1977-78 Michigan State Big Ten Champ Original Type 1 8x10 Rare Magic Johnson

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Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (808) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US, Item: 176299957887 1977-78 Michigan State Big Ten Champ Original Type 1 8x10 Rare Magic Johnson. 1977-78 Michigan State Big Ten Champ Original Type 1  8x10 Rare Magic Johnson


Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time.[3][4][5][6] Johnson played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning a national championship with Michigan State in 1979, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the team to five NBA championships during their Showtime era. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests against his return from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time. Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and nine All-NBA First Team selections. He led the league in regular season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game in both the regular season (11.19 assists per game) and the playoffs (12.35 assists per game).[7][8] He also holds the record for most career assists in the playoffs.[9] Johnson was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"), which won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. After leaving the NBA in 1991, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.[10] Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, and became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame—being enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team".[11] His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well documented. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[12] as well as an entrepreneur,[13] philanthropist,[14] broadcaster and motivational speaker.[15] Johnson has owned stakes in National Football League (NFL), NBA, WNBA, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. He was a part-owner of the Lakers for several years and the team's president of basketball operations from 2017 to 2019. He is a member of Guggenheim Baseball Management that own the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers and is additionally part of groups that own the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, MLS' Los Angeles FC, and NFL's Washington Commanders. Johnson has won 14 total championships during his career, six as a player and eight as an owner.[16] Early life Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine.[17] Johnson, who had six siblings and three half-siblings by his father's previous marriage,[18][19][a] was influenced by his parents' strong work ethic. His mother spent many hours after work each night cleaning their home and preparing the next day's meals, while his father did janitorial work at a used car lot and collected garbage, all while never missing a day at General Motors. Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man".[21] His mother raised him in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[22][23] Johnson came to love basketball as a young man. His favorite basketball player growing up was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability.[24] He also idolized players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes,[25] and practiced "all day".[26] Johnson came from an athletic family. His father played high school basketball in his home state of Mississippi,[27] and Johnson learned the finer points about the game from him. Johnson's mother, originally from North Carolina,[27] had also played basketball as a child, and she grew up watching her brothers play the game.[24] By the time he had reached the eighth grade, Johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball. He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game.[19] Johnson looked forward to playing at Sexton High School, a school with a very successful basketball team and history that also happened to be only five blocks from his home. His plans underwent a dramatic change when he learned that he would be bused to the predominantly white Everett High School instead of going to Sexton,[24][28] which was predominantly black.[19][29] Johnson's sister Pearl and brother Larry had bused to Everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience. There were incidents of racism, with rocks being thrown at buses carrying black students and white parents refusing to send their children to school. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. Johnson did join the basketball team but became angry after several days when his new teammates ignored him during practice, not even passing the ball to him. He nearly got into a fight with another player before head coach George Fox intervened. Eventually, Johnson accepted his situation and the small group of black students looked to him as their leader.[19] When recalling the events in his autobiography, My Life, he talked about how his time at Everett had changed him: As I look back on it today, I see the whole picture very differently. It's true that I hated missing out on Sexton. And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. It got me out of my own little world and taught me how to understand white people, how to communicate and deal with them.[19] High school career Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Everett High School, when he recorded a triple-double of 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists.[26] After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, gave him the moniker[30] despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, that the name was sacrilegious.[26] In his final high school season, Johnson led Everett to a 27–1 win–loss record while averaging 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds per game,[26] and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game.[31] Johnson dedicated the championship victory to his best friend Reggie Chastine, who was killed in a car accident the previous summer.[32] He gave Chastine much of the credit for his development as a basketball player and as a person,[33] saying years later, "I doubted myself back then."[34] Johnson and Chastine were almost always together, playing basketball or riding around in Chastine's car.[21] Upon learning of Chastine's death, Magic ran from his home, crying uncontrollably.[34] Johnson, who finished his high school career with two All-State selections, was considered at the time to be the best high school player ever to come out of Michigan.[32] He was also named to the inaugural McDonald's All-American team, which played in the 1977 Capital Classic.[35][36] College career Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home.[37] His college decision came down to Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing. He ultimately decided to attend Michigan State when coach Jud Heathcote told him he could play the point guard position. The talent already on Michigan State's roster also drew him to the program.[38] Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and desire to become a television commentator.[39] Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent, and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 25–5 record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the 1978 NCAA tournament.[26] The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky.[40] During the 1978–79 season, Michigan State again qualified for the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the championship game and faced Indiana State, which was led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever,[41] Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.[31] He was selected to the 1978–79 All-American team for his performance that season.[42] After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, Johnson entered the 1979 NBA draft.[43] Jud Heathcote stepped down as coach of the Spartans after the 1994–95 season, and on June 8, 1995, Johnson returned to the Breslin Center to play in the Jud Heathcote All-Star Tribute Game. He led all scorers with 39 points.[44] Professional career Rookie season in the NBA (1979–1980) Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[45] the team's 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history.[46] Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal.[47] Lakers coach Jack McKinney had the 6-foot-9-inch (2.06 m) rookie Johnson, who some analysts thought should play forward, be a point guard, even though incumbent Norm Nixon was already one of the best in the league.[48][49] Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter.[50] The Lakers compiled a 60–22 record in the regular season and reached the 1980 NBA Finals,[51] where they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forward Julius Erving. The Lakers took a 3–2 lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33 points a game in the series,[52] sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6.[47] Coach Paul Westhead, who had replaced McKinney early in the season after he had a near-fatal bicycle accident,[48][53] decided to start Johnson at center in Game 6; Johnson recorded 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in a 123–107 win, while playing guard, forward, and center at different times during the game.[47] Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award,[47] and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history.[3][54][55] He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.[56] Ups and downs (1980–1983) Early in the 1980–81 season, Johnson was sidelined after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee. He missed 45 games,[43] and said that his rehabilitation was the "most down" he had ever felt.[57] Johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Johnson's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team".[58] The 54-win Lakers faced the 40–42 Houston Rockets in the first round of playoffs,[59][60] where Houston upset the Lakers 2–1 after Johnson airballed a last-second shot in Game 3.[61] In 1981, after the 1980–81 season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers (equivalent to $80,000,000 in 2022), which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point.[62][63] Early in the 1981–82 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable".[64] After Johnson demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley. Although Johnson denied responsibility for Westhead's firing,[65] he was booed across the league, even by Laker fans.[26] Buss was also unhappy with the Lakers' offense and had intended on firing Westhead days before the Westhead–Johnson altercation, but assistant GM Jerry West and GM Bill Sharman had convinced Buss to delay his decision.[66] Despite his off-court troubles, Johnson averaged 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and a league-high 2.7 steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team.[43] He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least 700 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in the same season.[31] The Lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 NBA Finals. After a triple-double from Johnson in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 4–2, as Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award.[67] During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2 points on .533 shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.