The 2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 61st season, 60th in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA) and 49th in Los Angeles. The

Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

won their division for the 31st time and appeared in the Western Conference Finals for the 39th time. With 65 wins, they tied the 1986–87 team for the third most wins in franchise history, the most since 1999–2000, and improved on their 2007–08 record by eight wins. The Lakers sold out all 41 home games for the season, led the NBA in money earned from overall ticket sales, and had the 5th highest increase in gate receipts from the previous season. The Lakers had the third best team offensive rating in the NBA. In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

in five games in the First Round, then defeated the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

in a hard-fought seven games in the Semifinals, and on May 29, the Lakers defeated the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

in the Western Conference Finals to advance to the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

for the second consecutive year and 30th time in franchise history, extending their NBA record for most Finals appearances. On June 14, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

4–1 in the best of seven series to become the 2009 NBA champions, winning their first championship in seven years, their tenth title in Los Angeles, and the 15th overall in franchise history.

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

was awarded the 2009

NBA Finals MVP The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of e ...

. Following the season,

Trevor Ariza Trevor Anthony Ariza (born June 30, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an NBA championship in his first stint with the Lakers in 2009 ...

signed as a free agent with the

. On July 15, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 ESPY Awards for Best Team and Best Coach/Manager for

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and ...

Key dates

* June 26: The 2008 NBA draft took place in New York City. * July 1: The

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

period started. * October 7: The Lakers pre-season started with a game against the

. * October 28: The Lakers won their season opener against the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...

. * December 8: With a 17–2 season start, the Lakers tied their record for best opening in franchise history. * December 25: The Lakers avenged their

2008 NBA Finals The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defea ...

loss with a 92–83 win over the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

, ending Boston's 19-game winning streak. * February 2: Kobe Bryant scored 61 points, the most ever scored at Madison Square Garden. * February 8: The Lakers ended the Cavaliers 23-game home winning streak. The Lakers also became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back games on the road (Boston and Cleveland), against teams with .800-plus win percentage at least 40 games into the season. Cleveland's loss to L.A. was one of only three games they lost at home all season, including the playoffs. * February 14–15: 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend took place. * March 12: The Lakers clinched the Pacific Division title with a win over the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

. * March 26: The Lakers matched last season's win total (57) with 11 games remaining with a win over the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. * March 27: The Lakers clinched the top record in the Western Conference with a win against the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

for their 58th win. * April 14: The Lakers ended their regular season with a 125–112 victory over the

, becoming the third-winningest team in franchise history with 65 wins. * April 19: The Lakers played their first playoff game of the season against the

. * April 27: The Lakers won their Western Conference First Round series 4–1 over the Utah Jazz, advancing to the Conference Semi-Finals. * May 17: The Lakers defeated the

in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals and advance to the Western Conference Finals. * May 29: The Lakers defeated the

in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals and advance to the

2009 NBA Finals The 2009 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also the defending ...

. * June 14: The Lakers defeated the

in Game 5 of

, winning their 15th championship in franchise history.

Offseason

Injuries

Following the 2007–08 NBA season, the Lakers faced two key injuries in the offseason.

Andrew Bynum Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After they selected him in the first round ...

, who missed the second half of the season and playoffs was rehabilitating and working on conditioning.

, who also missed the second half of the season, but later returned in the playoffs also had to work back into shape. Both players played on opening day. During the 2007–08 season,

suffered a tear in his right pinkie finger. At the time, Bryant decided to forgo surgery and play out the rest of the season and participate in the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. He eventually chose to not to have surgery and let the hand heal naturally.

Departures

The most notable departure was last year's backup power forward

Ronny Turiaf Ronny Turiaf ( , ; born 13 January 1983) is a French former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Turiaf grew up in France and played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the U ...

to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. As a restricted free agent, the Lakers were allowed to match any offer that another team gave Turiaf. The Lakers chose not to match the 4 year $17 million offer the Warriors gave.

Ira Newble Ira Reynolds Newble II (born January 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association, NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Los ...

, who the Lakers picked up midway through the 2007–08 season, was not re-signed and remained a free agent for the rest of the season.

Coby Karl Coby Joseph Karl (born June 8, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player who is the head coach of the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He is the son of NBA head coach George Karl. High school career Karl attended Homest ...

was also cut from the roster with Sun Yue replacing him.

