Sports Team History With the vibrant community of NBA betting Philippines, one of the most followed leagues in the NBA. The Philippines has a good basketball history but it cannot rival American basketball, the national sporting activity that has great influence in a country that was once a colony of the United States. In this article, we explore the history of one of the teams that are followed by the betting community of NBA betting Philippines. We will go through the history of the Los Angeles Lakers, their performance in the NBA, and the journey they have traveled to emerge the top in terms of the number of titles that they have lifted over the years.
Los Angeles Lakers ranks among the most successful teams in the NBA having won the title 17 times as well as tied with the Celtics for most times. Their winning history stretches back to its foundation where they won the National Basketball League on their first appearance in 1948. Los Angeles Lakers franchise started with the purchase of Detriot Gems, a then disbanded team in 1947.
The new team changed its name to Minneapolis Lakers to rhyme where they were playing their games - Minneapolis Minnesota. Afterward, they joined the NBL, rival Basketball Association of America, and started on a very high note where they won five of the six competitions. The team was led by George Mikan who was also known as Mr. Basketball. The glory did not last as the club started struggling after the retirement of Mikan. It is at this period that they relocated to Los Angeles changing their name to Los Angeles Lakers.
Their performance after the relocation to Los Angeles was not all rosy but they managed to make it to the NBA finals for a count of 6 times with every attempt to clinch the top being muted by Celtics, a team that would become their arch-rivals. Their stars were bright in 1968 when they got the four-time most valuable player Wilt Chamberlain and went ahead to win six titles. Towards the late 70s, the team would reinvigorate itself through the inauguration of a new golden era. First, it was the purchase of the lakers where the new team owner transformed the game into an entertainment spectacle.
Secondly, they drafted Magic Johnson into the NBA draft providing the team with a shot that will see them dominate the NBA in the 1980s. Truly the invigoration of the game bore fruits; the Lakers established themselves as NBA Powerhouse in the 80s. The team even acquired a nickname, the Showtime Lakers, out of their fast break which was facilitated by Johnson. In nine years, the team would win five titles including marquee finals matchups where they met Celtics, their arch-rivals.
The 1990s
Sports Team History It seems that the Lakers were destined for two cycles wherein given period; they performed so well only to fall and struggle even to get into the NBA finals. The poor performance of the early 70s was back again to haunt the team. After the retirement of the 80s stars, Johnson and Jabbar, the team started struggling until they brought in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’ Neal. The two stars alongside Phil Jackson, the Hall of fame coach saw the team shine in the three championships between 2000 and 2002. Other stars that would see the lakers shine in subsequent years include:
- LeBron James
- Anthony Davis
- Pau Gasol and others
Record for the longest winning streak
LA Lakers are the record holders for the NBA's longest winning streak; the team won 33 straight games during the 1971-72 seasons. This is a record that has not been broken since.
Championships
The team has won 17 championships right from 1949 to 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, and 1988 as well as 2000-2002, 2009, 2010, and 2020. The conference titles are 19 as well as 33 division titles.
Rivalries
The team has several rivals; Boston Celtics was the main rival to an extent that is referred best rivalry in the league. The teams have met 12 times in the NBA finals with the first meeting in 1959. They dominated the league for three decades where they faced six times in the 1960s and 1980s this domination was three times. The rivalry was intense during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson stint but would de-escalate after the two left. Together the two teams would dominate the league accounting for the 74 championships.
Detriot Pistons is the other rival, having developed in the late 1980s. The rivalry was later to intensify in the 2000s as the teams squared off in the 2004 finals. Los Angeles Clipper, San Antonio Spurs, and Phoenix Suns are the other rivals.
Los Angeles Lakers' domination of the NBA league is set to continue. It is also expected that the team will have ups and downs just like in the past.
Evelyn Balyton
Guest Writer
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