trail Blazers 4–2 for the conference championship and returned to the NBA Finals. On February 18, 2013 the Lakers franchise and the sports world were saddened by the death of Dr. Jerry Buss at the age of 80. The decision was met with severe backlash by players and sportswriters. [11] After a groundbreaking for the new stadium, the arena was demolished between August and October 2016. [16][21] The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs. The Lakers managed to put forth more consistent efforts as the regular season drew to a close. [8] Berger and Chalfen brought in Max Winter, later to become a founder and owner of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings, to become the Lakers' new general manager. In the final two months, the Lakers won 22 of their final 25 games, finishing 61–21, and passing Seattle in the standings. [citation needed], The Lakers finished the season with a 50–32 record, their 27th 50+ victory season since moving to Los Angeles. That 1969 championship series is also notable in that Jerry West was named the first-ever Finals MVP; this remains the only time that a member of the losing team has won the award. Additionally the team faced the ongoing distraction of Bryant's sexual assault case and the sniping between O'Neal and Bryant which had ensued after Bryant was charged. [citation needed], The accomplishment would soon be followed by ugliness for the team, however. The Chaps' second season was a bit of a disappointment, as the team finished in 4th place with a mediocre 41–37 record. [61] The Washington Wizards agreed to sell the Lakers the rights to the 46th pick of the draft for cash considerations. Bryant was also named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. The original crown of the arena, one of its most distinguishing characteristics, was the countless small ceramic tiles, each measuring no more than a square inch in width. O'Neal collected his second Finals MVP and Derek Fisher set a playoff record with 15 three-pointers in the series against San Antonio. With age quickly catching up to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson had to carry the offense. They started off with the best start in franchise history, 11–0. The seating capacity for basketball changed over the years: Former arena in California, United States, NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics, Helms national championship in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics, 2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting, "L.A. Clippers Decide Against Anaheim Move", "Clippers to Join Kings, Lakers in New Arena", "USC takes over control of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum", "Los Angeles Football Club's stadium focus firmly on Sports Arena site", "Bruce Springsteen's last stand at the Sports Arena: 'We gotta play this one for the old building, "RIP Sports Arena: Aerial Shots Capture Demolished Former Home Of Lakers, Clippers, DNC", "Days of Our Lives Has Nothing on the Clippers", "Celtics Overwhelm the Clippers With Strong Front-Line Play, 124-108", "Clippers Prove No Panacea for Lakers, 121-104", "Clippers Move Knick Game to Anaheim During Repairs", "Bruce Springsteen – A Good Job in The City (Godfatherecords G.R. Lakers History Lakers Capsule Season by Season Playoff History Owners, GMs, Coaches … Bynum would return for the last few games of the regular season, and the Lakers ended up with a record of 65–17. For most of the former Coliseum Commission employees, the fixed term of their employment would be short-lived, ending 10 months later on May 30, 2014.[9]. The championship series got off to a disastrous start for the Lakers, losing Game 1 of the Finals by a lopsided score of 148–114, in what is now remembered as the "Memorial Day Massacre". The Lakers-Spurs series in the conference finals was the most lopsided conference finals series in NBA History, with the Lakers winning by an average of 22 points per game. The Celtics, the best-record team during the regular season, convincingly beat the Lakers 4–2 in the best of 7 series. During the 1996 off-season, the Lakers acquired 17-year-old Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac; Bryant was drafted 13th overall out of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania in that year's draft, by Charlotte. [citation needed]. Bryant was also familiar with D'Antoni; Bryant as a child knew him when D'Antoni was a star in Italy and Bryant's father was also playing there. [56][57] D'Antoni predicted that the Lakers, then 3–5 and ranked 20th in scoring with 96.5 points per game, should instead be scoring "110–115 points a game". Led by future Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, the Braves reached the playoffs three times during their eight seasons in Buffalo. Minneapolis Armory (1959–60) (Due to scheduling conflicts, the Lakers actually played in both the Auditorium and the Armory throughout the 1947–60 period. However, as a new Downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment arena was being planned and eventually built (Staples Center) two miles north along Figueroa Street,[7] the Coliseum Commission scuttled plans for a Sports Arena replacement, and as a result, the Clippers became one of the original tenants at the new downtown arena. [citation needed], The Lakers started the 2007–08 season surprisingly well. Bryant had 23 points at halftime but would score only one point on three shots in the second half. A partire dall'estate 2012, i Lakers detengono i record di tutti i tempi di vittorie (3.125), percentuale di vittorie (.620) e presenze nelle finali NBA (32). However, the Houston Rockets had their own plans for the playoffs. The Forum (formerly Great Western Forumfrom 1988–2000) (1967–1999) 3. [31] For a week he tiraded and the situation escalated when a videotape about him was released. Reed left the game for good at halftime, but the inspired Knicks already had 24-point lead at that point, and went on to rout the Lakers. The Sports Arena was demolished in order