Lake Show Life
Fansided

The 10 greatest Los Angeles Lakers teams of all-time

By Cameron Salce

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 11: The Los Angeles Lakers celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship Final over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 11: The Los Angeles Lakers celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship Final over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 11
Next
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /

Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 6. 2008-09

Starters: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum

Bench: Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanović, Sasha Vujačić, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, D.J. Mbenga, Shannon Brown, Chris Mihm, Adam Morrison, Sun Yue

After losing the 2008 finals to their bitter rivals the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and more specifically Kobe Bryant were more motivated than ever to reach the finals the following season. Then the core of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum would go on to win the next two championships following that loss.

2008-09 was Kobe at his peak and his running mates Odom and Gasol were playing the best basketball of their respective careers as well. It made for beautiful basketball and one of the most complete championship teams of Bryant’s illustrious Lakers career.

Other notable contributors from this team include a young Trevor Ariza and Derek Fisher who was on every single Kobe championship team. Fisher of course hit huge shots down the stretch in the 2009 NBA finals against the Orlando Magic to help them win a couple of games in that series.

Along with winning the title in 2009, the Lakers also won 65 games in the regular season, only four short of the franchise record of 69.

Kobe and Pau might not have been the dominant overpowering scoring duo that Shaq and Kobe were, but their chemistry is what made this team so good. Pau had the ability to facilitate in the triangle offense like no other big man could, and their friendship developed so well that they even spoke Spanish on the court at times to confuse opponents.

Winning this championship made a statement that Kobe could be the number one player on a championship team, and gave them the entire team the championship experience to eventually avenge their loss against the Celtics and win back-to-back championships.

Home/Lakers All-Time Lists