[68] Johnson later said that his third season was when the Lakers first became a great team,[69] and he credited their success to Riley.[70] During the 1982–83 NBA season, Johnson's first of nine consecutive double-double seasons, he averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game, and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination.[43] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving.[71] With Johnson's teammates Nixon, James Worthy, and Bob McAdoo all hobbled by injuries, the Lakers were swept by the Sixers, and Malone was crowned the Finals MVP.[71] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged 19.0 points on .403 shooting, 12.5 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.[72] Battles against the Celtics (1983–1987) Johnson with the Lakers, c. 1987 Prior to Johnson's fifth season, West—who had become the Lakers general manager—traded Nixon to free Johnson from sharing the ball-handling responsibilities.[73] Johnson averaged another double-double season, with 17.6 points, 13.1 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game.[43] The Lakers reached the Finals for the third year in a row, where Johnson's Lakers and Bird's Celtics met for the first time in the postseason.[74] The Lakers won the first game, and led by two points in Game 2 with 18 seconds to go, but after a layup by Gerald Henderson, Johnson failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded, and the Lakers lost 124–121 in overtime.[74] In Game 3, Johnson responded with 21 assists in a 137–104 win, but he made several crucial errors late in the contest during Game 4. In the final minute of the game, Johnson had the ball stolen by Celtics center Robert Parish, and then missed two free throws that could have won the game. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. In the decisive Game 7 in Boston, as the Lakers trailed by three points in the final minute, opposing point guard Dennis Johnson stole the ball from Johnson, a play that effectively ended the series.[74] Friends Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre consoled him that night, talking until the morning in his Boston hotel room amidst fan celebrations on the street.[75][76] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0 points on .560 shooting, 13.6 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game.[77] Johnson later described the series as "the one championship we should have had but didn't get".[78] In the 1984–85 regular season, Johnson averaged 18.3 points, 12.6 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game, and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again. The series started poorly for the Lakers when they allowed an NBA Finals record 148 points to the Celtics in a 34-point loss in Game 1.[79] However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38 years old, scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 2, and his 36 points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 3–2 lead for Los Angeles.[79] After the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who averaged 18.3 points on .494 shooting, 14.0 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game in the championship series,[80][81] said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers.[82] Johnson again averaged a double-double in the 1985–86 NBA season, with 18.8 points, 12.6 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game.[43] The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but were unable to defeat the Houston Rockets, who advanced to the Finals in five games.[83] In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of 23.9 points, as well as 12.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game,[43] and earned his first regular season MVP award.[84][85] The Lakers met the Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals, and in Game 4 Johnson hit a last-second hook shot over Celtics big men Parish and Kevin McHale to win the game 107–106.[86] The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook",[86] helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games. Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging 26.2 points on .541 shooting, 13.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.33 steals per game.[86][87] Repeat and falling short (1987–1991) Johnson with Lakers' head coach Pat Riley (left) Before the 1987–88 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals.[88] Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6 points, 11.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury.[43] In the 1988 playoffs, the Lakers swept the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games, then survived two 4–3 series against the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks to reach the Finals and face Thomas and the Detroit Pistons,[89] who with players such as Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson, and Dennis Rodman were known as the "Bad Boys" for their physical style of play.[90] Johnson and Thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the opening tip of Game 1, which they called a display of brotherly love.[76][91][92] After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, and led his team to a 108–105 win.[93] Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1 points on .550 shooting, 13 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.[94] It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career.[95] In the 1988–89 NBA season, Johnson's 22.5 points, 12.8 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game[43] earned him his second MVP award,[96] and the Lakers reached the 1989 NBA Finals, in which they again faced the Pistons. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 4–0.[97] Johnson with the Lakers in 1990 Playing without Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award[98] after a strong 1989–90 NBA season in which he averaged 22.3 points, 11.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game.[43] However, the Lakers bowed out to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, which was the Lakers' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years.[99] Mike Dunleavy became the Lakers' head coach in 1990–91, when Johnson had grown to be the league's third-oldest point guard. He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble.[100] Under Dunleavy, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense.[101] Johnson performed well during the season, with averages of 19.4 points, 12.5 assists, and 7 rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. There they faced the Chicago Bulls, led by shooting guard Michael Jordan, a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era.[102][103] Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan,[104] Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 4–1 win.[26] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6 points on .431 shooting, 12.4 assists, and 8 rebounds per game.[105] HIV announcement and Olympics (1991–1992) Johnson, who had retired from basketball in 1991 due to HIV, was selected for the U.S. national team that won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics. After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. In a press conference held on November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement that he would retire immediately.[106] He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease".[106] Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[106] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career.[107] He admitted to having "harems of women" and talked openly about his sexual activities because "he was convinced that heterosexuals needed to know that they, too, were at risk".[107] At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had contracted it from heterosexual sex,[91][108] and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both.[91] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied.[76][109] Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States,[108] and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years.[106] Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and the then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports."[108] Despite his retirement, Johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game at Orlando Arena, although his former teammates Byron Scott and A. C. Green said that Johnson should not play,[110] and several NBA players, including Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, argued that they would be at risk of contamination if Johnson sustained an open wound while on court.[111] Johnson led the West to a 153–113 win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds.[112] The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson.[113] Johnson was chosen to compete in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics for the U.S. national team, dubbed the "Dream Team" because of the NBA stars on the roster.[114] The Dream Team, which along with Johnson included fellow Hall of Famers such as Bird, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, was considered unbeatable.[115] After qualifying for the Olympics with a gold medal at the 1992 Tournament of the Americas,[116] the Dream Team dominated in Olympic competition, winning the gold medal with an 8–0 record, beating their opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game. Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game during the Olympics, and his 5.5 assists per game was second on the team.[115][117] Johnson played infrequently because of knee problems,[118] but he received standing ovations from the crowd, and used the opportunity to inspire HIV-positive people.[39] Post-Olympics and later life Before the 1992–93 NBA season, Johnson announced his intention to stage an NBA comeback. After practicing and playing in several pre-season games, he retired again before the start of the regular season, citing controversy over his return sparked by opposition from several active players.[31] In an August 2011 interview, Johnson said that in retrospect he wished that he had never retired after being diagnosed with HIV, saying, "If I knew what I know now, I wouldn't have retired."[119] Johnson said that despite the physical, highly competitive practices and scrimmages leading up to the 1992 Olympics, some of those same teammates still expressed concerns about his return to the NBA. He said that he retired because he "didn't want to hurt the game."[119] During his retirement, Johnson has written a book on safe sex, run several businesses, worked for NBC as a commentator, and toured Asia, Australia, and New Zealand with a basketball team of former college and NBA players.[26] In 1985, Johnson created "A Midsummer Night's Magic", a yearly charity event which included a celebrity basketball game and a black tie dinner. The proceeds went to the United Negro College Fund, and Johnson held this event for twenty years, ending in 2005. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991.[120] The 1992 event, which was the first one held after Johnson's appearance in the 1992 Olympics, raised over $1.3 million for UNCF. Johnson joined Shaquille O'Neal and celebrity coach Spike Lee to lead the blue team to a 147–132 victory over the white team, which was coached by Arsenio Hall.[121][122] Return to the Lakers as coach and player (1994, 1996) Johnson returned to the NBA as coach for the Lakers near the end of the 1993–94 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund, and Bill Bertka, who served as an interim coach for two games.