The 2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 72nd season, its 71st season 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 St ...

(NBA), and its 60th in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. The Lakers were coached by

Frank Vogel Frank Paul Vogel (born June 21, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach. He previously served as the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Vogel also previ ...

in his first year as team head coach. The Lakers played their home games at Staples Center as members of the Western Conference's Pacific Division. The Lakers had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA. On March 6, 2020, the Lakers clinched their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season. Five days later, due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the season was suspended. On July 5, the NBA announced a return of the season in the NBA Bubble, with 22 teams playing 8 seeding games followed by a full postseason. Play resumed on July 30 with all games being played in Orlando, Florida, and on August 3, the Lakers clinched both their first Pacific Division title since 2012 and the top seed in the Western Conference

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

for the first time since the 2009–10 season. The Lakers finished the season 52–19, with a winning percentage equal to 60 games in a full 82-game season. They defeated 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 ...

, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets each in five games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. There they defeated the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

(

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...

' former team) in six games to earn the franchise's 17th NBA championship, tying them with the Boston Celtics for the most of any NBA franchise. The team dedicated the season and the Finals win to Kobe Bryant who was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

Previous season

The Lakers finished the 2018–19 season 37–45 to finish in fourth place in the Pacific Division and failing to qualify for the

for the sixth consecutive year. Following the season, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations. On April 12, 2019, head coach

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 f ...

and the team agreed to part ways. On May 11, the Lakers hired Frank Vogel as head coach. The season marked the first time since 2005 that

did not appear in the playoffs and first time since 2010 that he missed the Finals.

Offseason

Front office and coaching changes

On April 9, 2019, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations. Three days after that,

and the team agreed to part ways. On May 13, the team hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach and

Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards a ...

was named an assistant coach.

Draft

The Lakers held one first round draft pick for the 2019 NBA Draft. They previously held the rights to two second rounders in this year's draft as well, but those selections were later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

as picks 34 and 41, respectively. On the night of the NBA draft lottery, the Lakers rose up seven spots from the projected 11th selection to the 4th pick of the draft. On June 15, the Lakers agreed to a trade that would send players

Brandon Ingram Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the ...

Lonzo Ball Lonzo Anderson Ball (born October 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, he played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins, earn ...

, and

Josh Hart Josh Hart (born March 6, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz with the 30th ...

, and multiple draft picks, including the Lakers' 2019 1st round draft pick, to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis. However, the trade was not finalized until July 6, during which time, the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

were included in the deal as well.

Trades

On June 15, 2019, the Lakers agreed to a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire six-time

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

power forward Anthony Davis, though the deal would not take full effect until July 6. In exchange for Davis, the Lakers agreed to give up forward

, guards

and

, three first round picks (including their No. 4 overall selection in 2019), and a first round pick swap in 2023. On June 27, the

joined the trade to get Moritz Wagner,

Isaac Bonga Isaac Evolue Etue Bofenda Bonga (born November 8, 1999) is a German professional basketball player who is playing for FC Bayern München of the German Basketball Bundesliga and the EuroLeague. Standing , he began his professional career with Sky ...

, Jemerrio Jones, and the Lakers' 2022 second-round pick in exchange for cash considerations.

Preseason

Game log

, - style="background:#cfc;" , 1 , October 5 , @ Golden State , , Anthony Davis (22) , JaVale McGee (13) ,

(8) ,

Chase Center Chase Center is an indoor arena in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The building is the home venue for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and occasionally for the University of San ...

18,064 , 1–0 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 2 , October 10 ,

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, ,

(20) , JaVale McGee (10) ,

Alex Caruso Alex Michael Caruso (born February 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Bald Mamba" or "Carushow", he played college basketball for the Texas A&M A ...

(8) , Mercedes-Benz Arena
15,992 , 1–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 3 , October 12 ,

, ,

Avery Bradley Avery Antonio Bradley Jr. (born November 26, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns before ...

(14) , Howard, Caldwell-Pope (6) ,

(5) , Universiade Sports Center
17,396 , 1–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , October 14 , Golden State , , Zach Norvell Jr. (22) ,

Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League. He is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defensive Team ...

(13) , David Stockton (7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 2–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 5 , October 16 , Golden State , ,

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

(18) , Anthony Davis (10) ,

(11) , Staples Center
18,997 , 3–2 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 6 , October 18 , @ Golden State , , Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (25) ,

Devontae Cacok Devontae Calvin Cacok ( ; born October 8, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks, where in the 2017–18 season he led the nation ...

(10) ,

Demetrius Jackson Demetrius Montell Jackson Jr. (born September 7, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Joventut Badalona of the Spanish Liga ACB. He played three seasons of college basketball for the University of Notre Dame bef ...

