Not all professional teams are built the same. Being part of the Baltimore Orioles is different from the New York Yankees, just like the Utah Jazz are not the Los Angeles Lakers. These legendary teams have a special vibe. When people think of the purple and gold, they don’t just see basketball—they think of the Laker Girls, celebrities sitting courtside, and of course, the many championship banners hanging in the rafters.
Detroit Gems-Minneapolis Lakers
It’s a quirky twist that the Los Angeles Lakers carry a name so strongly tied to lakes, even though their current city has hardly any. In fact, the story begins far from California’s beaches. The team originally started out as the Detroit Gems in Michigan, playing in the National Basketball League. After just one season, they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, a place famously dubbed the ‘land of 10,000 lakes.’ It was there that the team adopted the name ‘Lakers,’ inspired by Minnesota’s abundance of lakes.
First Superstar from the team
After finishing with the worst record in their first year, the team used the number 1 draft pick on a bold choice: George (Mr. Basketball) Mikan, a 6’10 center from Joliet, Illinois, who would become a future Hall of Famer. Mikan’s presence changed everything, and he led the team to their first championship just a year later. He won 5 BAA/NBA titles (1949, 1950, 1952–1954) and 2 NBL championships (1947, 1948).
Wilt the Stilt and his dominance.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals six times in the ’60s but were thwarted each time by their fiercest rivals, the Bill Russell-led Celtics. Russell still holds the record for most championships with 11 rings. The hunger for a breakthrough set the stage for a seismic change. In 1967, hometown hero Wilt Chamberlain brought an NBA ring to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. In a surprising trade, the MVP from the previous season joined the Lakers, bringing incredible athleticism. Chamberlain joined Baylor and West in “Lala Land” and helped bring home another championship banner in 1972.
The trade for “the Captain.”
With Wilt’s retirement, the Lakers would continue making strategic moves cementing their future as one of the most successful franchises in the league. Previously known as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had already won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972 at the age of 24. In 1975, the Lakers acquired Abdul-Jabbar. This pivotal trade birthed the ‘Showtime’ Lakers, laying the foundation for one of the most dominant teams in NBA history.
The Lakers drafted in 1979 what is probably the best point guard in NBA history. A 6’9 genius with the ball and floor general from Lancing, Michigan, Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. The team earned the nickname “showtime” due to Magic’s ability to run the floor on fast breaks, creating an up-tempo offense not seen before in the league.
The purple and gold bring the diesel to LA.
The Lakers began rebuilding after Magic Johnson retired early due to testing positive for AIDS. A powerful new player was emerging: Shaquille O’Neal, a 7’1″, over 300-pound center who was surprisingly agile. After the Lakers were swept by Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets, they signed Shaq —the “Big Aristotle”— in 1996 to a seven-year, $121 million contract. Jerry West, now the team’s general manager, told Shaq they had also traded for a young guard from Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia named Kobe Bryant. The “Black Mamba” and “Shaq” would bring three banners in consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2002.
“The King” brings the Lakers their most recent championship.
LeBron James is considered one of the top two players in the league, breaking many records, including Kareem’s scoring record. After his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he joined the Lakers. The team made another smart move by trading for one of the league’s best players at the time, center/power forward Anthony Davis, from the New Orleans Pelicans. This trade made them favorites having various Hard Rock Bet promo release just for them.Together, they won the most recent championship during the season known as the “Covid and bubble” season, because the playoffs were held without fans due to the pandemic.
The new Face of the Lakers
The purple and gold continued their award-winning moves by hustling the Dallas Mavericks in a trade that is in paper, one of the top 10 players in the league for pretty much peanuts. Luka Doncic is the new Sheriff in Lala Land, and the team is in good hands even when the King retires from the league.