[123][124] Johnson, who took the job at the urging of owner Jerry Buss, admitted "I've always had the desire (to coach) in the back of my mind." He insisted that his health was not an issue, while downplaying questions about returning as a player, saying, "I'm retired. Let's leave it at that."[125] Amid speculation from general manager Jerry West that he may only coach until the end of the season,[125] Johnson took over a team that had a 28–38 record, and won his first game as head coach, a 110–101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.[126] He was coaching a team that had five of his former teammates on the roster: Vlade Divac, Elden Campbell, Tony Smith, Kurt Rambis, James Worthy, and Michael Cooper, who was brought in as an assistant coach.[125][127] Johnson, who still had a guaranteed player contract that would pay him $14.6 million during the 1994–95 NBA season, signed a separate contract to coach the team that had no compensation.[125] The Lakers played well initially, winning five of their first six games under Johnson, but after losing the next five games, Johnson announced that he was resigning as coach after the season. The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 5–11.[124] Stating that it was never his dream to coach, he chose instead to purchase a 5% share of the team in June 1994.[26] At the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he rejoined the Lakers during the 1995–96 NBA season. During his retirement, Johnson began intense workouts to help his fight against HIV, raising his bench press from 135 to 300 pounds, and increasing his weight to 255 pounds.[34] He officially returned to the team on January 29, 1996,[128] and played his first game the following day against the Golden State Warriors. Coming off the bench, Johnson had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the Lakers to a 128–118 victory.[129] On February 14, Johnson recorded the final triple-double of his career, when he scored 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory against the Atlanta Hawks.[129] Playing power forward, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game in 32 games, and finished tied for 12th place with Charles Barkley in voting for the MVP Award.[43][130] The Lakers had a record of 22–10 in the games Johnson played, and he considered his final comeback "a success."[128] While Johnson played well in 1996, there were struggles both on and off the court. Cedric Ceballos, upset over a reduction in his playing time after Johnson's arrival, left the team for several days.[131][132] He missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain.[133] Nick Van Exel received a seven-game suspension for bumping referee Ron Garretson during a game on April 9. Johnson was publicly critical of Van Exel, saying his actions were "inexcusable."[134] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. He also missed several games due to a calf injury.[128] Despite these difficulties, the Lakers finished with a record of 53–29 and fourth seed in the NBA Playoffs. Although they were facing the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, the Lakers had home court advantage in the five-game series. The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense.[135] Johnson led the way to a Game 2 victory with 26 points, but averaged only 7.5 points per game for the remainder of the series, which the Rockets won three games to one.[129] After the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs,[136] Johnson initially expressed a desire to return to the team for the 1996–97 NBA season, but he also talked about joining another team as a free agent, hoping to see more playing time at point guard instead of power forward.[128] A few days later, Johnson changed his mind and retired permanently, saying, "I am going out on my terms, something I couldn't say when I aborted a comeback in 1992."[31][128] Magic Johnson All-Stars Two moments of Johnson during his tour with the All-Stars to Argentina in January 1994: (left) greeting a local player; (right) hugging soccer superstar Diego Maradona. Determined to play competitive basketball despite being out of the NBA, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team composed of former NBA and college players. In 1994, Johnson joined with former pros Mark Aguirre, Reggie Theus, John Long, Earl Cureton, Jim Farmer, and Lester Conner, as his team played games in Australia, Israel, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and Japan. They also toured the United States, playing five games against teams from the CBA. In the final game of the CBA series, Johnson had 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists, leading the All-Stars to a 126–121 victory over the Oklahoma City Cavalry.[137] By the time he returned to the Lakers in 1996, the Magic Johnson All-Stars had amassed a record of 55–0, and Johnson was earning as much as $365,000 per game.[34] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. At the age of 42, Johnson played with the All-Stars against his alma mater, Michigan State. Although he played in a celebrity game to honor coach Jud Heathcoate in 1995,[44] this was Johnson's first meaningful game played in his hometown of Lansing in 22 years. Playing in front of a sold-out arena, Johnson had a triple-double and played the entire game, but his all-star team lost to the Spartans by two points. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short.[138][139] On November 1, 2002, Johnson returned to play a second exhibition game against Michigan State. Playing with the Canberra Cannons of Australia's National Basketball League instead of his usual group of players, Johnson's team defeated the Spartans 104–85, as he scored 12 points and had 10 assists and 10 rebounds.[140] Brief period in Scandinavia In 1999, Johnson joined the Swedish squad M7 Borås (now known as 'Borås Basket'), and was undefeated in five games with the team.[141][142] Johnson also became a co-owner of the club;[143] however, the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction.[143] He later joined the Danish team The Great Danes.[143] Rivalry with Larry Bird See also: Celtics–Lakers rivalry Johnson against the Celtics during the 1987 NBA Finals Johnson and Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State Spartans squad defeated Bird's Indiana State Sycamores team in the 1979 NCAA finals. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987, with the Lakers winning two out of three Finals. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two Lakers–Celtics games. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning.[113] Several journalists hypothesized that the Johnson–Bird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness ("Showtime") and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit ("Celtic Pride"), and between blacks and whites.[144][145] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings.[146] With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans,[147] drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird's dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson's public park flair. According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy.[31] Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies.[148][149] Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever";[113] during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival.[147] In 2009, Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan on a non-fiction book titled When the Game Was Ours. The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another.[150] The following year, HBO developed a documentary about their rivalry titled Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, which was directed by Ezra Edelman.[151] Legacy See also: List of career achievements by Magic Johnson In 905 NBA games, Johnson tallied 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds, and 10,141 assists, translating to career averages of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, the highest assists per game average in NBA history.[43] Johnson shares the single-game playoff record for assists (24),[152] holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21),[152] and has the most playoff assists (2,346).[153] He is the only player to average 12 assists in an NBA Finals series, achieving it six times.[154] He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127).[152] Johnson introduced a fast-paced style of basketball called "Showtime", described as a mix of "no-look passes off the fastbreak, pin-point alley-oops from halfcourt, spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams."[26] Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper said, "There have been times when [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn't sure where he was going. Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores, and I run back up the floor convinced that he must've thrown it through somebody."[26][31] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair.[154] In the 1982 NBA Finals, he was named the Finals MVP averaging just 16.2 points, the lowest average of any Finals MVP award recipient in the three-point shot era.[154] Johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), a size reserved normally for frontcourt players.[26] His career 138 triple-double games places him third all-time behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.[155] Johnson is the only player in NBA Finals history to have triple-doubles in multiple series-clinching games.[154] For his feats, Johnson was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time by the NBA in 1996,[156] and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.[157] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2002.[158] ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson No. 17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century"[159] In 2006, ESPN.com rated Johnson the greatest point guard of all time, stating, "It could be argued that he's the one player in NBA history who was better than Michael Jordan."[3] Bleacher Report also listed Johnson first in its all-time NBA point guard rankings.[4] In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th anniversary, The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Johnson as the 5th greatest player in NBA history, and the highest ranked point guard.[160] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA.[55][161][162] At the 2019 NBA Awards, Johnson received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Bird).[163] In 2022, the NBA began awarding MVPs for the conference finals; the Western Conference Finals MVP trophy is named after Johnson, while the Eastern Conference trophy is named after Bird.[164] Executive career On February 21, 2017, Johnson replaced Jim Buss as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers.[165] Under Johnson, the Lakers sought to acquire multiple star players and cleared existing players, including future All-Star D'Angelo Russell, off of their roster in an attempt to free up room under the league's salary cap. The franchise reached an agreement with free agent LeBron James on a four-year contract in 2018, but efforts to trade for Anthony Davis during the 2018–19 season proved unsuccessful. The Lakers did not reach the playoffs during Johnson's executive tenure.