The 2007–08

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 ...

season was the 60th season of the franchise, 59th 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 48th in Los Angeles. During the offseason, the Lakers re-signed point guard

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 ...

. The Lakers celebrated their 60th anniversary, thus the Laker jerseys wore the 60th anniversary patches on the leftmost part. They finished the regular season with 57 wins, finishing with the most wins in the tightest conference race in NBA history. The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 29th time in franchise history. This 15-game turnaround from the prior season has been attributed to the progress of the team's bench players and the mid-season 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 ...

. The Lakers sold out all 41 home games for the season. After 12 seasons in the NBA,

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 named the 2008

NBA Most Valuable Player The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...

for the first and only time in his career. The Lakers had the third best team offensive rating and the fifth best team defensive rating in the NBA. In the playoffs, the Lakers swept 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 four games in the First Round, 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 six games in the Semifinals, and defeated the defending NBA champion

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 ( ...

in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals since

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. In 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 ...

, the Lakers faced off against their rivals, 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 ...

, renewing their storied rivalry, and marking the first time the two teams faced off against each other in the NBA Finals since

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

. However, the Lakers would lose against the Celtics in the NBA Finals in six games, ending with a blowout defeat to the Celtics in Game 6 by 39 points, losing 92–131, and marking the Lakers' ninth defeat to the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Key dates

* June 28: The 2007 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 preseason started with a home game versus the

. * October 28: The regular season started with a home game versus 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 ...

. * February 16–17: The

2008 NBA All-Star Weekend The 2008 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 17, 2008, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season. It was the 57th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at New Orlea ...

took place. * March 2: The Lakers matched their previous season win total (42) with an

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...

win against the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

. * April 11: The Lakers clinched the Pacific Division title with a win over the

New Orleans Hornets 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, ...

. * April 15: The Lakers clinched the Western Conference title and concluded the regular season with a game against 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 ...

. * April 20: The Lakers played their first playoff game of the season. * June 17: The Lakers played their final game of the playoffs against the

in the

, losing 92–131.

Roster changes

Injuries and surgeries

Following the

2006–07 NBA season The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The San Antonio Spurs were crowned the champions after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences *The first NBA draft under the ne ...

, their offseason was marred with surgeries to their two key players. The first of which was

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 ...

having shoulder surgery which made him miss the first five games of the 2007–08 NBA season. The other was

Kwame Brown Kwame Hasani Brown (born March 10, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA draft, Brown was the first No. ...

having shoulder surgery also.

Signings

The Lakers' first signing was their first-round draft pick

Javaris Crittenton Javaris Cortez Crittenton (born December 31, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. During his four year career, Crittenton played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards of the National Basketba ...

. Then the Lakers re-signed

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 ...

to a six-year contract extension worth $30 million.

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 ...

also signed a new contract for two years despite missing the entire previous season after having surgery on his right ankle. Walton was a key player last season while Mihm was sidelined for the whole season. The most notable signing of the Lakers off-season was past hero

, signed to a three-year deal worth approximately $14 million. Fisher was released from the

at his request during the offseason so his family could move to a city that has better treatment for his daughter, who was diagnosed with

retinoblastoma Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare form of cancer that rapidly develops from the immature cells of a retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye. It is the most common primary malignant intraocular cancer in children, and it is almost exclusively fo ...

. The Lakers signed him in order to add stability at the point and they needed a player who was well versed in the

triangle offense The triangle offense is an offensive strategy used in basketball. Its basic ideas were initially established by Hall of Fame coach Sam Barry at the University of Southern California. His system was further developed by former Houston Rockets and ...

. The Lakers were also hoping that signing a former veteran of the Lakers would ease Bryant's demand to be traded.

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 ...

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 ...

had their 4th-year and 3rd-year contracts extended respectively. This kept each player with the team for at least one more year.

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. ...

and rookie

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 ...

were also signed with the team to fill roster spots. Coby Karl, the son of

Nuggets Nuggets may refer to: Music * ''Nuggets'' (series), a series of compilation albums by Elektra Records, continued by Rhino * '' Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968'' * '' Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from ...

coach

George Karl George Matthew Karl (born May 12, 1951) is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, Karl became an assistant with the team before getting the chance to become a ...