to replace it with a more in-demand facility — a soccer-specific stadium that would house an MLS team. Besides the relocation to Los Angeles, a second big change to the team was the addition of point guard Jerry West. The Lakers used that pick to select James Worthy. That year, however, did see the Laker debut of their future coach, Pat Riley. The following round, Seattle took a one-game lead, with the Lakers responding with four straight wins, taking the series. The new Los Angeles Lakers, behind Baylor's 34.8 points per game and 19.8 rebounds per game, improved on the previous year's results before losing once more to the Hawks in the Western Conference Finals. [45][46][50][51] Jerry Buss' preference has always been for the Lakers to have a wide-open offense. [5] In addition to hosting the final portion of WrestleMania 2 in 1986, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena also hosted WrestleMania VII in 1991 as well as other WWE events. Though the Rockets stunned the Staples Center crowd with a Game 1 win, the Lakers took the series in seven, with most games of the series ending as a blowout. The streak shattered the previous NBA record of 20 consecutive victories, which happened to have been set by the Bucks the year before. ], designed to bring the Sports Arena up to 21st century seismic standards. The new philosophy proved to be potent, as the Lakers started off strong, winning 31 of their first 36 games. The where just one of many failed experiments in Detroit for the NBL over its 13 year history. Bryant and coach Phil Jackson denied this, with both stating that Kobe was following the halftime gameplan by getting others involved. The 1992–93 Lakers fought off an early injury to guard Byron Scott and posted a respectable 33–29 record over the first 61 games. The arena hosted the 1960 Democratic National Convention, the 1968 and 1972 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, the 1992 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, the 1963 NBA All-Star Game, and the boxing competitions during the 1984 Summer Olympics. Dunleavy decided to leave the Lakers prior to the 1992–93 season to take charge of the Milwaukee Bucks' organization. 1946-1959: La nascita e gli inizi a Dewn. Several of the other owners, also opposed the deal (most notably Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert). [55] He was 4–1 as the interim coach, winning his last two as D'Antoni started leading team practices. During this time, the team also participated in the lowest-scoring game in NBA history; on November 22, 1950, the Lakers fell to the Fort Wayne Pistons by a score of 19–18. As he walked off the floor for the last time, everyone in the Forum, including the Pistons bench, stood up and applauded. He sat out the rest of the season, needing reconstructive surgery to repair his jaw, eye, and cheek. [citation needed], September 1965 saw another team upheaval when Short sold the team to Canadian-American entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke for $5 million. [44] The Lakers first contacted Jackson to replace Brown;[45][46][47][48] however, talks stalled as Jackson requested time to consider the position. The Lakers did make a late playoff push when Pfund was fired and Magic Johnson took over as head coach. His first year in Los Angeles resulted in his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award, after he averaged 27.7 points per game, and led the NBA with 16.9 rebounds per game and 4.12 blocked shots per game. The fan reaction to Johnson for having triggered his head coach's firing was immediate and Johnson found himself roundly booed, even by the Lakers' home crowd in Los Angeles. On January 30, 1996 Magic Johnson returned to the Lakers as a reserve power forward and registered 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in his first game back against the Golden State Warriors. [11] Hearn would go on to hold that post for the next 41 years. Very fitting in that this was the team Dr. Buss most enjoyed seeing his Lakers beat. Minneapolis Lakers 1. In January, the Lakers would again lose Andrew Bynum to injury. Former Head Coach, General Manager, President, and Special Consultant. [16] O'Neal averaged 26.2 ppg and 12.5 rpg and finished third in the league in blocked shots (2.88 bpg) in 51 games. Unfortunately for the Lakers, though, a new dynasty was just beginning elsewhere, as Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls under second-year coach Phil Jackson won the first of their six championships by ousting the Lakers in a 4–1 series. The Lakers were able to pull together and make the NBA Finals, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion to a now-dominant Celtics team. During the last three games, Los Angeles has trailed for just 11 seconds. The most storied franchise in NBA history has produced many of the greatest championship moments as well as many of the greatest players to step on an NBA court. That year also found the Lakers holding the top overall draft pick in the Western Conference, compensation for Goodrich's departure via free agency three years earlier to the New Orleans Jazz. [30], During the 2006 off-season, the Lakers drafted UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar. [citation needed]. Despite all the struggles, including an injury to Kobe in a controversial March loss to Atlanta in which they were not awarded 2 free throws after Kobe's injury, while it was later admitted they should have, the Lakers made the playoffs as the 7th seed at 45–37, only clinching a playoff spot in the last game. This marked the start of the long rivalry between the two teams. The team qualified for the 2020 NBA playoffs with a 52–19 record as the first seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2010 and 17th time in franchise history. The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1959, with an intimate ceremony hosted by Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon who dedicated the venue as a memorial to U.S. Armed Forces Veterans