ESPN Ranks Lakers as Greatest Basketball Franchise in History

In a recent article for ESPN, John Hollinger ranks the NBA Franchises.  To no one’s surprise, he ranks the Los Angeles Lakers first and the Boston Celtics second.

No. 1: Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are the greatest franchise ever because of their incredible collection of trademark stars.

1. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 80.2 POINTS PER SEASON (1947-2010)

• Wins: 3,027
• Playoff wins: 426
• Series wins: 106
• Titles: 16
• All-Stars: 127
• Best player: Magic Johnson
• Best coach: Phil Jackson
• Best team: 1971-72 (69-13, won NBA title)
• Intangibles: +150. Endless stream of superstars — on the court and in the seats.

Magic. Kareem. Jerry West. Kobe. Shaq. When it comes to superstars, the Lakers are so far out in front of everybody else it’s not even funny — their all-time starting five would crush any other team’s; in fact, it might be better than that of the rest of the league’s put together. So star-studded is their legacy that I left Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and George Mikan off my five-man team that opened this paragraph, also neglecting the likes of James Worthy, Bob McAdoo and Gail Goodrich

And those big names won, too. Although the Celtics have more championships, the Lakers have more of everything else — wins, playoff wins, playoff series wins and conference titles. About the only thing that hurts L.A. in the all-time rankings is the penalty for relocating from Minnesota to Los Angeles in the 1950s.

The story begins with the Mikan years up north, where he led Minneapolis to five championships in six seasons in the formative years of the NBA. As the league’s first dominant big man, he established something of a tradition.

FRANCHISE HISTORY

Los Angeles Lakers (1960-Present)

Minneapolis Lakers (1948-60)

Since then, the Lakers have almost always had at least one monstrous big man — Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Pau Gasol — and one electrifying perimeter star to go with him (Magic, Jerry West, Baylor, Kobe).  About the only thing the Lakers haven’t been able to do is best the Celtics head-to-head. In 11 meetings against Boston in the Finals, L.A. has prevailed just three times. In that regard, Baylor’s Minneapolis team got the ball rolling in 1958-59 in the team’s last season before heading west, and in the ’60s, Chamberlain and West were foiled by the Celtics five times

Ultimately, those Lakers broke through with a 69-13 season in 1971-72 that featured a 33-game winning streak — still a record for North American pro team sports — to win the team’s first title in L.A.  After a brief lull in the late ’70s, they would get five more rings when Magic arrived to join forces with Kareem. Although there was one more painful loss to Boston interposed — a seven-game defeat in 1984 — L.A. avenged it by becoming the first team in nearly two decades to repeat as champs, winning in 1987 and 1988. A hamstring injury to Magic Johnson in the Finals the next year derailed the Lakers’ quest for a three-peat, but they would get one a decade and a half later after Phil Jackson came to Tinseltown to guide Shaq and Kobe.

That team provided plenty of last-second excitement — most notably the alley-oop from Kobe to Shaq that cemented a Game 7 conference finals comeback win over Portland in 2000 — and produced one of the most dominant playoff runs in history with a 15-1 romp through the field in 2001.  Amazingly, the franchise has missed the playoffs only five times in its 62 years. The Lakers, who have played in seven Finals in the new century, are now only one title behind the hated Celtics after defending their title in 2010 with a dramatic seven-game win over Boston.

Robert Horry’s Game Winner vs. Kings in 2002

Watch Big Shot Rob Break the King’s Spirit Forever
2002 Western Conference Finals Game 4, Kings vs Lakers. Big Shot Robert Horry comes through with one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history

Lakers Crush Blazers in Game 7 Meltdown of 2000 Western Conference Final

Lakers beat the Blazers in Game 7 of 2000 finals.
This is one of the biggest melt downs in NBA playoff history. Portland never was the same after they lost this game.

2001 NBA Finals Game 5 Sixers vs Lakers

Lakers won their second straight title.

2001 NBA Finals Lakers Beat 76ers in Five

The Lakers won their second straight title with Shaquille O’Neal leading the way in a 108-96 victory in Game Five of the NBA Finals, completing the greatest postseason run in league history.

1980 NBA Finals Lakers Beat 76ers with MVP Magic

The 1980 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association’s 1979-1980 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals. The Lakers earned their seventh NBA championship, second since moving from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Watch Rookie Johnson Magic in 1980 NBA Finals Game 6, Lakers at 76ers

Magic Johnson of the Lakers became the first and the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award, leading the Lakers to a clinching victory in Game 6 with 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. With center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severely sprained ankle, Johnson started at center in his stead, and ultimately played all five positions on the court during the game.