, switched between the

NBDL The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...

and Lakers roster throughout the season. During midseason, injuries plagued the team and

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 ...

was signed to a ten-day contract. After this he signed a contract for the rest of the season.

Departures

The most notable departure was last year's starting point guard

Smush Parker William Henry "Smush" Parker (born June 1, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the NBA D-League and several leagues overseas. Parker played shooting guard in college ...

to 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 (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

Aaron McKie Aaron Fitzgerald McKie (born October 2, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the head coach for his alma mater Temple Ow ...

left the Lakers and became a voluntary coach for the

76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...

. After spending one year with the Lakers,

Shammond Williams Shammond Omar Williams (born April 5, 1975) is a retired American-born naturalized Georgian professional basketball player. Standing at , he played at both point guard and shooting guard positions. During his career he played in the NBA and in ...

left via free agency to play for

Pamesa Valencia Valencia Basket Club S.A.D., commonly known as Valencia Basket (), is a professional basketball team based in Valencia, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague, with home games played at the Fuente de San Luis. The club is spons ...

of the ACB.

Trades

Early in the season the Lakers traded Maurice Evans and under-achieving power forward Brian Cook for forward

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 ...

. Ariza would average 6.5 points per game, averaging only 18 minutes per game. Ariza broke his foot in practice on January 20 and missed the rest of the regular season. He returned to the Lakers on May 23. After

was injured for the rest of the season, the Lakers needed help in the front court before they risked falling out of contention in the playoff race. In February, the Lakers traded

(who was re-signed specifically for the trade), the draft rights to

Marc Gasol Marc Gasol Sáez (, ; born January 29, 1985) is a Spanish professional basketball player for Bàsquet Girona of the Liga ACB. The center is a two-time All-NBA Team member and a three-time NBA All-Star. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of ...

, two first-round draft picks (2008 and 2010) and cash for

and a second-round draft pick in 2010. Many consider the Lakers the major benefactor of the trade. As a result, some criticized the trade as being unbalanced in excessively benefiting the Lakers.

Gregg Popovich Gregg Charles Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball coach and executive who is the president and head coach of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Taking over as coach of the Spur ...

called Memphis' agreement to the terms of the trade "beyond comprehension" and suggested that the league should form a committee to "scratch all trades that make no sense". The trade became an immediate success for the Lakers, who went 22–5 with Gasol in the lineup and went on to reach the NBA Finals.

Draft picks

Los Angeles had three selections for the 2007 NBA draft. With their first-round pick, the Lakers selected

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

freshman point guard

. With their second pick coming from the

Bobcats The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

, the Lakers selected the Chinese player Sun Yue. And with their final pick the Lakers selected Pau Gasol's younger brother,

Marc Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...

. Marc Gasol and Crittenton were both traded midseason for Pau Gasol. Sun Yue spent the entire 2007–08 season playing in the ABA and

China national basketball team The China men's national basketball team (nickname ''Team Dragon'') represents the People's Republic of China in international basketball tournaments. The national team is governed by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Based on the numb ...

and only played 10 games total in the NBA.

Roster

Roster notes

* Center

played 35 games (his last game being on January 13, 2008) but missed the rest of the season and the playoffs due to a left knee injury.

Season summary

Following the

the future of Kobe Bryant's career as a Laker fell into doubt, when he demanded to be traded. For a week he tiraded and the situation escalated when a videotape about him was released. The video recorded him saying that the Lakers should have traded

for

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 ...

. Bryant insulted Bynum and was critical of General Manager

Mitch Kupchak Mitchell Kupchak (born May 24, 1954) is an American professional basketball executive and retired player. He is the current president of basketball operations and general manager of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...

. Management decided to re-sign

, a past hero, but the Lakers would enter the season frustrated and with question marks. The Lakers started the 2007–08 NBA season surprisingly well. Fueled by the emergence of Andrew Bynum as a main option at center and the return of Derek Fisher, the Lakers would even enjoy being the number one team in the Western Conference for three days. Capped by an early-season trade for

, rumors of Bryant wanting to leave Los Angeles were finally beginning to die. However, before the Lakers could savor their new success, Bynum would go down with a knee injury that would take him out for the remainder of the season. Suddenly, the contending Lakers lost three straight games. The remainder of the season looked bleak for the Lakers, who were struggling to win games. It seemed that injuries, once again, would cripple another Laker season. On February 1, the Lakers dealt the unpopular

