Top 5 LA Lakers teams of all time
The LA Lakers have won many NBA titles over their storied history, and each of these Championship-winning teams have been immortalized in at the great Laker Forum and the Staples Center. In this article, we look at the top 5 Lakers teams of all time.
Top 5 LA Lakers teams of all time
We take a look at the top 5 Lakers teams of all time (since the franchise moved to the city of Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960).
#5 2008-09 LA Lakers: Kobe wins his first ring without Shaq
After a heartbreaking loss in the 2008 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Kobe Bryant led the LA Lakers to an immaculate 65-17 record in the regular season, where they stayed at the top of the table in the Western Conference.
In the playoffs, the Lakers eased past the Utah Jazz to meet the Houston Rockets. Despite having an injured squad, the Rockets took the series to 7 before the Lakers prevailed. The LA Lakers went on to beat the Denver Nuggets to make it to the NBA Finals again.
The NBA Finals turned out to be quite a one-sided affair as the LA Lakers cruised past Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic in just 5 games. This was the first NBA title for the LA Lakers since Shaq left the franchise, and is one of the most recent instances of Laker greatness.
#4 1984-85 LA Lakers: Defeating their rivals for the first time
![Larry Bird guarding Magic Johnson in the 1985 NBA Finals [Credits: SI]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2020/09/7733d-15994828487101-800.jpg)
Throughout the history of the LA Lakers, the one team that always stood out as their rivals has been the Boston Celtics. Not once had they beaten the Celtics in an NBA Finals until the team that makes it fourth on our list did just that.
After a tough loss to the Celtics in the 1984 Finals, the 1984-85 LA Lakers vowed to return to Finals and beat their rivals. They were excellent throughout the regular season with 62 wins.
In the playoffs, they cruised to the NBA Finals, losing just two games on the way. In a rematch of the previous year's Finals, the Lakers took on the Celtics. The LA Lakers, led by Magic and Kareem, emerged victorious in a Game 6 at The Garden to beat their rivals in for the first time after 8 Finals losses.
Also Read: LA Lakers: All-time Dream Team
#3 2000-01 LA Lakers: Kobe and Shaq defend their NBA title
![Shaq at his dominant best in the 2001 NBA Finals [Credits: Philly Voice]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2020/09/2e489-15994828773107-800.jpg)
Next up on this list is one of the most dominant teams in Lakers history - the 2000-01 LA Lakers with Shaq and Kobe leading the way. With Phil Jackson setting up a triangle offense, the LA Lakers were one of the best teams in the regular season with 56 wins.
In the playoffs, Shaq was simply unstoppable and the LA Lakers swept all their opponents in the Western Conference playoffs to meet the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals.
After a shock loss in Game 1, the LA Lakers led by Kobe and Shaq made quick work of Allen Iverson's 76ers, winning four games straight in a gentleman's sweep to win the NBA title for the first time since the days of Magic Johnson's 'Showtime' Lakers.
#2 1971-72 LA Lakers: Ending the drought
![Jerry West of the 1971-72 LA Lakers [Credits: Laker Nation]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2020/09/a1060-15994829454022-800.jpg)
The 1971-72 LA Lakers are among the greatest teams to ever play the game of basketball and thus make it to the second place on our list. Led by Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, the Lakers deployed their fast-break style play to flatten the league with a record 69 wins in the regular season.
In the playoffs, the LA Lakers swept the Chicago Bulls and beat their rivals and defending Champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, in a hard-fought six-game series. The NBA finals saw a rematch of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks where the Lakers emerged victorious in 5 games.
After years of losing to the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, the Lakers finally came to the forefront of NBA glory with their first title since the days of George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers. Despite the greatness of this team, there is one team that ranks above them in this list of top 5 Lakers teams of all time.
#1 1986-87 LA Lakers: The end of an elite rivalry
![The Shot that did not go in- 1987 NBA Finals [Credits: Grantland]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2020/09/7d92c-15994829770493-800.jpg)
The team that tops off our list of great LA Lakers teams of all time is the 1986-87 LA Lakers. Led by Magic Johnson and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, the LA Lakers ran through the competition in the regular season to win 67 games.
In the playoffs, they lost just one game to the Golden State Warriors. In the NBA Finals, they matched up with their rivals, Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics.
After some masterful performance in the Finals, Kareem and Magic led the LA Lakers to their fourth NBA title of the decade. This series will forever be remembered for Magic Johnson's game-winning hook-shot over Kevin McHale in Game 4. The Lakers finally clinched the series in Game 6 at the Forum.
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