serving in all military conflicts. The Lakers obtained the second pick of the 2015 NBA draft at the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery where they drafted Ohio State University freshman point guard D'Angelo Russell. The venue was the home court of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA from October 1960 to December 1967, the Los Angeles Clippers also of the NBA from 1984 to 1999, and the home ice of the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL from October to December 1967 during their inaugural 1967–68 season. [citation needed], The championship series against the New Jersey Nets was a mere formality, as the Lakers swept all four games in one of the most lopsided NBA Finals ever. They beat the Suns and SuperSonics in the playoffs and then defeated Julius Erving's 76ers to win the NBA championship, behind an incredible Game 6 performance by the rookie Magic Johnson, who scored 42 points, pulled 15 rebounds, and dished 7 assists, while starting at center for an injured Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers improved to 7-0 on the road for the first time in franchise history. The arena was demolished in 2016 and replaced with Banc of California Stadium, home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC which opened in 2018. From March 15 to 19, 2016, Bruce Springsteen performed a series of three sold-out concerts, the last events held in the arena. Staples Center made history as Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers marked first time games were decided by at least 35 points in same day and arena. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a fantastic year (earning his sixth and final MVP award) as the Lakers won 60 regular season games. Kobe Bryant was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team, the youngest player to earn the honor. In 1959, Baylor and Mikkelsen were able to lead the team past their recent nemesis, the Hawks, and into the Finals, where they fell to the then-emerging Boston Celtics in the first four-game sweep in NBA Finals history. The Lakers drafted Jordan Clarkson with the 46th pick of the draft and agreed terms for a two-year deal. Interact with loyal Lakers … The Lakers would fall to the Knicks in the Finals in 1973, and Chamberlain, who had set a record for field-goal percentage that year, making 72.7% of his shots, announced his retirement. However, the Knicks recovered from what might have seemed a crushing blow and took the game in overtime. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission embarked on a seismic retrofit[when? Instinctively thinking that he was going to be attacked, Washington turned and landed a devastating blow to Tomjanovich's face, with the unsuspecting Tomjanovich running headlong directly into the punch. As the BAA is considered the direct lineal ancestor of today's NBA, this 1949 BAA championship is recognized today as an official NBA championship for the Lakers, whereas their 1948 NBL championship is not. The team also made 100% of their free throws three times, the first time since 1991–92. No one could have foreseen the team's domination the next season, however. Bryant tested the free-agent market, apparently coming very close to signing with the Los Angeles Clippers before deciding to stay with the Lakers. Wednesday, the Lakers led from wire-to-wire. The Lakers won their first playoff series in the post-Magic era, beating the talented Seattle SuperSonics three games to one before losing to the Western Conference's number one seed San Antonio Spurs four games to two. Abdul-Jabbar proceeded to dismember the Celtics with his deadly skyhook move, and Los Angeles won Game 6 111–100 in Boston Garden, one of the greatest triumphs in franchise history. The move seemed at first to have worked, as the 1969 Lakers proceeded to compile a better record than the Celtics behind Chamberlain's league leading 21.1 rebounds per game. [60] In the 2013–14 season, the Lakers started 10–9 before finishing 27–55 and missing the playoffs for just the seventh time since moving to Los Angeles. Their first round matchup against San Antonio was nowhere to being close as the Spurs won all four games easily. The 1984 Finals were a brutal slugfest with games 1, 2, 5, and 7 played in the June heat and humidity of Boston Garden. Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson overwhelmed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Rockets won the series when Sampson hit a 12-foot back to the basket jumper as time expired in Game 5 at The Forum. It is located at 111 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017. In the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lakers were rematched with the Boston Celtics. http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24052129/official-lakers-announce-lebron-james-signed. Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, wanted out of Milwaukee, and the Lakers acquired him in a trade. That year saw the team repeat its now-bitter pattern, losing to the Celtics in the 1968 NBA Finals. In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers faced the immensely talented Sacramento Kings, a team many believed was ready to finally make it over the hump and get to the NBA Finals. This time it was the New York Knicks, a team which included future Lakers coach Phil Jackson. The Lakers struggled without Tomjanovich, but were still able to manage a 32–29 record and were in position to make the playoffs. December 9, 1977 saw one of the ugliest moments in professional sports history. Before the 1979–80 season, Cooke sold the team to Dr. Jerry Buss, a Santa Monica real estate developer. [42] On December 8, 2011, the New Orleans Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets agreed to a trade that would send Chris Paul to Los Angeles. [citation needed], Early in the 2015–16 season, Bryant announced he would retire at the end of the season. The 1991–92 Lakers struggled with the news of Magic's retirement and serious injuries to key players. It