(who was booed viciously by the fans for his many turnovers in recent games ), rookie

, veteran

, the draft rights to his brother

, and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 for Spaniard all-star forward Pau Gasol and a second-round draft choice in 2010. With the Lakers now having a center and power forward who are both tall, analysts have referred to Gasol and Bynum as "the twin towers", similar to the duo of

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

and

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even while waiting for Bynum's return, the Lakers were playing very well and got a second taste of being best in the Western Conference. With Kobe Bryant leading the charge with his MVP-caliber season, the month of April was successful for the Lakers, who quickly surged to the top of Western Conference. Aided by Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom's play as second and third options respectively, the Lakers clinched their playoff berth for the 55th time in their 60 years with the league, won the Pacific Division from the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

(their first since Shaq left in 2004), and clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the

1999–2000 NBA season The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 in the 2000 NBA Finals. This would also be C ...

. Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker. During the second round against the Utah Jazz, Byrant was officially named the 2007–2008

NBA Most Valuable Player award The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...

hired a chef to cook for the team. "I won't take the credit", Odom said, "but in training camp we became tighter. I made sure we had a chef. We ate dinner, lunch and breakfast together every day at training camp. I think that was special. I think that's when the bond started." Additionally, Byrant's behavior towards his teammates changed as well. "It's the little things, taking guys out to dinner, talking to guys more about things", Luke Walton said. "He's such a great player, I think sometimes it gets frustrating if we don't understand something. But he's taking the time to explain what guys are doing out there a little more. I think before he used to be a little more negative towards his teammates, as opposed to now, when he's pulling people to the side, talking to them, finding out ways to figure it out together instead of just coming down hard on them. He's definitely more patient. He's having more fun. I think he's enjoying it more, especially with the team going like this."

Playoffs summary

Denver Nuggets

In Pau Gasol's playoff debut with the Lakers, he scored 36 points, with 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocked shots, as the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Game 1. After Game 1, Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker. Kobe Bryant gave the fans a vintage performance in Game 2 by scoring 49 points and adding 10 assists in a blowout at Staples Center. Game 2 against the Nuggets would mark a playoff first in which Lakers rookie guard

became the first player to go against his coaching father,

, in an NBA playoff game. The Nuggets were routed at home in Game 3, with

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 ...

stating the team quit in the second half. Game 4 was closer, but Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points in the last five and a half minutes to close out the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Lakers were the only team in 2008 to sweep an opponent in the playoffs.

Utah Jazz

The Lakers faced the

in the second round of the playoffs which began on May 4 at Staples Center. It was the first time the two franchises had competed in a post-season series since the 1998 Western Conference Finals. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and Utah Head Coach

Jerry Sloan Gerald Eugene Sloan (March 28, 1942 – May 22, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before beginning a 30-year coaching career, 23 of which were spent ...

and Assistant Coach Phil Johnson, were the only individuals present from the 1998 series that were in this series. Conversely, it was also the first play-off series meeting between Coach Sloan and Lakers' Head Coach Phil Jackson since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Jazz in the NBA Finals that same year. The Lakers took game 1 at Staples Center, winning by 11 against the Jazz. During Game 2 against the Utah Jazz, Bryant was officially named the 2007–2008

, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June", that he was "very proud to represent heorganization, to represent hecity" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award." After being presented the trophy Bryant led his team to their second victory with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Having a 6–0 record in the playoffs, the Lakers traveled to Utah to play the third and fourth games of the series. However their streak would come to a sudden halt. The Jazz won both Games 3 and 4 to even up the series with

Deron Williams Deron Michael Williams ( ; born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. A thre ...

and

Carlos Boozer Carlos Austin Boozer Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, and then spent his last seas ...

, who bounced back after having two terrible games at L.A., leading the team. Game 4 went to overtime which the Lakers lost for the first time this season. The series would head back to Los Angeles tied 2–2. The Lakers came back with authority as they took Game 5 with Bryant, Gasol, and Odom scoring 20-plus points each. The Jazz looked to force a Game 7 but the Lakers closed out the series in Game 6 in Utah to end the series 4–2. Their victory on the road against the Jazz marked not only an impressive road win against a team with the best home record in the league, but also the second victory a road team had notched against a home team in the entire 2007–2008 playoff Conference Semifinals, as home teams had won at a 22–2 pace.