Signings

Sasha Vujacic was the first member of the Lakers to sign a contract with the team in the offseason. Still, contract negotiations dragged on longer than usual because he wasn't signed to a tender offer from another team as a restricted free agent. Vujacic considered playing in Europe, but ultimately signed a 3-year contract worth $15 million with the Lakers.

, who is signed for the 2008–09 season, signed a 4-year contract extension for $57.4 million. DJ Mbenga re-signed with the team for one year for approximately $850,000.

Josh Powell Josh Powell (born January 25, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Powell won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, and has also spent time with the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, ...

was also signed to a one-year contract to replace the departed

The Lakers 2007 NBA draft pick Sun Yue, spent the entire 07–08 season playing for the

Beijing Olympians The Beijing Olympians or Beijing Aoshen Olympians or Beijing Aoshen () was a Chinese professional men's basketball team that formerly played in the Chinese Basketball Association and the West Coast Pro Basketball League. They have also played ...

in the ABA. He also played for China in the

. In the offseason the Lakers signed him to a 2-year deal. Joe Crawford, C.J. Giles,

Brandon Heath Brandon Heath Knell (born July 21, 1978) is an American contemporary Christian musician, singer, and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released six studio albums: ''Don't Get Comfortable'' (2006), ''What If We'' (2008), ''Leaving Ede ...

, and Dwayne Mitchell signed to the Lakers roster during the offseason but were all released before the season began.

Draft picks

Due to the midseason trade for

Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA champion ...

in February 2008, the Lakers only had a second round draft pick in 2008. With it they selected Joe Crawford from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. He signed with the Lakers on August 27, 2008, but was waived October 22, during the 2008–09 pre-season.

Trades

On February 7,

Vladimir Radmanović Vladimir Radmanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Владимир Радмановић; born November 19, 1980) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. In Serbia he played for Crvena zvezda and FMP and in the National Basketball Association ...

was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in return for

Adam Morrison Adam John Morrison (born July 19, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Morrison played for three years at Gonzaga University and was considered to be one of the top college basketball players in 2005–06. He was a finalist ...

and

Shannon Brown Shannon Brown (born November 29, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball for Michigan State ...

. The deal was made largely to save money to be able to resign players during the off-season, notably

Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he won championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named the NBA Sixt ...

and

. On February 18, backup center

Chris Mihm Christopher Steven Mihm (born July 16, 1979) is an American former professional basketball center who played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball at Texas, he was drafted with the seventh ov ...

was traded to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

for a conditional second round draft pick in 2013. The trade saves the Lakers approximately $2 million in salary and luxury tax money.

Roster

Season summary

When the Lakers made it all the way to the 2008 NBA Finals without starter

, they were seen as the favorites from the Western Conference to return there in 2009. The team's original starting lineup was: C –

PF –

SF –

SG –

PG –

Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Fisher played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los ...

Having Radmanović start at SF instead of

was seen as a way to space out the offense since two 7-footers, Bynum and Gasol, were in the starting lineup. With Bynum starting and swingman

healthy, the team started off the season with a 7–0 record. A week later they tied the record for best start in franchise history. They were unable to break the record the next game, losing to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

on the road. After peaking at a 21–3 record the Lakers played 4 games in 5 days on the road. They finished the road trip with a sub-par 2–2 record and were facing a rematch of last year's finals against the

on Christmas Day. Under the national spotlight the two teams kept the game close well into the fourth quarter, where the Lakers finally pulled away in the last 2:48 of the game.

earned his 1,000th career win in the game. The Lakers went to win 10 of 11 games, before losing back to back against the

and the

. The losses revealed how injuries to role players

Luke Walton Luke Theodore Walton (born March 28, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 seasons in the NBA as a fo ...

and

Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an Israeli-American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' High School Player of the Y ...

could affect the Lakers. Jackson eventually benched the under-performing Radmanović and was replaced by Walton in the starting lineup. Walton was chosen as starter because of his good passing skills and Jackson wanted to emphasize ball movement in the offense. Andrew Bynum was also criticized for his poor play, including a one rebound performance against the

on January 13. Bynum responded by going five straight games with a

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

including a career best 42 points against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

. Around the same time

also recorded two

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

s for the first and second time in his career since 2005. On January 31, against the

, Bynum left the game with an injured right knee after he was hit by Bryant driving to the basket. An

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...

scan revealed he had a tear of the

medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament (MCL), or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. Its primary function is to resist out ...

