The Los Angeles Lakers are, by far, one of the highest record holding teams in the entire NBA. However, this fame did not come naturally. There has been a long road of players, and coaches, to make the team what it is today.
In the beginning, the Lakers faced a number of difficulties – they won some and they lost some. There were no championship titles or records won by the team – not in the early days.
Originally founded in 1946, the Lakers were known as the Detroit Lakers, as they were based out of Detroit, Michigan. Shortly later, they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. This move was a good one for them, as this is where they won their first championship game – as a matter-of-fact – they won five when they were the Minneapolis Lakers.
In 1960 is when the officially became known as the Los Angeles Lakers, after their move to the west coast. Their first ten years, in LA, did not appear to promising. They could not even win enough games to get into the NBA finals.
In the 1970’s, things did not look much better for the Lakers. They did win a title, but other than that, nothing big happened.
The following ten years was when the Los Angeles Lakers began to shine through. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were both playing for the Lakers, during the 1980’s. The Lakers not only had two well known players on their team, but they also had a coach – Pat Riley – who led them to five more championship wins. Within this ten-year span, they successfully hit record high wins in one season.
Unfortunately, this term of fame did not last through the next decade. The 1990’s, although not as bad as earlier years, were much slower for the Lakers. The overall number of wins, and championships, were nothing to speak of in comparison to what they accomplished in the 80’s.
The 21st century brought fame to the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only did they have phenomenal players like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, but they also had an exceptional coach by the name of Phil Jackson. The combination of coach and team proved to be a winning combination as they have already won five NBA Finals this century.
The turn-around, of events, over the past decade, has captured the attention of many fans. The Lakers fans are not your typical fan, but are die-hard fans as they have watched their team struggle and come out of it with shining colors.
Today, the Lakers hold a significant number of various NBA records. Their total wins, to date, are over 2,900. This number, alone, gives them the record for the largest number of won games for one team.
In addition to holding the record for the highest number of games won, they also hold the record for the highest percentage of games won – 60%. The Los Angeles Lakers have also appeared in the NBA Finals 29 times, giving them yet another impressive record. The Boston Celtics – Lakers rivals – hold 17 championship titles. If the Lakers keep up what they are doing, they will catch up soon enough, as they currently stand at 14 championship titles.
The combination of talent and coaching skill has brought the Lakers to a state of fame amongst NBA fans. The number of famous players, and coaches, that have been on the Lakers, is amazing. Lakers fans are not apt to leave their side anytime soon, especially if they keep up the astonishing playtime.