The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, having played and won championships in both the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) prior to their 1949 … See more

It had become clear that the Lakers needed to counter the great Celtics center, Bill Russell. Thus Cooke obtained Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping to … See more

Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, wanted out of Milwaukee, and the Lakers acquired him in a trade. 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 … See more

On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson made the shocking announcement that he had been diagnosed with the HIV virus and was thus retiring … See more

Last place, however, meant the first pick in the draft, and the Lakers chose wisely, picking Elgin Baylor, who went on to win the See more

Before the 1979–80 season, Cooke sold the team to Dr. Jerry Buss, a Santa Monica real estate developer. That year also found the Lakers holding the top overall draft pick in the Western Conference, compensation for Goodrich's departure via free … See more

During the 1996 season, the Lakers acquired 17-year-old Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac; Bryant was drafted 13th … See more