16 Facts About LA Lakers

1. San Antonio Spurs and the LA Lakers, developed what some would classify as a rivalry in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

2. On July 9, 2018, the LA Lakers signed LeBron James to a four-year, $154 million contract.

3. The LA Lakers acquired Kyle Kuzma from the University of Utah with the 27th overall pick from a draft-day trade, along with Brook Lopez in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.

4. On March 7, 2017, the LA Lakers hired Rob Pelinka as the general manager, signing him to a five-year deal.

5. On February 21, 2017, the LA Lakers fired general manager Mitch Kupchak, while Magic Johnson was named as the president of basketball operations.

6. The LA Lakers earned the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, and selected Brandon Ingram from Duke University.

7. The LA Lakers began their season losing 10 of their first 16 games.

8. The LA Lakers went on to miss the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2005, for just the second time in the last two decades and for just the sixth time in franchise history.

9. The LA Lakers battled injuries all season, the most prominent of which is the Achilles tendon rupture to Kobe Bryant that ended his season after 78 games.

10. The LA Lakers clinched a playoff berth on the final game of the season and finished seventh in the Western Conference after beating the Houston Rockets on April 16, 2013.

11. The LA Lakers went on to win game seven in overtime, with the Kings missing numerous potentially game-saving shots and free throws.

12. The LA Lakers defeated Boston in the first two games of the Finals, and the teams split the next four games, giving Los Angeles their second championship in three seasons.

13. The LA Lakers won 60 games in Johnson's rookie year, and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the 1980 NBA Finals.

14. The LA Lakers went on to reach the finals against the New York Knicks where they would avenge their 1970 finals loss by defeating them 4 games to 1.

15. In 1948, the LA Lakers moved from the NBL to the Basketball Association of America, and Mikan's 28.3 point per game (ppg) scoring average set a BAA record.

16. The LA Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, and have won 16 NBA championships, the second-most behind the Boston Celtics.