[166] In an impromptu news conference on April 9, 2019, Johnson resigned from the Lakers, citing his desire to return to his role as an NBA ambassador.[166][167][168] Off the court Personal life Johnson with his wife, Cookie, in 2014 Johnson first fathered a son in 1981 when Andre Johnson was born to Melissa Mitchell. Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and later worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director.[13] In 1991, Johnson married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly in a small wedding in Lansing which included guests Thomas, Aguirre, and Herb Williams.[169] Johnson and Cookie have one son, Earvin III ("EJ"), who is openly gay and a star on the reality show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills.[13][170] The couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995.[171] Johnson resides in Beverly Hills and has a vacation home in Dana Point, California.[172][173] Johnson is a Christian[174] and has said his faith is "the most important thing" in his life.[175] In 2010, Johnson and current and former NBA players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bill Russell, as well as Maya Moore from the WNBA, played a basketball game with President Barack Obama as an exhibition for a group of military troops who had been injured in action. The game was played at a gym inside Fort McNair, and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter. The basketball game was a part of other festivities organized to celebrate Obama's 49th birthday.[176] Relationship with Jerry Buss Johnson had an extremely close relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, whom he saw as a mentor and father figure.[177] Calling Buss his "second father" and "one of [his] best friends", Johnson spent five hours visiting Buss at the hospital just a few months before he died of cancer. Speaking to media just hours after Buss had died, Johnson was emotional, saying, "Without Dr. Jerry Buss, there is no Magic."[178] Buss acquired the team from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, shortly before he drafted Johnson with the #1 pick in the 1979 NBA draft. Buss took a special interest in Johnson, introducing him to important Los Angeles business contacts and showing him how the Lakers organization was run, before eventually selling Johnson a stake in the team in 1994.[178] Johnson credits Buss with giving him the business knowledge that enabled him to become part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.[178][179] Buss supported Johnson as he revealed his diagnosis of HIV in 1991, and he never hesitated to keep Johnson close to the organization, bringing him in as part-owner, and even as a coach. Johnson had never seriously considered coaching, but he agreed to take the head coaching position with the Lakers in 1994 at Buss' request. In 1992, Buss had given Johnson a contract that paid him $14 million a year, as payback for all the years he was not the league's highest-paid player. Although Johnson's retirement prior to the 1992–93 NBA season voided this contract, Buss insisted that he still be paid.[178] It was this arrangement that allowed Johnson to coach the team without receiving any additional salary.[125][177] After Johnson ended his coaching stint, Buss sold him a 4% stake in the Lakers for $10 million, and Johnson served as a team executive.[178] Media figure and business interests Johnson giving a speech at the George R. Brown Convention Center in 2013 In 1997, his production company Magic Johnson Entertainment signed a deal with Fox.[180] In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings.[181] Shortly after the cancellation of his talk show, Johnson started a record label. The label, initially called Magic 32 Records, was renamed Magic Johnson Music when Johnson signed a joint venture with MCA in 2000. Magic Johnson Music signed R&B artist Avant as its first act.[182][183] Johnson also co-promoted Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour through his company Magicworks.[184] He has also worked as a motivational speaker,[15] and was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years,[185] before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's NBA Countdown in 2008.[186] Johnson runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a conglomerate company that has a net worth of $700 million;[13] its subsidiaries include Magic Johnson Productions, a promotional company; Magic Johnson Theaters, a nationwide chain of movie theaters; and Magic Johnson Entertainment, a film studio.[187] In addition to these business ventures, Johnson has also created the Magic Card, a pre-paid MasterCard aimed at helping low-income people save money and participate in electronic commerce.[188] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic.[189][190] In 2004, Johnson and his partner Ken Lombard sold Magic Johnson Theaters to Loews Cineplex Entertainment. The first Magic Johnson Theater located in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, closed in 2010 and re-opened in 2011 as Rave Cinema 15.[191] In 2012, Johnson launched a cable TV network called Aspire, featuring programming targeted at black audiences, similar to networks such as Black Entertainment Television (BET) and TV One.[192] Johnson began thinking of life after basketball while still playing for the Lakers. He wondered why so many athletes had failed at business, and sought advice. During his seventh season in the NBA, he had a meeting with Michael Ovitz, CEO of Creative Artists Agency. Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. Johnson learned everything he could about business, often meeting with corporate executives during road trips.[193] Johnson's first foray into business, a high-end sporting goods store named Magic 32,[193] failed after only one year, costing him $200,000.[194] The experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted. Johnson has become a leading voice on how to invest in urban communities, creating redevelopment opportunities in underserved areas, most notably through his movie theaters and his partnership with Starbucks. He went to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas. After showing Schultz the tremendous buying power of minorities, Johnson was able to purchase 125 Starbucks stores, which reported higher than average per capita sales.[194] The partnership, called Urban Coffee Opportunities, placed Starbucks in locations such as Detroit, Washington, D.C., Harlem, and the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles. Johnson sold his remaining interest in the stores back to the company in 2010, ending a successful twelve-year partnership.[195][196] He has also made investments in urban real estate through the Canyon-Johnson and Yucaipa-Johnson funds.[197] Another major project is with insurance services company Aon Corp.[198] In 2005–2007, Johnson was a part of a syndicate that bought the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, then the tallest building in Brooklyn, for $71 million and converted the 512-foot high landmark structure from an office building into luxury condominiums.[199][200] In 1990, Johnson and Earl Graves Sr. obtained a large interest in the Washington, D.C. PepsiCo bottling operation, making it the company's largest minority-owned facility in the U.S.[201] Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10 million for part ownership. He also held the title of team vice president.[202] Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in October 2010 to Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Los Angeles surgeon and professor at UCLA,[203] but continued as an unpaid vice president of the team.[204] In February 2017, Johnson returned to the Lakers as an advisor to Jeanie Buss.[205] In the wake of the Donald Sterling controversy, limited media reports indicated that Johnson had expressed an interest in purchasing the Los Angeles Clippers franchise.[206] In 2015, Johnson completed his planned acquisition for a "majority, controlling interest" in EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, which manages $14.5 billion in annuities, life insurance and other financial products.[207] He is an investor for aXiomatic eSports, the ownership company of Team Liquid.[208] Sports team ownership In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.[209] In March 2012, Johnson's ownership group was announced as the winner of the proceedings to buy the Dodgers.[210] The Johnson-led group, which also includes movie executive Peter Guber, paid $2 billion for the Dodgers. Johnson is considered the face of the ownership group while the controlling owner is Mark Walter.[211] The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series.[212] Johnson and Guber were also partners in the Dayton Dragons,[211] a Class-A minor league baseball team based in Dayton, Ohio, that sold out more than 1,000 consecutive games, a record for professional sports.[213] Johnson and Guber sold their stake in the Dragons in 2014.[214] Together with Guggenheim, Johnson was also involved in buying the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA in 2014.[215] As such, in 2014, Johnson was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25.[216] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016.[217] Johnson announced co-ownership of a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise, Los Angeles FC, which began play in 2018 and won the MLS Cup in 2022.[218][219][220][221] In 2023, Johnson invested $240 million in a group led by Josh Harris that purchased the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL) for $6.05 billion, the highest price ever paid for a sports team.[222][223] A lifelong fan of the NFL, he considered it the greatest achievement of his business career and his agent said it was Johnson's "dream for years".[222][224] Johnson had previously held talks with groups pursuing the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders before joining Harris on an unsuccessful bid to buy the Denver Broncos.[222] Politics A middle-aged Caucasian woman shakes the hand of a tall black man. In 2003, Johnson met with Nancy Pelosi to discuss federal assistance for those with AIDS. Johnson is a supporter of the Democratic Party. In 2006, he publicly endorsed Phil Angelides for Governor of California.[225] He supported Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign,[226] and in 2010, he endorsed Barbara Boxer in her race for re-election to the U.S. Senate.[227] In 2012, he endorsed Barack Obama for president.[228] He endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in 2013.[229] In 2015, he once again endorsed Hillary Clinton in her second presidential campaign.[230] He hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016.[231] HIV activism I think sometimes we think, "Well, only gay people can get it; it's not going to happen to me", and here I am saying that it can happen to anybody. — Magic Johnson (November 7, 1991)[232] Johnson was one of the first sports stars to go public about having HIV.[233] AIDS activist Elizabeth Glaser, to whom Johnson had been introduced by a friend,[234] convinced Johnson to go public about his diagnosis.[234][235] "She made me promise before she died that I would become the face of the disease and really go out and help people and educate people about it", Johnson recalled in a 2011 interview with Frontline.