Soon after, they traded for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a superstar who’d win MVP awards for the Lakers. In 1968, the Lakers acquired MVP Wilt Chamberlain, who helped them win their sixth NBA title (the first in LA). After a financial struggle, they relocated to LA for the 1960-61 season.ĭuring the 1960s, they were led by Elgin Baylor and Jerry West (two Hall of Famers) and made the NBA finals six times but lost to the Celtics each time, stoking the beginnings of their long rivalry.

The franchise started in 1947 when the Detroit Gems (a now disbanded team) were purchased and began playing in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, under the name “The Minneapolis Lakers.”Īfter beginning as a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 championship before joining the Basketball Association of America, where they won five of the six following championships. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, winning 17 championships, tying with the Boston Celtics for the NBA record. The Lakers play at, an arena they share with the NBA’s LA Clippers, the LA Sparks, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Lakers are an LA-based professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball Association ( NBA) in the league’s Western Conference.