in his right knee and was expected to miss 8–12 weeks. To adjust to the injury Pau Gasol moved from power forward to center to replace Bynum and Lamar Odom was put into the starting lineup as power forward to replace Gasol. On February 7 the Lakers traded

to the

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...

for

and

. Radmanović saw his role decrease drastically with the Lakers when he was taken out of the starting lineup, often coming in behind Walton and

. In a road game against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

on February 2, Bryant scored 61 points on 61% shooting in a 126–117 win. Bryant's scoring outburst set a record for the most points ever scored at the historic

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

, breaking

Bernard King Bernard King (born December 4, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player at the small forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 14 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors ...

's record he remained for nearly five years until

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...

broke his own record at this arena scored 62 points in 2014. Bryant's performance was also the highest single game point total of the 2008–2009 season in the NBA. Aside from the team record, another result of the team's success was Kobe Bryant,

and Phil Jackson being selected to play and coach in the

2009 NBA All-Star Game The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was an Exhibition game, exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2009, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 NBA season, 2008–09 season. It was the 58th edition of the NBA All ...

. Bryant was named the All-Star MVP along with former teammate

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...

. After the All-Star break, the Lakers won 17 of 19 games. After playing 27 of their first 46 games at home (a league high) the Lakers were on the road for 22 of 31 games; which started with a six-game road trip and ended with a seven-game road trip. The Lakers won the first six games on the road, including wins against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

(Cleveland's first of two home losses during the regular season). After the All-Star break, the Lakers won six straight games, but then went 2-5 including going 0–3 on the road. The Lakers redeemed themselves by winning two road games in two days; including a win against the

who were on a 12-game home winning streak and their Western rivals (and second seeded team in the West) the

. In March, after recommending Phil Jackson to, Luke Walton was moved to the bench and was replaced with Trevor Ariza. Jackson hoped he can spark the bench activity which dwindled throughout the year. The change caused a surge in Ariza's production and allowed Walton to play less minutes against opposing teams' starting players. The Lakers were dealing with giving up leads in games and receiving inconsistent production from the reserves. After spending the entire season with the best record in the Western Conference the Lakers clinched the top record in the Western Conference on March 27. Since then they were in a race with the Cleveland Cavaliers to finish with the best record in the league and secure home court advantage throughout the playoffs. With a loss to the Sixers on March 17, the Lakers fell to second place overall. They eventually conceded the best regular-season record to Cleveland and clinched the #2 record in the league in April. On April 9, Bynum returned to the Lakers after missing 31 games. His first game back he started and scored 16 points off of 7-11 shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Post season

Utah Jazz

The Lakers went 65–17, and clinched the Pacific Division and home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. In the first round, the Lakers faced the eight-seeded

. The Lakers won Games 1 and 2 at the Staples, but lost Game 3 in Salt Lake City, following a game winner from Deron Williams. All three games saw the Lakers give up big leads, though they were able to still hold the series edge. After a 5-24 performance in Game 3, Kobe Bryant scored 38 points in Game 4 on 16 of 24 shooting in a road win. The Lakers won the series in Game 5 with a 107–96 win at home.

Houston Rockets

In the second round the Lakers faced the Houston Rockets. In Game 1, the Lakers fell behind in the first quarter and never got into a rhythm. As a result, they lost their first home game of the postseason. The Lakers rebounded in Game 2 behind Bryant's 40 point performance and a double double by Gasol and tied the series up at 1 win each. The game was very intense and physical as Derek Fisher of the Lakers and

Ron Artest Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

got ejected and technical fouls were assessed to Bryant, Artest,

Luis Scola Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa (born April 30, 1980) is an Argentine former professional basketball player and current executive who currently serves as the chief executive officer for the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) team Pallacanestro Varese. ...

, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom. The series moved to Houston for Game 3 which the Lakers won 108–94 to retake home court advantage in the series. The Lakers went on to lose Game 4 87–99, despite Rockets center

Yao Ming Yao Ming (; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Associat ...

missing the game (and rest of the series) with a broken foot. In Game 5 the Lakers blew out the Rockets by 40 points, tying the Rockets worst loss in franchise history. Game 6 in Houston was a decisive 95-80 Rockets win. The Rockets jumped out to a 17–1 lead to start the game and were up at half time by 16. Game 6 was the most watched basketball game ever on

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

. The final game of the series was played in Los Angeles on May 17. The Lakers routed the Rockets and won the game 89–70. With 2:30 left in the game the Lakers were up 89-58 and Bryant sat out for most of the 4th quarter. Kobe Bryant scored 14 points his lowest number of playoff points. In each game of the series the team that led at the first quarter won the game.