[234] After announcing his infection in November 1991, Johnson created the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat HIV,[236] although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals.[237] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, a committee appointed by members of Congress and the Bush Administration. Johnson left after eight months, saying that the White House had "utterly ignored" the work of the panel, and had opposed the commission's recommendations, which included universal healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid to cover all low-income people with AIDS.[236][238] He was also the main speaker for the United Nations (UN) World AIDS Day Conference in 1999,[237] and has served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.[239] HIV had been associated with intravenous drug users and homosexuals,[236] but Johnson's campaigns sought to show that the risk of infection was not limited to those groups. Johnson stated that his aim was to "help educate all people about what [HIV] is about" and teach others not to "discriminate against people who have HIV and AIDS".[237] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease.[236][237] A number of research papers have been written on the "Magic Johnson effect", the effect Johnson's HIV announcement had on various populations, particularly those outside the stereotypes of who got infected with HIV – that is, heterosexuals.[240] Johnson's announcement was a "public-health catalyst", according to a West Virginia University paper,[241] "rapidly correcting the public's understanding of who was at risk of infection".[242] The paper argues there was a "large but temporary increase in the number of AIDS diagnoses for heterosexual men following the announcement" and suggests that, for some of those people, Johnson's announcement "prolonged patients' lifespans as a result of earlier access to medical care".[242] A paper published in AIDS Education and Prevention, based on interviews with clients of a Philadelphia sexually-transmitted-disease clinic, found that "the announcement by Magic Johnson that he had been infected with HIV was associated with increased concern about HIV and with attitude and behavior changes that would lead to reduced risk".[243] To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs, also called a drug cocktail.[244] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[245] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[244] Awards and honors A five-point star engraved on a tile. In the center of the star are the words "EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON". An image of a movie camera is etched directly below these words, though still in the star. Johnson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star A display of yellow basketball jerseys bearing the names and uniform numbers of players Johnson's number 32 jersey was retired by the Lakers in 1992. NBA 10-time NBA champion (five as a player, five as owner/executive)[16] Three-time NBA MVP[43] Three-time Finals MVP[43] Nine-time All-NBA First Team[43] 12-time NBA All-Star[43] Two-time All-Star Game MVP[43] 1992 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award[43] Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 Selected on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021[157] No. 32 retired by the Lakers[246] Statue in front of Crypto.com Arena[247] Trophy named in Johnson's honor (Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy) awarded to Western Conference Finals MVP (established in 2022)[248] USA Basketball 1992 Olympic gold medal (U.S. national team)[249] NCAA 1979 NCAA champion (Michigan State)[31] No. 33 retired by Michigan State[246] Statue at Michigan State[250] High school 1977 Michigan high school state champion (Lansing Everett High School)[246] Halls of Fame Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: 2002 – individual 2010 – member of "The Dream Team"[249] College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006)[251] FIBA Hall of Fame (class of 2017 as a member of "The Dream Team")[252] U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (class of 2009 as a member of "The Dream Team")[253] Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[254] Sports ownership 2016 WNBA champion (as part owner of the Sparks)[16] 2020 World Series champion (as part owner of the Dodgers)[16] 2022 MLS Cup champion (as part owner of Los Angeles FC)[221] NAACP Image Awards 1992 Jackie Robinson Sports Award[255] Entertainment 1993 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album[256] NBA career statistics Legend   GP Games played   GS Games started MPG Minutes per game  FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage  RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game  BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high  † Won an NBA championship * Led the league ‡ NBA record Regular season Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 1979–80† L.A. Lakers 77 72 36.3 .530 .226 .810 7.7 7.3 2.4 0.5 18.0 1980–81 L.A. Lakers 37 35 37.1 .532 .176 .760 8.6 8.6 3.4* 0.7 21.6 1981–82† L.A. Lakers 78 77 38.3 .537 .207 .760 9.6 9.5 2.7* 0.4 18.6 1982–83 L.A. Lakers 79 79 36.8 .548 .000 .800 8.6 10.5* 2.2 0.6 16.8 1983–84 L.A. Lakers 67 66 38.3 .565 .207 .810 7.3 13.1* 2.2 0.7 17.6 1984–85† L.A. Lakers 77 77 36.1 .561 .189 .843 6.2 12.6 1.5 0.3 18.3 1985–86 L.A. Lakers 72 70 35.8 .526 .233 .871 5.9 12.6* 1.6 0.2 18.8 1986–87† L.A. Lakers 80 80 36.3 .522 .205 .848 6.3 12.2* 1.7 0.4 23.9 1987–88† L.A. Lakers 72 70 36.6 .492 .196 .853 6.2 11.9 1.6 0.2 19.6 1988–89 L.A. Lakers 77 77 37.5 .509 .314 .911* 7.9 12.8 1.8 0.3 22.5 1989–90 L.A. Lakers 79 79 37.2 .480 .384 .890 6.6 11.5 1.7 0.4 22.3 1990–91 L.A. Lakers 79 79 37.1 .477 .320 .906 7.0 12.5 1.3 0.2 19.4 1995–96 L.A. Lakers 32 9 29.9 .466 .379 .856 5.7 6.9 0.8 0.4 14.6 Career[43] 906 870 36.7 .520 .303 .848 7.2 11.2‡ 1.9 0.4 19.5 All-Star[43] 11 10 30.1 .489 .476 .905 5.2 11.5 1.9 0.6 16.0 Playoffs Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 1980† L.A. Lakers 16 16 41.1 .518 .250 .802 10.5 9.4 3.1 0.4 18.3 1981 L.A. Lakers 3 3 42.3 .388 .000 .650 13.7 7.0 2.7 1.0 17.0 1982† L.A. Lakers 14 14 40.1 .529 .000 .828 11.3 9.3 2.9 0.2 17.4 1983 L.A. Lakers 15 15 42.9 .485 .000 .840 8.5 12.8 2.3 0.8 17.9 1984 L.A. Lakers 21 21 39.9 .551 .000 .800 6.6 13.5 2.0 1.0 18.2 1985† L.A. Lakers 19 19 36.2 .513 .143 .847 7.1 15.2 1.7 0.2 17.5 1986 L.A. Lakers 14 14 38.6 .537 .000 .766 7.1 15.1 1.9 0.1 21.6 1987† L.A. Lakers 18 18 37.0 .539 .200 .831 7.7 12.2 1.7 0.4 21.8 1988† L.A. Lakers 24 24 40.2 .514 .500 .852 5.4 12.6 1.4 0.2 19.9 1989 L.A. Lakers 14 14 37.0 .489 .286 .907 5.9 11.8 1.9 0.2 18.4 1990 L.A. Lakers 9 9 41.8 .490 .200 .886 6.3 12.8 1.2 0.1 25.2 1991 L.A. Lakers 19 19 43.3 .440 .296 .882 8.1 12.6 1.2 0.0 21.8 1996 L.A. Lakers 4 0 33.8 .385 .333 .848 8.5 6.5 0.0 0.0 15.3 Career[43] 190 186 39.7 .506 .241 .838 7.7 12.3‡ 1.9 0.3 19.5 Head coaching record Legend Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss % Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss % Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result L.A. Lakers 1993–94 16 5 11 .313 (resigned) — — — — — Career[257] 16 5 11 .313 — — — — — See also List of athletes who came out of retirement List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career triple-double leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff triple-double leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.[3] The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[1] It changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL).[4] In 1976, the NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged, adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league's playoff tournament extends into June. As of 2020, NBA players are the world's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.[5][6][7] The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[8] which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States. The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices in Midtown Manhattan, while its NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey. In North America, the NBA is the third wealthiest professional sport league after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) by revenue, and among the top four in the world.[9] The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the most NBA championships with 17 each. The reigning league champions are the Denver Nuggets, who defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. History Creation and BAA–NBL merger (1946–1956) Main article: Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, in a game the NBA now refers to as the first game played in NBA history.[10] The first basket was made by Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers. Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League (ABL) and the NBL, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1948 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title, and the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers won the 1949 BAA title. Prior to the 1948–49 season, however, NBL teams from Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Rochester jumped to the BAA, which established the BAA as the league of choice for collegians looking to turn professional.[11] On August 3, 1949, the remaining NBL teams–Syracuse, Anderson, Tri-Cities, Sheboygan, Denver, and Waterloo–merged into the BAA. In deference to the merger and to avoid possible legal complications, the league name was changed to the present National Basketball Association, even though the merged league retained the BAA's governing body, including Maurice Podoloff as president.[11] To this day, the NBA claims the BAA's history as its own. It now reckons the arrival of the NBL teams as an expansion, not a merger, and does not recognize NBL records and statistics.[12] The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities,[13] as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954–55, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises: the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons, Milwaukee Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals, all of which remain in the league today, although the latter six all did eventually relocate. The process of contraction saw the league's smaller-city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks had shifted from the Tri-Cities to Milwaukee in 1951, and later shifted to St. Louis in 1955. The Rochester Royals moved from Rochester, New York, to Cincinnati in 1957 and the Pistons moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Detroit in 1957. Japanese-American Wataru Misaka broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks. He remained the only non-white player in league history prior to the first African-American, Harold Hunter, signing with the Washington Capitols in 1950.[14][15] Hunter was cut from the team during training camp,[14][16] but several African-American players did play in the league later that year, including Chuck Cooper with the Celtics, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton with the Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty.[17] To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954.