(9) , Chase Center
18,064 , 3–3

Regular season

Standings

Division

Conference

Game log

, - style="background:#fcc;" , 1 , October 22 , @ L. A. Clippers , , Danny Green (28) , Anthony Davis (10) ,

(8) , Staples Center
19,068 , 0–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2 , October 25 ,

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 ...

, ,

(32) ,

Davis Davis may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Davis (Antarctica) * Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago) * Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land Canada * Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community * Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...

, Howard (7) ,

(10) , Staples Center
18,997 , 1–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 3 , October 27 ,

Charlotte 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 populo ...

, , Anthony Davis (29) , Anthony Davis (14) ,

(12) , Staples Center
18,997 , 2–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , October 29 ,

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 ...

, , Anthony Davis (40) , Anthony Davis (20) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 3–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 5 , November 1 , @

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, ,

(39) ,

(12) ,

(16) ,

American Airlines Center The American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena serves as the home of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association and the Dallas ...

20,358 , 4–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 6 , November 3 , @

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= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, , Anthony Davis (25) ,

(13) ,

AT&T Center AT&T Center is a 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 19,000 for concerts or ...

18,610 , 5–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 7 , November 5 , @

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

, ,

(30) ,

(10) ,

(11) ,

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 ...

21,193 , 6–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 8 , November 8 ,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, , Anthony Davis (26) , JaVale McGee (10) , Anthony Davis (7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 7–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 9 , November 10 ,

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 anch ...

, , Anthony Davis (27) ,

(13) ,

(15) , Staples Center
18,997 , 7–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 10 , November 12 , @

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 ...

, , Anthony Davis (24) , Anthony Davis (12) ,

(11) ,

Talking Stick Resort Arena Footprint Center (formerly known as America West Arena, US Airways Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena and Phoenix Suns Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Built in the regional population center of the southwestern United Sta ...

18,055 , 8–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 11 , November 13 , Golden State , ,

(23) , JaVale McGee (17) ,

(12) , Staples Center
18,997 , 9–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 12 , November 15 ,

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

, ,

(29) , Howard, McGee (7) ,

(11) , Staples Center
18,997 , 10–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 13 , November 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 ...

, ,

(33) ,

(9) ,

(12) , Staples Center
18,997 , 11–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 14 , November 19 ,

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 ...

, , Anthony Davis (34) ,

(11) ,

Rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...

(10) , Staples Center
18,997 , 12–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 15 , November 22 , @

, , Anthony Davis (33) , Anthony Davis (11) ,

(14) ,

Chesapeake Energy Arena Paycom Center (originally known as the Ford Center from 2002 to 2010, Oklahoma City Arena from 2010 to 2011, and Chesapeake Energy Arena from 2011 to 2021) is an arena located in Downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It opened in 200 ...

18,203 , 13–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 16 , November 23 , @

, ,

(30) ,

(9) ,

Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo (, born February 22, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Rondo played two years of college basketball for ...

(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 ...

17,794 , 14–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 17 , November 25 , @

, ,

(33) , Anthony Davis (12) ,

(14) ,

18,498 , 15–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 18 , November 27 , @

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, , Anthony Davis (41) , Anthony Davis (9) ,

(11) ,

Smoothie King Center Smoothie King Center (locally referred to as SKC) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to Caesars Superdome. The arena opened in 1999 as New Orleans Arena and ...

18,626 , 16–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 19 , November 29 ,

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 o ...

, , Anthony Davis (26) , Anthony Davis (13) ,

(11) , Staples Center
18,997 , 17–2 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 20 , December 1 ,

, , Anthony Davis (27) ,

, McGee (10) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 17–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 21 , December 3 , @

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, ,

(25) , Anthony Davis (10) ,

(9) ,

Pepsi Center Ball Arena (formerly known as Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver, and is served by two nearby exits off Interstate 25. A light r ...

19,658 , 18–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 22 , December 4 , @

, , Anthony Davis (26) , Howard,

(9) ,

(12) ,

Vivint Smart Home 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 Assoc ...

18,306 , 19–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 23 , December 6 , @

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, , Anthony Davis (39) ,

(10) ,

(8) ,

Moda Center Moda Center, formerly known as the Rose Garden, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is used for basketball, ice hockey, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions. The arena h ...

19,912 , 20–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 24 , December 8 ,

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 ...

, , Anthony Davis (50) , Danny Green (8) ,

(13) , Staples Center
18,997 , 21–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 25 , December 11 , @

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 re ...

