Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Times Sports Staff, Book

The Los Angeles Lakers, 2009 NBA Champions and one of the most storied and

illustrious franchises in the National Basketball Association, celebrate 50 years

in Los Angeles in 2010. Since moving from Minneapolis in 1960, pioneering the

NBA’s expansion to the West Coast, The Lakers have won 10 NBA Championships,

24 Western Conference/Division titles, and 20 Pacific Division titles, and finished

in the playoffs all but four seasons in the last half century. Some of the greatest

players in NBA history have worn the Lakers jersey including Elgin Baylor, Jerry

West, Gail Goodrich, James Worthy and four of the NBA’s Most Valuable Players—

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Seven

LA Lakers were inducted into the Hall of Fame, as were head coaches Bill Sharman,

Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. The team holds the record for the longest consecutive

win streak in professional sports (33) and several NBA records including the most

regular season wins and highest winning percentage over the past three decades.

“The Los Angeles Lakers: 50 Amazing Years in the City of Angels” takes a look

back at the heartbreaking rivalry with the Boston Celtics in the ‘60s, fast-break

Showtime basketball of ‘80s, and dominance as four-time NBA champions this

past decade. The story is told in more than 300 archival photos from Getty Images

and text from the Los Angeles Timessports staff, including columns from the late

Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Murray, with a foreword by Phil Jackson.

Photos by Getty Images, text from the Los Angeles Times sports staff.

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