Denver Nuggets

In the third round the Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets. In Game 1, the Lakers fell behind in the first quarter by up to 13 points. In the second quarter the Lakers found their rhythm and took a 55–54 lead at halftime. In the fourth quarter the game was close and

scored 18 of his 40 points in that quarter to lead the Lakers to a 105–103 to take a 1–0 series lead. In Game 2, the Lakers took a 41–27 lead in the second quarter. In the final minutes of the second quarter the Nuggets went on a 14–2 run to get themselves within 1. Ever since that the game was close. The Nuggets were able to get a win at Staples Center 106-103 which gave the Lakers their second home loss of the postseason. In Game 3, there was another close game which the winner was not decided until the Lakers pulled away at 12 seconds when Bryant made 2 free throws. The Lakers stole home court advantage back from the Nuggets with a 41-point performance from

(13 of them in the 4th quarter). The Lakers were able to stop Denver's 16 home game winning streak by defeating the Nuggets 103–97 to take a 2–1 series lead. The Denver Nuggets would even the series by defeating the Lakers 120–101, thanks in part to 49 free throw attempts. The Lakers 120 points were the most the franchise has ever given up on the postseason, and they also allowed Denver to score 43 points in the 4th quarter. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets at Staples Center 103–94 in Game 5. Game 6 was a blowout in which the Lakers defeated the Nuggets 119–92 to advance to its franchise's 30th

appearance.

Orlando Magic

While the Lakers were making their NBA record 30th Finals appearance, the Magic were entering only their second in franchise history. The Lakers had home court advantage due to having the better regular season record. The Lakers earned a blowout win in Game 1, defeating the Magic by 25 points. Game 2 was a tighter contest, with Magic guard Courtney Lee missing a game winning lay-up off an inbounds lob at the end of regulation. Instead, the game went into overtime and the Lakers prevailed. The series switched to Orlando for games 3, 4, and 5. In Game 3 the Magic shot 75% in the first half and 62.5% in the game, both NBA Finals records, to win by 4 and bring the series to 2–1. Game 4 was another close game. Derek Fisher hit two key 3-pointers, one with 4.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, and the other with 31.3 seconds to go in overtime. The Lakers moved within one win of their 15th championship by beating the Orlando Magic 99–91 to open a 3–1 series lead. The Lakers defeated the Magic in Game 5 to clinch their 15th NBA Championship with a 99–86 win, winning two consecutive games in Orlando.

Regular season

Standings

Game log

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(9) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 8–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 10 , November 20 , @

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, ,

(24) ,

(9) ,

US Airways Center The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

18,422 , 9–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 11 , November 21 ,

, ,

(29) ,

(13) ,

(5) , Staples Center
18,997 , 10–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 12 , November 23 ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, ,

(24) ,

(11) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 11–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 13 , November 25 ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, ,

(26) ,

(8) ,

(4) , Staples Center
18,997 , 12–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 14 , November 28 ,

, ,

(35) ,

(10) ,

(5) , Staples Center
18,997 , 13–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 15 , November 30 ,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, ,

(24) ,

(10) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 14–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 16 , December 2 , @

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, ,

(28) ,

(9) ,

(5) ,

Conseco Fieldhouse CNO Financial Group, Inc. (formerly Conseco, Inc. (from Consolidated National Security Corporation)) is a financial services holding company based in Carmel, Indiana. Its insurance subsidiaries provide life insurance, annuity and supplemental he ...

16,412 , 14–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 17 , December 3 , @

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, ,

(32) ,

(13) ,

(4) ,

Wachovia Center The Wells Fargo Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia. It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the ...