, ,

(25) , Anthony Davis (12) ,

(10) ,

Amway Center Amway Center is an indoor arena located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, and the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League. Amway Center hosted the 2012 N ...

18,846 , 22–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 26 , December 13 , @

, , Anthony Davis (33) ,

, McGee (10) ,

(12) ,

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 ...

20,013 , 23–3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 27 , December 15 , @

, ,

(32) ,

(13) ,

(7) , State Farm Arena
16,962 , 24–3 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 28 , December 17 , @

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 ...

, , Howard,

(20) ,

(9) ,

Bankers Life Fieldhouse A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

17,923 , 24–4 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 29 , December 19 , @

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 ...

, , Anthony Davis (36) ,

(12) ,

(11) ,

Fiserv Forum Fiserv Forum (stylized as fiserv.forum) () is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the home of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball tea ...

18,051 , 24–5 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 30 , December 22 ,

, , Anthony Davis (32) , Anthony Davis (11) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 24–6 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 31 , December 25 , L. A. Clippers , ,

Kyle Kuzma Kyle Alexander Kuzma (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Utah Utes and was named first-team all-confere ...

(25) , Howard,

(9) ,

(10) , Staples Center
18,997 , 24–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 32 , December 28 , @

, ,

(24) , Anthony Davis (9) ,

(16) ,

19,960 , 25–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 33 , December 29 ,

, , Anthony Davis (23) , Anthony Davis (9) ,

(13) , Staples Center
18,997 , 26–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 34 , January 1 ,

, ,

(31) ,

(13) ,

(12) , Staples Center
18,997 , 27–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 35 , January 3 ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, , Anthony Davis (46) , Anthony Davis (13) ,

(15) , Staples Center
18,997 , 28–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 36 , January 5 ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, , Anthony Davis (24) ,

(14) ,

(11) , Staples Center
18,997 , 29–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 37 , January 7 , New York , ,

(31) ,

(13) ,

(10) , Staples Center
18,997 , 30–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 38 , January 10 , @

, ,

(35) ,

(16) ,

(7) ,

20,542 , 31–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 39 , January 11 , @

, ,

(36) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

18,203 , 32–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 40 , January 13 ,

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. ...

, ,

(31) ,

(15) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 33–7 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 41 , January 15 ,

, ,

Quinn Cook Quinn Alexander Cook (born March 23, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and was one of the top rated baske ...

(22) ,

(16) ,

(19) , Staples Center
18,997 , 33–8 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 42 , January 18 , @

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, ,

(31) ,

(10) ,

(12) ,

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 Hous ...

18,502 , 34–8 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 43 , January 20 , @

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 ...

, , JaVale McGee (18) ,

(10) ,

(13) ,

TD 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 ...

19,156 , 34–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 44 , January 22 , @ New York , , Anthony Davis (28) ,

(12) ,

(5) , Madison Square Garden
19,812 , 35–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 45 , January 23 , @

, ,

(27) , Howard,

(12) ,

(10) , Barclays Center
17,732 , 36–9 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 46 , January 25 , @

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, , Anthony Davis (31) ,

(7) ,

(8) ,

Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...

21,109 , 36–10 , - style="background:#bbb;" , — , January 28 , LA Clippers , colspan="6" , ''Postponed due to the

2020 Calabasas helicopter crash On January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in the city of Calabasas, California, around northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, while en route from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport. All nine people on board were killed: retir ...

that killed Kobe Bryant. Makeup date July 30 (originally April 9).'' , - style="background:#fcc;" , 47 , January 31 ,

, , Anthony Davis (37) ,

Kuzma Kuzma may refer to: Locations *Kuzma, Kuzma, a settlement in the Municipality of Kuzma, Slovenia *Municipality of Kuzma, a municipality in Slovenia People *Kuzma, a Slavic given name derived from Cosmas **Kuzma Minin, Russian merchant and hero of ...

(15) ,

(10) , Staples Center
18,997 , 36–11 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 48 , February 1 , @

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

, , Anthony Davis (21) ,

(10) ,

(11) ,

Golden 1 Center Golden 1 Center is an indoor arena, located in downtown Sacramento, California, United States. It sits partially on the site of the former Downtown Plaza shopping center. The publicly owned arena is part of a business and entertainment district ...