became a companion facility to the adjacent Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. [citation needed] The next year saw the absorbing of the defunct NBL by the BAA, to form today's NBA, and the Lakers won the championship on the backs of Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, and future National Football League coach Bud Grant. The Indiana Pacers, coached by the Lakers' old nemesis, Larry Bird, proved to be slightly less of a problem, however, and in six games, the Lakers claimed their first NBA championship since 1988. [32], On February 1, 2008, the Lakers dealt the unpopular Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton, veteran Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and first round picks in 2008 and 2010 for Spaniard all-star forward Pau Gasol (Marc's older brother) and a second round draft choice in 2010. [16] Despite a NBA-record 7-for-7 three-point shooting performance from Horry in game 2, the Lakers lost the next round four games to one to the Utah Jazz. Fueled by the emergence of Andrew Bynum as a main option at center, the Lakers would even enjoy being the number one team in the Western Conference for three days. 1960saw th… [citation needed], Johnson became the NBA's all-time assist leader, surpassing Oscar Robertson the next season, as Dunleavy's new philosophy incorporated a slow and deliberate style, instead of the fast breaking Showtime style of the Pat Riley era. 2 overall pick", "BROOKLYN NETS ACQUIRE D'ANGELO RUSSELL AND TIMOFEY MOZGOV FROM L.A. LAKERS", https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2018.html, "Cavaliers trade Isaiah Thomas, pick to Lakers for Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr", "2018 NBA Draft: Lakers select Mo Wagner with No. [citation needed], Injuries forced Mikan to retire after the 1954 season, and the Lakers missed him dearly. The game would come down to a familiar hero in a familiar situation. A number of critics, such as Bill Simmons suggested that Bryant, with his team trailing by so much, should have attempted more shots in the second half; some, such as Charles Barkley even suggested that Bryant refused to shoot to "prove a point" about the inferior scoring ability of his teammates. In order to remedy this, a new crown was designed, this time using individual sections of EIFS (Exterior insulation finishing system), which offered the decided advantages of better durability, easier maintenance and improved thermal characteristics. The franchise was founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 as an expansion team. Even while waiting for Bynum's return, the Lakers were playing very well and got a second taste of being best in the Western Conference. [20] O'Neal led the team to a 56–26 record, their best effort since 1990–91, despite missing 31 games due to a knee injury. [citation needed], After a shaky start, the team's chemistry appeared to improve dramatically during the latter half of the season. Ahead of the Warriors' final regular season game at Oracle Arena, look back at the most exciting moments in Oracle Arena history. [citation needed], After the previous season's poor showing, most felt that simply making the playoffs would be an accomplishment. Lakers History. [22], During the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, All-Star guard Eddie Jones and center Elden Campbell were traded to the Charlotte Hornets to acquire Glen Rice. [citation needed], The Laker juggernaut seemed unstoppable, and a fourth consecutive championship was in their sights. Johnson also won his first MVP award. It had become clear that the Lakers needed to counter the great Celtics center, Bill Russell, and thus Cooke obtained Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping to supplement the aging and ailing Baylor. 390/391)", "Slain TSA agent recalled for bravery and valor", "Sanders West Coast Swing Taps Grassroots Surge", The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, History of the Arena Football League in Los Angeles, Former arenas in the National Basketball Association, Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Missouri), Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center, Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Los_Angeles_Memorial_Sports_Arena&oldid=993925134, Demolished buildings and structures in Los Angeles, Former National Basketball Association venues, Defunct athletics (track and field) venues in the United States, Defunct college basketball venues in the United States, Defunct indoor soccer venues in the United States, North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor venues, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four venues, Athletics (track and field) venues in Los Angeles, Indoor track and field venues in California, Professional wrestling venues in California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from September 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The heavyweight championship fight scenes between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed characters in the 1976 best picture winner. With every team in the league now gunning for them, the Lakers still found a way to win, taking their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title, and subsequently meeting Isiah Thomas and the physical Detroit Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals, even after going the distance against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks in the second round and Conference Finals, respectively. Sports Arena History. But the severity of McKinney's injury meant a long convalescence, and that combined with Westhead's subsequent success in the job ultimately meant that McKinney would not return to the Lakers. Spectators could reach arena level seating area either by a circulatory ramp on the southwest side of the building or by a stairway located next to the north doors. [29] The long-simmering tensions between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant finally came to a head.