19,119 , 15–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 18 , December 5 , @

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, ,

(23) ,

(10) ,

(7) , Verizon Center
20,173 , 16–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 19 , December 7 ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, ,

(20) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

18,997 , 17–2 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 20 , December 9 , @

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, ,

(28) ,

(12) ,

(4) , ARCO Arena
16,068 , 17–3 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 21 , December 10 ,

, ,

(28) ,

(11) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 18–3 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 22 , December 12 ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, ,

(32) ,

(11) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 19–3 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 23 , December 14 ,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, ,

(26) ,

(11) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 20–3 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 24 , December 16 ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, ,

(28) ,

(12) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 21–3 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 25 , December 19 , @

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, ,

(28) ,

(11) ,

(4) ,

American Airlines Arena FTX Arena (known as American Airlines Arena from 1999 to 2021) is a multi-purpose arena located in Miami, Florida, along Biscayne Bay. It was constructed beginning in 1998 as a replacement for the Miami Arena and designed by the architecture f ...

19,600 , 21–4 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 26 , December 20 , @

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

, ,

(41) ,

(8) ,

(4) ,

Amway Arena Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena wa ...

17,461 , 21–5 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 27 , December 22 , @

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, ,

(36) ,

(7) ,

(6) ,

FedExForum FedExForum is a multi-purpose arena located in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Memphis, both of whom previously played home ga ...

17,456 , 22–5 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 28 , December 23 , @

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, ,

(26) ,

(8) ,

(5) ,

18,405 , 23–5 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 29 , December 25 ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, ,

(27) ,

(9) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 24–5 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 30 , December 28 , Golden State , ,

(31) ,

(10) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 25–5 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 31 , January 2 ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, ,

(40) ,

(11) ,

(6) ,

18,997 , 26–5 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 32 , January 4 ,

, ,

(26) ,

(10) ,

(5) , Staples Center
18,997 , 27–5 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 33 , January 6 ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, ,

(39) ,

(8) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 27–6 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 34 , January 7 , @ Golden State , ,

(33) ,

(18) ,

(8) ,

Oracle Arena An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...

19,596 , 28–6 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 35 , January 9 ,

, ,

(36) ,

(11) ,

(13) , Staples Center
18,997 , 29–6 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 36 , January 11 ,

, ,

(24) ,

(18) ,

(11) , Staples Center
18,997 , 30–6 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 37 , January 13 , @

, ,

(33) ,

(7) ,

(4) ,

Toyota Center Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it was once the home of the Houston ...

18,557 , 31–6 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 38 , January 14 , @

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, ,

(29) ,

(7) ,

(10) ,

AT&T Center AT&T Center is a list of indoor arenas, multi-purpose indoor arena on the east side of San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is the home of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. The arena seats 18,418 for basketball, and ...

18,797 , 31–7 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 39 , January 16 ,

, ,

(28) ,

(13) ,

(11) , Staples Center
18,997 , 31–8 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 40 , January 19 ,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, ,

(22) ,

(13) ,

(12) , Staples Center
18,997 , 32–8 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 41 , January 21 , @

, ,

(42) ,

(15) ,

(12) ,

19,627 , 33–8 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 42 , January 22 ,

, ,

(23) ,

(14) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 34–8 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 43 , January 25 ,

, ,

(22) ,

(11) ,

(4) , Staples Center
18,997 , 35–8 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 44 , January 27 ,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, ,

(38) ,

(14) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 35–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 45 , January 30 , @

, ,

(30) ,

(15) ,

(5) ,

Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...

19,111 , 36–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 46 , January 31 , @

, ,

(25) ,

(8) ,

(7) ,

18,119 , 37–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 47 , February 2 , @

, ,

(61) ,

(14) ,

(5) ,

19,763 , 38–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 48 , February 4 , @

, ,

(36) ,

(15) ,

(5) ,

Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena ( French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Rap ...

19,800 , 39–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 49 , February 5 , @

, ,

(26) ,

(14) ,

(5) ,

TD Banknorth Garden TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...

18,624 , 40–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 50 , February 8 , @

, ,

(28) ,

(17) ,

(6) ,

Quicken Loans Arena Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a multi-purpose arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). It also serv ...

20,562 , 41–9 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 51 , February 10 ,

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

, ,

(34) ,

(18) ,

(5) ,

18,997 , 42–9 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 52 , February 11 , @

, ,

(37) ,

(19) ,

(4) ,

EnergySolutions Arena Vivint Arena (stylized as vivint arena), formerly known as Delta Center, EnergySolutions Arena and Vivint Smart Home Arena, is an indoor arena located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Asso ...