17,583 , 37–11 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 49 , February 4 ,

, ,

(36) ,

(12) ,

(9) , Staples Center
18,997 , 38–11 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 50 , February 6 ,

, , Anthony Davis (32) , Anthony Davis (13) ,

(15) , Staples Center
18,997 , 38–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 51 , February 8 , @ Golden State , , Anthony Davis (27) , Anthony Davis (10) ,

(11) ,

18,064 , 39–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 52 , February 10 ,

, , Anthony Davis (25) ,

(15) ,

(9) , Staples Center
18,997 , 40–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 53 , February 12 , @

, , Anthony Davis (33) ,

(12) ,

(14) ,

19,860 , 41–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 54 , February 21 ,

, ,

(32) , Anthony Davis (13) ,

(7) , Staples Center
18,997 , 42–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 55 , February 23 ,

, , Anthony Davis (32) , Anthony Davis (13) ,

(9) , Staples Center
18,997 , 43–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 56 , February 25 ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, ,

(40) , Anthony Davis (14) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 44–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 57 , February 27 , @ Golden State , , Anthony Davis (23) ,

(9) ,

(6) ,

18,064 , 45–12 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 58 , February 29 , @

, ,

(19) , Anthony Davis (9) ,

(10) ,

17,794 , 45–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 59 , March 1 , @

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, ,

(34) ,

(12) ,

(13) ,

18,547 , 46–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 60 , March 3 ,

, , Anthony Davis (37) , Anthony Davis (13) ,

(14) , Staples Center
18,997 , 47–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 61 , March 6 ,

, ,

(37) , JaVale McGee (11) ,

(8) , Staples Center
18,997 , 48–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 62 , March 8 , @ L. A. Clippers , , Anthony Davis (30) ,

(10) ,

(9) , Staples Center
19,068 , 49–13 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 63 , March 10 ,

, ,

(29) ,

(12) ,

(9) , Staples Center
18,997 , 49–14 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 64 , July 30 , L. A. Clippers , , Anthony Davis (34) ,

(11) ,

(7) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 50–14 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 65 , August 1 , @

, , LeBron James (20) , LeBron James (10) , LeBron James (5) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 50–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 66 , August 3 , @

, , Anthony Davis (42) , Anthony Davis (12) , LeBron James (9) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 51–15 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 67 , August 5 ,

, , LeBron James (19) , LeBron James (11) , Anthony Davis (5) , HP Field House
No In-Person Attendance , 51–16 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 68 , August 6 , @

, ,

(21) ,

(15) ,

(4) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 51–17 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 69 , August 8 , @

, , LeBron James (31) , Dwight Howard (12) , LeBron James (7) , HP Field House
No In-Person Attendance , 51–18 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 70 , August 10 ,

, , LeBron James (29) ,

Markieff Morris Markieff Morris (born September 2, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted 13th overall i ...

(7) , LeBron James (12) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 52–18 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 71 , August 13 ,

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

, ,

Dion Waiters Dion Waiters Jr. (born December 10, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange and was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. ...

(19) , JaVale McGee (9) ,

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

, Waiters (5) , HP Field House
No In-Person Attendance , 52–19 , - style="background:#;" , 64 , March 12 ,

, , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 65 , March 15 ,

, , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 66 , March 16 , @

, , , , ,

, , - style="background:#;" , 67 , March 18 , Utah , , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 68 , March 21 , @

, , , , , Spectrum Center , , - style="background:#;" , 69 , March 22 , @

, , , , ,

Little Caesars Arena Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Midtown Detroit. Opened on September 5, 2017, the arena, which cost $862.9 million to construct, replaced Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of ...

, , - style="background:#;" , 70 , March 24 , @

, , , , ,

Scotiabank Arena 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 Rapt ...

, , - style="background:#;" , 71 , March 26 , @

, , , , ,

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 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 ...

, , - style="background:#;" , 72 , March 28 , @

, , , , ,

Capital One Arena Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. It has been largely considered to be a commercial success ...

, , - style="background:#;" , 73 , March 30 , @

, , , , ,

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, ...

, , - style="background:#;" , 74 , April 1 ,

, , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 75 , April 4 ,

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

, , , , ,

, , - style="background:#;" , 76 , April 5 ,

, , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 77 , April 7 , Golden State , , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 78 , April 8 ,

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

, , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 79 , April 9 , LA Clippers , , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 80 , April 12 , Minnesota , , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 81 , April 14 , Sacramento , , , , , Staples Center , , - style="background:#;" , 82 , April 15 , @

, , , , ,

Season notes

and Davis would be selected to the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

for the 16th straight, and seventh straight years respectively. James would take Davis with the No. 1 pick in the All-Star draft. Additionally, Vogel was also selected to coach Team LeBron in the All-Star Game. Team LeBron would go on to win 157–155, with Davis hitting a game-winning free throw. By adding Davis, the Lakers got off to a fast start to the season, which included a 17–2 record by the end of November. Four months later, they were able to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season with a win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

on March 6. However, five days after clinching their playoff berth, the NBA season was abruptly suspended by league officials after it was reported that Rudy Gobert of 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), ...

tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

. Two unidentified players of the Lakers would later test positive for COVID-19 on March 19. The season resumed, but

opted out of playing in the restart to remain with his family due to his oldest child, who had a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses. The Lakers replaced him on the roster with

J. R. Smith Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jers ...

, reuniting him with LeBron whom he won a championship with in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Death of Kobe Bryant

On January 26, 2020, tragedy struck the Lakers organization when former All-Star guard Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant and seven other passengers. Bryant was 41 at the time of his death, and Gigi was 13. This prompted the Lakers to dedicate the rest of their season to his memory.

