2004 Event NBA Finals, Detroit Pistons beat Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 2002 Event NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers beat New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0 2001 Event NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1 2000 Event NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 1995 Event Key Arena opens, Seattle Supersonics beat Los Angeles Lakers 103-89 1992 Event Los Angeles Lakers retire Magic Johnson's #32 uniform 1991 Event Magic Johnson announces he has HIV virus and retires from Los Angeles Lakers 1991 Event 45th NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 1 1990 Event Los Angeles Lakers retires Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's #33 1989 Event 43rd NBA Championship: Detroit Pistons sweeps Los Angeles Lakers in 4 games 1988 Event 42nd NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Detroit Pistons, 4 games to 3 1987 Event 41st NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2 1987 Event Sacramento Kings score only 4 points 1st quarter against Lakers; fewest in a period since introduction of 24 second shot-clock in 1954 1985 Event 39th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2 1984 Event 38th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 3 1983 Event 37th NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers sweep Los Angeles Lakers in 4 games 1983 Event Los Angeles Lakers set NBA playoff game record of fewest free throws 1982 Event 36th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2 1982 Event Los Angeles Lakers block 21 Denver shots setting NBA regulation game record 1980 Event 34th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2 1980 Event Cleveland Cavaliers beat Los Angeles Lakers 154-153 in quadruple OT 1978 Birthday Kobe Bryant, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers 1975 Birthday Shea Seals, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers 1974 Birthday Derek Fisher, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers 1973 Event Elmore Smith of Lakers blocks 17 shots in a game (NBA record) 1973 Birthday Mario Bennett, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns 1973 Event 27th NBA Championship: New York Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 1 1972 Birthday Frankie King, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers 1972 Event 26th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat New York Knicks, 4 games to 1 1972 Event Los Angeles Lakers broke NBA record by winning 69 of 82 games (69-13) 1972 Event Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State Warriors, 162-99, by then record 63 pts 1972 Birthday Shaquille O'Neal, born in Newark, New Jersey, NBA center for the Magic, Lakers, won 1996 Olympic gold 1972 Event Los Angeles Lakers 33 straight win streak snapped, losing to Bucks 120-104 1972 Event Los Angeles Lakers chalk up 33rd consecutive win (NBA record) 1971 Birthday Nick Van Exel, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers 1971 Event NBA's Los Angeles Lakers starts a 33 game consecutive victory streak 1971 Birthday Anthony "Pig" Miller, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks 1971 Birthday Eddie Jones, NBA guard and forward, Los Angeles Lakers 1970 Birthday Robert Horry, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets 1970 Event NBA championship: Knicks beat Lakers, 113-99 1970 Event 24th NBA Championship: New York Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 3 1969 Birthday Anthony Peeler, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies 1969 Birthday Sean Rooks, NBA center, Los Angeles Lakers 1969 Birthday Cedric Ceballos, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns 1969 Birthday Jon Barry, NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors 1969 Birthday Rick Fox, NBA guard and forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics 1969 Event 23rd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 3 1969 Birthday Corie Blount, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers 1968 Birthday Elden Campbell, NBA forward and center, Los Angeles Lakers 1968 Event Philadelphia 76'ers trade Wilt Chamberlain to Los Angeles Lakers 1968 Event 22nd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 2 1968 Birthday Derek Strong, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic 1968 Birthday Vlade Divac, Yugoslavia, NBA center, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers 1967 Event 1st NBA game at Great Western Forum, Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston 147-118 1966 Event 20th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 3 1965 Event 19th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 1 1963 Event 17th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 2 1962 Event Wilt Chamberlain of NBA San Francisco Warriors scores 72 points vs Los Angeles Lakers 1962 Event 16th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 3 1961 Birthday James Worthy, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers, 1988 Playoff MVP 1960 Event Elgin Baylor of NBA Los Angeles Lakers scores 71 points vs New York Knicks 1960 Birthday Fred Roberts, NBA forward, Los Angeles Lakers 1959 Event 13th NBA Championship: Bost Celtics sweep Minnesota Lakers in 4 games Boston Celtics wins 8th straight title 1959 Event Boston Celtic Bob Cousy sets NBA record with 28 assists Boston Celtics score 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers 1958 Birthday Kurt Rambis, NBA forward, Lakers, Hornets, Clark Kent look-a-like 1956 Birthday Michael Cooper, NBA star, Los Angeles Lakers 1954 Event 8th NBA Championship: Minnesota Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 4 games to 3 1953 Event 7th NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers beat New York Knicks, 4 games to 1 1952 Event 6th NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers beat New York Knicks, 4 games to 3 1951 Birthday Bob McAdoo, NBA forward and center, Buffalo Braves, Los Angeles Lakers 1950 Event 7,021 see lowest NBA score, Ft. Wayne Pistons 19, Minneapolis Lakers 18 1950 Event 4th NBA Championship: Minnesota Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 4 games to 2 1949 Event 3rd NBA Championship: Minnesota Lakers beat Washington Capitols, 4 games to 2 1947 Birthday Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew Alcindor, NBA center, Mil Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers 1945 Birthday Walt Wesley, NBA star, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers 1945 Birthday Pat Riley, born in Schenectady, New York, NBA coach, Lakers, Knicks, Heat 1943 Birthday Gail Goodrich, NBA star, Lakers, Suns 1938 Birthday Jerry West, born in Cheylan, West Virginia, NBA superstar, Los Angeles Lakers, Gold Medal 1960 Olympics