19,911 , 42–10 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 53 , February 17 ,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, ,

(15) ,

(20) ,

(10) , Staples Center
18,997 , 43–10 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 54 , February 18 , @ Golden State , ,

(30) ,

(13) ,

(9) ,

20,007 , 44–10 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 55 , February 20 ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, ,

(39) ,

(17) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 45–10 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 56 , February 22 , @

, ,

(28) ,

(14) ,

(7) ,

19,177 , 46–10 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 57 , February 24 , @

, ,

(36) ,

(8) ,

(6) , Ford Center
19,136 , 47–10 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 58 , February 26 ,

, ,

(23) ,

(9) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 48–10 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 59 , February 27 , @

, ,

(29) ,

(19) ,

(5) ,

19,920 , 48–11 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 60 , March 1 , @

, ,

(49) ,

(11) ,

(5) ,

18,422 , 48–12 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 61 , March 3 ,

, ,

(31) ,

(13) ,

(8) ,

18,997 , 49–12 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 62 , March 6 ,

, ,

(23) ,

(9) ,

(4) , Staples Center
18,997 , 50–12 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 63 , March 9 , @

, ,

(26) ,

(13) ,

D. J. Mbenga Didier "D. J." Ilunga-Mbenga (pronounced Benga; born December 30, 1980) is a Belgian-Congolese former professional basketball player. He has also played for the Belgian national basketball team as he is a dual citizen of both his native countries. ...

(4) ,

Rose Garden A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Most often it is a section of a larger garden. Designs vary tremendously and roses m ...

20,573 , 50–13 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 64 , March 11 , @

, ,

(37) ,

(9) ,

(6) ,

18,449 , 51–13 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 65 , March 12 , @

, ,

(23) ,

(11) ,

(6) ,

18,797 , 52–13 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 66 , March 15 ,

, ,

(28) ,

(14) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 53–13 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 67 , March 17 ,

, ,

(25) ,

(11) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 53–14 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 68 , March 19 , Golden State , ,

(21) ,

(14) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 54–14 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 69 , March 21 , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, ,

(28) ,

(10) ,

(7) ,

United Center United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is named ...

23,011 , 55–14 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 70 , March 24 , @

, ,

(19) ,

(14) ,

(7) , Ford Center
19,136 , 56–14 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 71 , March 26 , @

, ,

(30) ,

(11) ,

(7) ,

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shoc ...

22,076 , 57–14 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 72 , March 27 , @

, ,

(36) ,

(11) ,

(9) ,

Izod Center Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...

19,990 , 58–14 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 73 , March 29 , @

, ,

(21) ,

(11) ,

(4) ,

Philips Arena State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Leag ...

20,148 , 58–15 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 74 , March 31 , @

, ,

(25) ,

(11) ,

(7) ,

Time Warner Cable Arena Spectrum Center is an indoor arena located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by the city of Charlotte and operated by its main tenant, the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. The arena seats 19,077 for NBA games but can be expanded to 20,20 ...

19,568 , 58–16 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 75 , April 1 , @

, ,

(30) ,

(10) ,

(4) ,

Bradley Center The Bradley Center (also known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) was a multi-purpose arena located on the northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Ave. and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United ...

18,717 , 59–16 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 76 , April 3 ,

, ,

(23) ,

(11) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 60–16 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 77 , April 5 ,

, ,

(18) ,

(10) ,

(5) , Staples Center
18,997 , 61–16 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 78 , April 7 , @

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, ,

(26) ,

(12) ,

(9) , ARCO Arena
17,317 , 62–16 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 79 , April 9 ,

, ,

(33) ,

(19) ,

(4) , Staples Center
18,997 , 63–16 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 80 , April 10 , @

, ,

(32) ,

(10) ,

(8) ,

20,681 , 63–17 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 81 , April 12 ,

, ,

(18) ,

(13) ,

(4) , Staples Center
18,997 , 64–17 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 82 , April 14 ,

, ,

(22) ,

(9) ,

(6) , Staples Center
18,997 , 65–17

Playoffs

, - style="background:#bfb;" , 1 , April 19 ,

, ,

(24) ,

(9) ,

(8) ,

18,997 , 1–0 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 2 , April 21 ,

, ,

(26) , Ariza, Bryant (9) , Bryant, Gasol (9) ,

18,997 , 2–0 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 3 , April 23 , @

, ,

(21) ,

(14) ,

(6) ,

19,111 , 2–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 4 , April 25 , @