Playoffs

Game log

, - style="background:#fcc;" , 1 , August 18 ,

, , Anthony Davis (28) ,

(17) , LeBron James (16) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 0–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2 , August 20 , Portland , , Anthony Davis (31) , Anthony Davis (11) , LeBron James (7) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 1–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 3 , August 22 , @ Portland , , LeBron James (38) , LeBron James (12) , Davis, James (8) , AdventHealth Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 2–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , August 24 , @ Portland , , LeBron James (30) , Howard, McGee (8) , LeBron James (10) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 3–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 5 , August 29† , Portland , , Anthony Davis (43) , LeBron James (10) , LeBron James (10) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 4–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 1 , September 4 ,

, , Anthony Davis (25) , Anthony Davis (14) ,

(7) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 0–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2 , September 6 , Houston , , Anthony Davis (34) , LeBron James (11) , James,

(9) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 1–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 3 , September 8 , @ Houston , , LeBron James (36) , Anthony Davis (15) , Rajon Rondo (9) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 2–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , September 10 , @ Houston , , Anthony Davis (29) , LeBron James (15) , LeBron James (9) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 3–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 5 , September 12 , Houston , , LeBron James (29) , Davis, James (11) , LeBron James (7) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 4–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1 , September 18 ,

, , Anthony Davis (37) , Anthony Davis (10) ,

(12) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 1–0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2 , September 20 , Denver , , Anthony Davis (31) , LeBron James (11) ,

(9) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 2–0 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 3 , September 22 , @ Denver , , LeBron James (30) , LeBron James (10) , LeBron James (11) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 2–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , September 24 , @ Denver , , Anthony Davis (34) ,

(11) , LeBron James (8) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 3–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 5 , September 26 , Denver , , LeBron James (38) , LeBron James (16) , LeBron James (10) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 4–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1 , September 30 ,

, , Anthony Davis (34) ,

(13) , LeBron James (9) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 1–0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2 , October 2 , Miami , , LeBron James (33) , Anthony Davis (14) ,

(10) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 2–0 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 3 , October 4 , @ Miami , , LeBron James (25) , LeBron James (10) , LeBron James (8) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 2–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , October 6 , @ Miami , , LeBron James (28) , LeBron James (12) , LeBron James (8) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 3–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 5 , October 9 , Miami , , LeBron James (40) , LeBron James (13) , LeBron James (7) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 3–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 6 , October 11 , @ Miami , , LeBron James (28) , Anthony Davis (15) , LeBron James (10) , The Arena
No In-Person Attendance , 4–2
† Originally scheduled for August 26. Game 5 was rescheduled due to a boycott from NBA players following the police involved

shooting of Jacob Blake On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times after Blake opened the driv ...

Playoff notes

In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the eight-seed

in the first round and won the series in 5 games. In Western Conference semi-finals, they faced off against the fourth seed Houston Rockets, again winning in five games. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010, where they faced and defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games. They reached the NBA Finals for the first time in a

decade A decade () is a period of ten years. Decades may describe any ten-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement that "du ...

, where they faced off the Eastern Conference champion

, marking the first meeting between the two teams in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won the series in 6 games, winning the championship for the first time since the 2010 season. They became the first team since the 2007–08 Boston Celtics to go directly from a non-playoff season to a championship. This championship win also saw the Lakers tie the Celtics with the highest number of NBA championship wins at 17. The Lakers'

was named the

NBA Finals Most Valuable Player 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 ...

(MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first player in league history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises (two with the Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and one with the Lakers) and he and Danny Green became the third and fourth players to win the NBA Finals with three different teams. Lakers president

Jeanie Buss Jeanie Marie Buss (born September 26, 1961) is an American sports executive who is the controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A daughter of Jerry Buss, who owned the Lakers and oth ...

became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.

Roster

Transactions

Overview

Trades

Free agency

Re-signed

Additions

Subtractions

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers seasons Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers Lakers Lakers Western Conference (NBA) championship seasons NBA championship seasons