San Antonio Spurs

The Lakers went on to face the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals. The two teams combined to win seven of the last nine NBA Championships. The Lakers were able to overcome a 20-point deficit in game 1 and win behind Kobe Bryant's 27 points, with 25 being scored in the second half. Game 2 was a cruise for the Lakers as they made a 9–0 run before halftime and built the lead to 30. For the third straight series the Lakers started off 2–0. This also marked Ariza playing for the first time since breaking a bone in his right foot in January. The Spurs easily took game 3 in San Antonio with

Manu Ginóbili Emanuel David Ginóbili Maccari (, , ; born 28 July 1977) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. Over a 23-year professional career, he became one of only two players (along with Bill Bradley) to have won a EuroLeague title, an ...

carrying the Spurs after two terrible games in L.A. The Lakers barely escaped Game 4 with a narrow win after Brent Barry missed a last second three-pointer due to a "missed foul call" on Derek Fisher, even though Bryant,

, and Phil Jackson all agreed that it was not a foul. The NBA head office, however, admitted the next day that a foul should have been called, which would have given one of the league's top free throw shooters a chance to tie the game. Heading home up 3–1 in the series, the Lakers trailed in the first quarter by 17 but were able to cut the lead to six by halftime. Again, Bryant stepped up by scoring 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers surged ahead to take a 100–92 victory behind their home crowd for a chance to win championship no. 15. They also improved to 4–0 against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals.

Boston Celtics

The Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals again as the no. 1 seed. The last time this happened to the team was during 2000, where they beat the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

4–2. The Lakers looked to renew their rivalry with the

as the two matched up for the 11th time in the NBA Finals. The Celtics own an 8–2 record all-time against the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but were defeated by Los Angeles the last two times they met in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

and

. Entering the finals, the Celtics and the Lakers held the record for most Finals appearances (Celtics 19, Lakers 28) including the 2008 Finals, and most championships (Celtics 16, Lakers 14). The Celtics went on to win the Finals 4–2 for their 17th NBA championship.

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

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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 ...

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18,997 , 6-3 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 10 , November 20 , @

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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 ...

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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 ...

11,577 , 7-3 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 11 , November 21 , @

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 ...

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BMO Harris 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 Neighborhoods of Milwaukee#Downtown, d ...

17,526 , 7-4 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 12 , November 23 , @

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 ...

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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 , 7-5 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 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 ...

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18,997 , 7-6 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 14 , November 27 ,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

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18,997 , 8-6 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 15 , November 29 ,

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 ...

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18,997 , 9-6 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 16 , November 30 , @

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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 Assoc ...

19,911 , 9-7 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 17 , December 2 ,

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 ...

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18,997 , 9-8 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 18 , December 4 , @

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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, ...

17,513 , 10-8 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 19 , December 5 , @

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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 ...

19,155 , 11-8 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 20 , December 9 , Golden State , ,

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18,997 , 12-8 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 21 , December 13 ,

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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 '' ...

20,705 , 13-9 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 23 , December 16 ,

LA 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 ...

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Vladimir Radmanovic Vladimir may refer to: Names * Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name * Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name * Volodymyr for the Ukr ...

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18,997 , 14-9 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 24 , December 18 , @

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Sasha Vujačić Aleksander "Sasha" Vujačić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Саша Вујачић; sl, Aleksander Saša Vujačič; often rendered in English as without diacritics; born March 8, 1984) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. He ...

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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 ...

22,310 , 15-9 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 25 , December 20 , @

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. ...

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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 , 15-10 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 26 , December 21 , @

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 ...

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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 ...

17,903 , 16-10 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 27 , December 23 , @

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 * '' ...

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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 ...

19,763 , 17-10 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 28 , December 25 ,

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18,997 , 18-10 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 29 , December 28 ,

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18,997 , 21-11 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 33 , January 8 , @

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FedEx Forum FedExForum is a multi-purpose arena located in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association, NBA and the NCAA Division I Memphis Tigers men's basketball, ...

14,981 , 22-11 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 34 , January 9 , @

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New Orleans Arena 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 ...

15,605 , 23-11 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 35 , January 11 ,

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18,997 , 24-11 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 36 , January 13 ,

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KeyArena Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was or ...