, ,

(38) ,

(15) ,

(6) ,

19,111 , 3–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 5 , April 27 ,

, ,

(31) ,

(15) , Ariza, Bryant, Gasol, Odom (4) ,

18,997 , 4–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 1 , May 4 ,

, ,

(32) ,

(13) , Bryant, Gasol (4) ,

18,997 , 0–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 2 , May 6 ,

, ,

(40) ,

(14) ,

(5) ,

18,997 , 1–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 3 , May 8 , @

, ,

(33) ,

(13) ,

(7) ,

18,495 , 2–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 4 , May 10 , @

, ,

(30) ,

(9) ,

(5) ,

18,495 , 2–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 5 , May 12 ,

, ,

(26) ,

(13) ,

(6) ,

18,997 , 3–2 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 6 , May 14 , @

, ,

(32) ,

(14) ,

(3) ,

18,501 , 3–3 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 7 , May 17 ,

, ,

(21) ,

(18) ,

(5) ,

18,997 , 4–3 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 1 , May 19 ,

, ,

(40) ,

(14) ,

(6) ,

18,997 , 1–0 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 2 , May 21 ,

, ,

(32) ,

(17) ,

(4) ,

18,997 , 1–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 3 , May 23 , @

, ,

(41) ,

(11) ,

(5) ,

19,939 , 2–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 4 , May 25 , @

, ,

(34) ,

(10) , Bryant,

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada *Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdom ...

(5) ,

20,037 , 2–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 5 , May 27 ,

, ,

(22) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

18,997 , 3–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 6 , May 29 , @

, ,

(35) ,

(12) ,

(10) ,

20,053 , 4–2 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 1 , June 4 ,

, ,

(40) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

18,997 , 1–0 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 2 , June 7 ,

, ,

(29) ,

(10) ,

(8) ,

18,997 , 2–0 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 3 , June 9 , @

, ,

(31) ,

(7) ,

(8) ,

17,461 , 2–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 4 , June 11 , @

, ,

(32) ,

(10) ,

(8) ,

17,461 , 3–1 , - style="background:#bfb;" , 5 , June 14 , @

, ,

(30) ,

(15) ,

(5) ,

17,461 , 4–1

Player statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Awards

* The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 NBA Championship. *

was named the 2009

All-Star

was named the Western Conference coach for the

. It was his fourth time coaching an All-Star team and second time with the Los Angeles Lakers. *

was voted to his 11th consecutive NBA All-Star Game as a starter. *

was selected to his second NBA All-Star Game. *

was named the 2009 NBA All-Star MVP with former teammate

Weekly/Monthly

was named '' Western Conference Coach of the Month'' for games played in October and November. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played from December 22 to December 28. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Month'' for December 2008. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played from January 5 to January 11. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played from January 19 to January 25. *

was named the '' Western Conference Player of the Month'' for January 2009. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played from February 2 to February 8. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played from February 16 to February 27. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Month'' for February. *

was named '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played from March 9 to March 15.

Records

reached 1,000 career wins on December 25, 2008, against the

. With 1,423 games coached, he became the fastest coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 wins, surpassing former Lakers coach

Pat Riley Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...

. * With a 17–2 season start, the Lakers tied their record for best opening in franchise history. * On February 2,

scored 61 points against the

, making it the most points scored at

ever. * On February 8, the Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back games on the road (Boston and Cleveland), against teams with .800-plus win percentage at least 40 games into the season. *

set a record for highest three-point field goal percentage in franchise history. * On February 10, at 30 years, 171 days of age, Kobe Bryant surpassed

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...

(30 years, 176 days) as the youngest player to score 23,000 points in his career. * On February 22,

moved past

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lake ...

into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list. * On February 24,

moved past

Adrian Dantley Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection an ...

into 19th place on the NBA's career scoring list. * On March 6,

moved past

Robert Parish Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,61 ...

into 18th place on the NBA's career scoring list. * On March 27

coached 728 games for the Los Angeles Lakers, surpassing the franchise record set by

. * On April 10,

moved past

Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons in the Natio ...

into 17th place on the NBA's career scoring list. * On June 7,

coached his 42nd Finals game, surpassing

Red Auerbach Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. He served as a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Boston Celtics. ...

for most NBA Finals games coached. * On June 14,

won his 10th NBA title as a head coach, surpassing

for most all-time.

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers Season Los Angeles Lakers seasons

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Western Conference (NBA) championship seasons NBA championship seasons Articles containing video clips Los Angle Los Angle