[18] If a team does not attempt to score a field goal (or the ball fails to make contact with the rim) within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped and the ball given to its opponent. Celtics' dominance, league expansion and competition (1956–1979) In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, which already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the franchise to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new single-game records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. Bill Russell defending against Wilt Chamberlain in 1966. The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics. Led by Russell, Cousy, and Auerbach, Boston won eight straight championships in the NBA from 1959 to 1966. This championship streak is the longest in NBA history. They did not win the title in 1966–67, but regained it in the 1967–68 season and repeated in 1969. The domination totaled nine of the ten championship banners of the 1960s.[19] Through this period, the NBA continued to evolve with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers, and the St. Louis Hawks moving to Atlanta, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards) became the ninth NBA team in 1961. From 1966 to 1968, the league expanded from 9 to 14 teams, introducing the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), San Diego Rockets (who moved to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns. In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The leagues engaged in a bidding war. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor). However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry, jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak, and Joe Gushue.[20] In 1969, Alan Siegel, who oversaw the design of Jerry Dior's Major League Baseball logo a year prior, created the modern NBA logo inspired by the MLB's. It incorporates the silhouette of Jerry West, based on a photo by Wen Roberts. The NBA would not confirm that a particular player was used because, according to Siegel, "They want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it. It's become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don't necessarily want to identify it with one player." The iconic logo debuted in 1971 (with a small change to the typeface on the NBA wordmark in 2017) and would remain a fixture of the NBA brand.[21] The ABA succeeded in signing a number of major stars in the 1970s, including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period. From 1966 to 1974, the NBA grew from nine franchises to 18. In 1970, the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17.[22] The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets). Some of the biggest stars of this era were Abdul-Jabbar, Barry, Dave Cowens, Erving, Elvin Hayes, Walt Frazier, Moses Malone, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Dan Issel, and Pete Maravich. The end of the decade, however, saw declining TV ratings, low attendance and drug-related player issues – both perceived and real – that threatened to derail the league. Surging popularity (1979–1998) The league added the ABA's three-point field goal beginning in 1979.[23] That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth of fan interest in the NBA.[24] The two had faced each other in the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, and they later played against each other in three NBA Finals (1984, 1985, and 1987).[24] In the 10 seasons of the 1980s, Johnson led the Lakers to five titles[25] while Bird led the Celtics to three titles.[26] Also in the early 1980s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks,[27] bringing the total to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first three three-point shooting contests.[28] On February 1, 1984 David Stern became commissioner of the NBA.[29] Stern has been recognized as playing a major role in the growth of the league during his career.[30][31] Michael Jordan goes to the basket for a slam dunk in 1987. Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, spurring more interest in the league.[32] In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts, bringing the total to 27 teams.[33] The Detroit Pistons won the back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990, led by coach Chuck Daly and guard Isiah Thomas.[34] Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to two three-peats in eight years during the 1991–1998 seasons.[35][36] Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995.[37] The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Bird, Johnson, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and star NCAA amateur Christian Laettner.[38] The team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, while 11 of the 12 players (along with three out of four coaches) have been inducted as individuals in their own right.[39] In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors.[40][41] In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).[42] Lakers' and Spurs' dynasties (1998–2014) In 1998, the NBA owners began a lockout that suspended all league business until a new labor agreement could be reached, which led to the season being shortened in half.[43][44] The San Antonio Spurs won the championship at the end of the 1998–99 season, becoming the first former ABA team to win the NBA championship.[45] After the breakup of the Chicago Bulls championship roster in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference dominated much of the next two decades. The Los Angeles Lakers, coached by Phil Jackson, and the San Antonio Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, combined to make 13 Finals in 16 seasons, with 10 titles. Tim Duncan and David Robinson won the 1999 championship with the Spurs, and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003 against the Nets. In 2004, the Lakers returned to the Finals, only to lose in five games to the Detroit Pistons. The league's image was marred by a violent incident between players and fans in a November 2004 game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. In response, players were suspended for a total of 146 games with $11 million total lost in salary, and the league tightened security and limited the sale of alcohol. On May 19, 2005, Commissioner Stern testified before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Government Reform about the NBA's actions to combat the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. The NBA started its drug-testing program in 1983 and substantially improved it in 1999. In the 1999–2000 season, all players were randomly tested during training camp, and all rookies were additionally tested three more times during the regular season. Of the nearly 4,200 tests for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs conducted over six seasons, only three players were confirmed positive for NBA's drug program, all were immediately suspended, and as of the time of the testimony, none were playing in the NBA.[46] After the Spurs won the championship again in 2005, the 2006 Finals featured two franchises making their inaugural Finals appearances. The Miami Heat, led by their star shooting guard, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O'Neal, who had been traded from the Lakers during summer 2004, won the series over the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers/Spurs dominance continued in 2007 with a four-game sweep by the Spurs over the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2008 Finals saw a rematch of the league's highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, with the Celtics winning their 17th championship. The Lakers won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, against the Orlando Magic and the Celtics.[47][48] The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was held at Cowboys Stadium in front of the largest crowd ever, 108,713.[49] A referee lockout began on September 1, 2009, when the contract between the NBA and its referees expired. The first preseason games were played on October 1, 2009, and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used, the first time replacement referees had been used since the beginning of the 1995–96 season. The NBA and the regular referees reached a deal on October 23, 2009.[50][51] At the start of the 2010–11 season, free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat, joining Dwyane Wade to form the "Big Three". The Heat dominated the league, reaching the Finals for four straight years. In 2011, they faced a re-match with the Dallas Mavericks but lost to the Dirk Nowitzki-led team. They won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Spurs, and lost in a re-match with the Spurs in the 2014 Finals. The 2011–12 season began with another lockout, the league's fourth.[52] After the first few weeks of the season were canceled, the players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on December 8, 2011, setting up a shortened 66-game season.[53] On February 1, 2014, commissioner David Stern retired after 30 years in the position, and was succeeded by his deputy, Adam Silver. Recent years (2014–present) Kobe Bryant defending LeBron James in a February 2016 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers After four seasons with the Miami Heat, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2014–15 season. He led the team to their second Finals appearance with the help of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in six games, led by the "Splash Brothers" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Cavaliers and the Warriors faced each other in the Finals a record four consecutive times. In the 2015–16 season, the Warriors finished the season 73–9, the best season record in NBA history.[54] However, the Cavaliers overcame a 3–1 deficit in the Finals to win their first championship that season.[55] In the 2016–17 season, the Warriors benefited from the recruitment of free agent Kevin Durant. The Warriors won the 2017 and 2018 Finals against the Cavaliers. After the departure of James in free agency in 2018, the Cavaliers' streak of playoff and Finals appearances ended. The Warriors returned for a fifth consecutive Finals appearance in 2019 but lost to the Toronto Raptors, who won their first championship after acquiring Kawhi Leonard in a trade.[56] The 2019–20 season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus.[57][58] On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors voted to resume the season in a 22-team format with 8 seeding games per team and a regular playoffs format, with all games played in a "bubble" in Walt Disney World without any fans present.[59][60][61] This era also saw the continuous near year-over-year decline in NBA viewership. Between 2012 and 2019, the league lost 40 to 45 percent of its viewership. While some of it can be attributed to "cable-cutting", other professional leagues, like the NFL and MLB have retained stable viewership demographics. The opening game of the 2020 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That is reportedly the lowest viewership seen for the Finals since at least 1994, when total viewers began to be regularly recorded and is a 45 percent decline from game one between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, which had 13.51 million viewers a year earlier. Some attribute this decline to the political stances the league and its players are taking, while others consider load management, the uneven talent distribution between the conferences and the cord-cutting of younger viewers as the main reason for the decline.