13,452 , 26-11 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 38 , January 17 ,

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18,997 , 26-12 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 39 , January 21 ,

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18,797 , 27-13 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 41 , January 25 , @

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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 S ...

20,438 , 27-14 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 42 , January 27 ,

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18,997 , 27-15 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 43 , January 29 ,

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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 , 28-16 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 45 , February 1 , @ Raptors , ,

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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 , 29-16 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 46 , February 3 , @ Wizards , ,

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Verizon Center Verizon Center may refer to: * Verizon Center (Mankato, Minnesota), now Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, a multi-purpose arena in Mankato, Minnesota * Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.), now Capital One Arena See also *Verizon Arena, now Sim ...

20,173 , 30-16 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 47 , February 5 , @ Nets , ,

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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 , 31-16 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 48 , February 6 , @

Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...

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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 ...

19,701 , 31-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 49 , February 8 , @

Magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

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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 ...

17,519 , 32-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 50 , February 10 , @

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...

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AmericanAirlines Arena Kaseya Center (formerly known as American Airlines Arena from 1999 to 2021, FTX Arena from 2021 to 2023 and Miami-Dade Arena in 2023) is a multi-purpose arena located in Miami, Florida, along Biscayne Bay. It was constructed beginning in 1998 as ...

19,600 , 33-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 51 , February 11 , @

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Charlotte Bobcats 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, ...

19,270 , 34-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 52 , February 13 , @ Timberwolves , ,

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13,874 , 35-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 53 , February 19 ,

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18,997 , 36-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 54 , February 20 , @

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18,422 , 37-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 55 , February 23 , @

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 ...

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20,236 , 38-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 56 , February 24 , @ SuperSonics , ,

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17,072 , 39-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 57 , February 26 , Trail Blazers , ,

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18,997 , 40-17 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 58 , February 28 ,

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18,997 , 41-17 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 59 , February 29 , @ Trail Blazers , ,

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Rose Garden Arena 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 ...

20,651 , 41-18 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 60 , March 2 ,

Mavericks Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau ...

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18,997 , 42-18 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 61 , March 4 , @

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17,317 , 43-18 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 62 , March 7 ,

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18,997 , 44-18 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 63 , March 9 ,

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18,997 , 45-19 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 65 , March 14 , @

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18,199 , 45-20 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 66 , March 16 , @

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20,534 , 46-21 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 68 , March 20 , @

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19,911 , 47-21 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 69 , March 21 , SuperSonics , ,

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18,997 , 48-21 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 70 , March 23 ,

Warriors A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

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18,997 , 48-22 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 71 , March 24 , @

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20,713 , 49-22 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 72 , March 26 ,

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18,997 , 49-23 , - bgcolor="ffcccc" , 73 , March 28 ,

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18,997 , 49-24 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 74 , March 30 , Wizards , ,

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20,435 , 53-25 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 79 , April 10 , @

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18,997 , 56-25 , - bgcolor="ccffcc" , 82 , April 15 ,

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Playoffs

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18,997, , 2–0 , -bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 3 , , April 26 , , @

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19,602, , 3–0 , -bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 4 , , April 28 , , @

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18,624 , , 0–2 , -bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 3 , , June 10 , ,

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18,624 , , 2–4 , -

Player stats

Regular season

*Total for entire season including previous team(s)

Playoffs

Awards, records and milestones

All-Star Game

was named as a starter in the

2008 NBA All-Star Game The 2008 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 17, 2008, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season. It was the 57th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at New Orlea ...

Awards

was named the '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played January 7, 2008 through January 13, 2008. *

was named the '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played February 25, 2008 through March 2, 2008. *

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

was named the '' Western Conference Player of the Week'' for games played March 31, 2008 through April 6, 2008. *

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

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 ...

was named the '' Western Conference Coach of the Month'' for April 2008.

Milestones

* On December 23, 2007

became the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points. * Sasha Vujacic set the highest 3 pointer shot percentage for a season in Lakers history (43.7%).

Season

was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2008 season *

was named to the All-NBA Team First Team *

was named to the

NBA All-Defensive Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

http://www.nba.com/news/defensive_team_080512.html

Transactions

The Lakers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2007–08 season.

Trades

Free agents

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers season Western Conference (NBA) championship seasons Los Angeles Lakers seasons Los Angle Los Angle Los Angle