[62][63][64][65][66] International influence Further information: List of foreign NBA players Following pioneers like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia) who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. Since 2006, the NBA has faced EuroLeague teams in exhibition matches in the NBA Europe Live Tour, and since 2009, in the EuroLeague American Tour. The 2013–14 season opened with a record 92 international players on the opening night rosters, representing 39 countries and comprising over 20 percent of the league.[67] The NBA defines "international" players as those born outside the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. This means that: Players born in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, most notably USVI native Tim Duncan, are counted as "international" even though they are U.S. citizens by birth, and may even have represented the U.S. in international competition (like Duncan). U.S.-born players are not counted as "international" even if they were born with citizenship in another country and represent that country internationally, such as Joakim Noah, and Kosta Koufos. The beginning of the 2017–18 season saw a record 108 international players representing 42 countries marking 4 consecutive years of at least 100 international players and each team having at least one international player.[68] In 2018, the Phoenix Suns hired Serbian coach Igor Kokoškov as their new head coach, replacing Canadian interim coach Jay Triano, making Kokoškov the first European coach to become a head coach for a team in the NBA. Other developments This article or section appears to be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. (July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) In 2001, an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA G League, was created.[69] Two years after the Hornets' move to New Orleans, the NBA returned to North Carolina, as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed as an expansion team in 2004. The Hornets temporarily moved to Oklahoma City in 2005 for two seasons because of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The team returned to New Orleans in 2007. A new official game ball was introduced on June 28, 2006, for the 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second ball in 60 seasons.[70] Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet. Commissioner Stern announced on December 11, 2006, that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006–07 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball.[71] The Players' Association had filed a suit on behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball.[72] As of the 2017–18 season, the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Nike, replacing the previous supplier, Adidas. All teams will wear jerseys with the Nike logo except the Charlotte Hornets, whose jerseys will instead have the Jumpman logo associated with longtime Nike endorser Michael Jordan, who owns the Hornets.[73] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation on July 19, 2007, over allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games.[74] On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. Donaghy claimed in 2008 that certain referees were friendly with players and "company men" for the NBA, and he alleged that referees influenced the outcome of certain playoff and finals games in 2002 and 2005. NBA commissioner David Stern denied the allegations and said Donaghy was a convicted felon and a "singing, cooperating witness".[75] Donaghy served 15 months in prison and was released in November 2009.[76] According to an independent study by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, although the refs increased the Lakers' chances of winning through foul calls during the game, there was no collusion to fix the game. On alleged "star treatment" during Game 6 by the referees toward certain players, Beech claimed, "there does seem to be issues with different standards and allowances for different players."[77] The NBA Board of Governors approved the request of the Seattle SuperSonics to move to Oklahoma City on April 18, 2008.[78] The team, however, could not move until it had settled a lawsuit filed by the city of Seattle, which was intended to keep the SuperSonics in Seattle for the remaining two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena. Following a court case, the city of Seattle settled with the ownership group of the SuperSonics on July 2, 2008, allowing the team to move to Oklahoma City immediately in exchange for terminating the final two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena.[79] The Oklahoma City Thunder began playing in the 2008–09 season. The first outdoor game in the modern era of the league was played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on October 11, 2008, between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets.[80] The first official NBA league games on European ground took place in 2011. In two matchups, the New Jersey Nets faced the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena in London in front of over 20,000 fans. After the 2012–13 season, the New Orleans Hornets were renamed the Pelicans.[81] During the 2013–14 season, Stern retired as commissioner after 30 years, and deputy commissioner Adam Silver ascended to the position of commissioner. During that season's playoffs, the Bobcats officially reclaimed the Hornets name, and by agreement with the league and the Pelicans, also received sole ownership of all history, records, and statistics from the Pelicans' time in Charlotte. As a result, the Hornets are now officially considered to have been founded in 1988, suspended operations in 2002, and resumed in 2004 as the Bobcats, while the Pelicans are officially treated as a 2002 expansion team.[82] (This is somewhat similar to the relationship between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.) Donald Sterling, who was then-owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, received a lifetime ban from the NBA on April 29, 2014, after racist remarks he made became public. Sterling was also fined US$2.5 million, the maximum allowed under the NBA Constitution.[83] Becky Hammon was hired by the San Antonio Spurs on August 5, 2014, as an assistant coach, becoming the second female coach in NBA history but the first full-time coach.[84][85] This also makes her the first full-time female coach in any of the four major professional sports in North America.[85] The NBA announced on April 15, 2016, that it would allow all 30 of its teams to sell corporate sponsor advertisement patches on official game uniforms, beginning with the 2017–18 season. The sponsorship advertisement patches would appear on the left front of jerseys, opposite Nike's logo, marking the first time a manufacturer's logo would appear on NBA jerseys, and would measure approximately 2.5 by 2.5 inches. The NBA would become the first major North American professional sports league to allow corporate sponsorship logos on official team uniforms, and the last to have a uniform manufacturer logo appear on its team uniforms.[86] The first team to announce a jersey sponsorship was the Philadelphia 76ers, who agreed to a deal with StubHub.[87] On July 6, 2017, the NBA unveiled an updated rendition of its logo; it was largely identical to the previous design, except with revised typography and a "richer" color scheme. The league began to phase in the updated logo across its properties during the 2017 NBA Summer League.[88] The NBA also officially released new Nike uniforms for all 30 teams beginning with the 2017–18 season. The league eliminated "home" and "away" uniform designations. Instead, each team would have four or six uniforms: the "Association" edition, which is the team's white uniform, the "Icon" edition, which is the team's color uniform, and the "Statement" and "City" uniforms, which most teams use as an alternate uniform.[89] In 2018, the NBA also released the "Earned" uniform.[90] Teams See also: List of defunct National Basketball Association teams, List of relocated National Basketball Association teams, Timeline of the National Basketball Association, and Expansion of the National Basketball Association CelticsNetsKnicks76ersRaptorsBullsCavaliersPistonsPacersBucksHawksHornetsHeatMagicWizardsNuggetsTimberwolvesThunderTrail BlazersJazzWarriorsClippersLakersSunsKingsMavericksRocketsGrizzliesPelicansSpurs Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions and relocations currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams; another is in Canada. The current league organization divides 30 teams into two conferences of three divisions with five teams each. The current divisional alignment was introduced in the 2004–05 season. Reflecting the population distribution of the United States and Canada as a whole, most teams are in the eastern half of the country: 13 teams are in the Eastern Time Zone, nine in the Central, three in the Mountain, and five in the Pacific. Division Team Location Arena Capacity Coordinates Founded Joined Eastern Conference Atlantic Boston Celtics Boston, Massachusetts TD Garden 19,156 42.366303°N 71.062228°W 1946 Brooklyn Nets New York City, New York Barclays Center 17,732 40.68265°N 73.974689°W 1967* 1976 New York Knicks Madison Square Garden 19,812 40.750556°N 73.993611°W 1946 Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wells Fargo Center 20,478 39.901111°N 75.171944°W 1946* 1949 Toronto Raptors Toronto, Ontario Scotiabank Arena 19,800 43.643333°N 79.379167°W 1995 Central Chicago Bulls Chicago, Illinois United Center 20,917 41.880556°N 87.674167°W 1966 Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland, Ohio Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 19,432 41.496389°N 81.688056°W 1970 Detroit Pistons Detroit, Michigan Little Caesars Arena 20,332 42.341111°N 83.055°W 1941* 1948 Indiana Pacers Indianapolis, Indiana Gainbridge Fieldhouse 17,923 39.763889°N 86.155556°W 1967 1976 Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee, Wisconsin Fiserv Forum 17,341 43.043611°N 87.916944°W 1968 Southeast Atlanta Hawks Atlanta, Georgia State Farm Arena 16,600 33.757222°N 84.396389°W 1946* 1949 Charlotte Hornets Charlotte, North Carolina Spectrum Center 19,077 35.225°N 80.839167°W 1988* Miami Heat Miami, Florida Kaseya Center 19,600 25.781389°N 80.188056°W 1988 Orlando Magic Orlando, Florida Amway Center 18,846 28.539167°N 81.383611°W 1989 Washington Wizards Washington, D.C. Capital One Arena 20,356 38.898056°N 77.020833°W 1961* Western Conference Northwest Denver Nuggets Denver, Colorado Ball Arena 19,520 39.748611°N 105.0075°W 1967 1976 Minnesota Timberwolves Minneapolis, Minnesota Target Center 18,798 44.979444°N 93.276111°W 1989 Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Paycom Center 18,203 35.463333°N 97.515°W 1967* Portland Trail Blazers Portland, Oregon Moda Center 19,393 45.531667°N 122.666667°W 1970 Utah Jazz Salt Lake City, Utah Delta Center 18,306 40.768333°N 111.901111°W 1974* Pacific Golden State Warriors San Francisco, California Chase Center 18,064 37.768056°N 122.3875°W 1946* Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles, California Crypto.com Arena 19,079 34.043056°N 118.267222°W 1970* Los Angeles Lakers 34.043056°N 118.267222°W 1947* 1948 Phoenix Suns Phoenix, Arizona Footprint Center 16,645 33.445833°N 112.071389°W 1968 Sacramento Kings Sacramento, California Golden 1 Center 17,608 38.649167°N 121.518056°W 1923* 1948 Southwest Dallas Mavericks Dallas, Texas American Airlines Center 19,200 32.790556°N 96.810278°W 1980 Houston Rockets Houston, Texas Toyota Center 18,055 29.750833°N 95.362222°W 1967* Memphis Grizzlies Memphis, Tennessee FedExForum 18,119 35.138333°N 90.050556°W 1995* New Orleans Pelicans New Orleans, Louisiana Smoothie King Center 16,867 29.948889°N 90.081944°W 2002* San Antonio Spurs San Antonio, Texas Frost Bank Center 18,418 29.426944°N 98.4375°W 1967* 1976 Notes An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information. The Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers and Rochester Royals all joined the NBA (BAA) in 1948 from the NBL. The Syracuse Nationals and Tri-Cities Blackhawks joined the NBA in 1949 as part of the BAA-NBL absorption. The Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets all joined the NBA in 1976 as part of the ABA–NBA merger. The Charlotte Hornets are regarded as a continuation of the original Charlotte franchise, which suspended operations in 2002 and rejoined the league in 2004. They were known as the Bobcats from 2004 to 2014. The New Orleans Pelicans are regarded as being established as an expansion team in 2002, originally known as the New Orleans Hornets until 2013. Regular season This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "National Basketball Association" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Following the summer break, teams begin training camps in late September. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA G League. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBA cities, both in the United States and overseas. The NBA regular season begins in the last week of October. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games). Each team plays six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games). Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule will vary between teams (but not as significantly as the NFL or MLB). Over five seasons, each team will have played 80 games against their division (20 games against each opponent, 10 at home, 10 on the road), 180 games against the rest of their conference (18 games against each opponent, 9 at home, 9 on the road), and 150 games against the other conference (10 games against each team, 5 at home, 5 on the road). Starting the 2023–24 season, the regular season will include an in-season tournament, in which all games in the tournament (except for the final) will count towards the regular season.[91] The NBA is also the only league that regularly schedules games on Christmas Day.[92] The league has been playing games regularly on the holiday since 1947,[93] though the first Christmas Day games were not televised until 1983–84.[94] Games played on this day have featured some of the best teams and players.[92][93][94] Christmas is also notable for NBA on television, as the holiday is when the first NBA games air on network television each season.[93][94] Games played on this day have been some of the highest-rated games during a particular season. In February, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. Fans vote throughout the United States, Canada, and on the Internet, and the top vote-getters in each conference are named captains. Fan votes determine the rest of the allstar starters. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, the top vote-getters in each conference draft their own team from a player pool of allstars. The top vote-getter in the league earns first pick and so forth. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the Rising Stars Challenge (originally Rookie Challenge), where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA play in a 5-on-5 basketball game, with the current format pitting U.S. players against those from the rest of the world; the Skills Challenge, where players compete to finish an obstacle course consisting of shooting, passing, and dribbling in the fastest time; the Three Point Contest, where players compete to score the highest number of three-point field goals in a given time; and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where players compete to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way according to the judges. These other attractions have varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights. Shortly after the All-Star break is the trade deadline, which is set to fall on the 16th Thursday of the season (usually in February) at 3 pm Eastern Time.[95] After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers. Around the middle of April, the regular season ends. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary, league-wide, postseason teams. The Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started). The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed the most valuable for (his team) that season. Additionally, Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise. The postseason teams are the All-NBA Team, the All-Defensive Team, and the All-Rookie Team; each consists of five players. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.[96][97] Playoffs Main article: NBA playoffs The NBA playoffs begin in April after the conclusion of the regular season with the top eight teams in each conference, regardless of divisional alignment, competing for the league's championship title, the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Seeds are awarded in strict order of regular season record (with a tiebreaker system used as needed). Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed begins the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed, having a higher seed means a team faces a weaker team in the first round. The team in each series with the better record has home-court advantage, including the First Round. Before the league changed its playoff determination format for the 2006–07 season, this meant that, for example, if the team that received the sixth seed had a better record than the team with the third seed (by virtue of a divisional championship), the sixth seed would have home-court advantage, even though the other team had a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home-court advantage in every series it plays. For example, in 2006, the Denver Nuggets won 44 games and captured the Northwest Division and the third seed. Their opponent was the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, who won 47 games and finished second in the Pacific Division. Although Denver won its much weaker division, the Clippers had a home-court advantage and won the series in 5. The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays an opponent in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. All but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the first- and eighth-seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the second- and seventh-seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the third- and sixth-seeded teams. In every round, the best-of-7 series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 home-court pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. From 1985 to 2013, the NBA Finals followed a 2–3–2 pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 5.[98] The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals and is held annually in June (sometimes, the series will start in late May). The winner of the NBA Finals receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best performing player of the series. The league began using its current format, with the top eight teams in each conference advancing regardless of divisional alignment, in the 2015–16 season. Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners.[99] Championships Main article: List of NBA champions The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are tied for the most championships with each having 17 NBA Finals wins. The Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls have the third- and fourth-most, respectively, with seven and six titles. Teams Win Loss Total Year(s) won Year(s) runner-up Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers 17 15 32 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008 Boston Celtics 17 5 22 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008 1958, 1985, 1987, 2010, 2022 Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors 7 5 12 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, 2019 Chicago Bulls 6 0 6 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 — San Antonio Spurs 5 1 6 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 2013 Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers 3 6 9 1955, 1967, 1983 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001 Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons 3 4 7 1989, 1990, 2004 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005 Miami Heat 3 4 7 2006, 2012, 2013 2011, 2014, 2020, 2023 New York Knicks 2 6 8 1970, 1973 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999 Houston Rockets 2 2 4 1994, 1995 1981, 1986 Milwaukee Bucks 2 1 3 1971, 2021 1974 Cleveland Cavaliers 1 4 5 2016 2007, 2015, 2017, 2018 St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks 1 3 4 1958 1957, 1960, 1961 Baltimore/Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards) 1 3 4 1978 1971, 1975, 1979 Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder 1 3 4 1979 1978, 1996, 2012 Portland Trail Blazers 1 2 3 1977 1990, 1992 Dallas Mavericks 1 1 2 2011 2006 Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954) 1 0 1 1948 — Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) 1 0 1 1951 — Toronto Raptors 1 0 1 2019 — Denver Nuggets 1 0 1 2023 — Phoenix Suns 0 3 3 — 1976, 1993, 2021 Utah Jazz (formerly New Orleans Jazz) 0 2 2 — 1997, 1998 New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) 0 2 2 — 2002, 2003 Orlando Magic 0 2 2 — 1995, 2009 Chicago Stags (folded in 1950) 0 1 1 — 1947 Washington Capitols (folded in 1951) 0 1 1 — 1949 Indiana Pacers 0 1 1 — 2000 Current teams that have no NBA Finals appearances: Charlotte Hornets (formerly Charlotte Bobcats) Los Angeles Clippers (formerly Buffalo Braves, San Diego Clippers) Memphis Grizzlies (formerly Vancouver Grizzlies) Minnesota Timberwolves New Orleans Pelicans (formerly New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets) Media coverage Main article: National Basketball Association on television See also: List of current National Basketball Association broadcasters As one of the major sports leagues in North America, the NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the United States. The NBA signed a contract with DuMont Television Network in its eighth season, the 1953–54 season, marking the first year the NBA had a national television broadcaster. Similar to the National Football League, the lack of television stations led to NBC taking over the rights from the 1954–55 season until April 7, 1962–NBC's first tenure with the NBA. Currently in the U.S., the NBA has a contract with ESPN (and ABC) and TNT through the 2024–25 season. Games that are not broadcast nationally are usually aired over regional sports networks specific to the area where the teams are located. International competitions The National Basketball Association has sporadically participated in international club competitions. From 1987 to 1999 an NBA team played against championship club teams from Asia, Europe and South America in the McDonald's Championship. This tournament was won by the NBA invitee every year it was held.[100] Ticket prices and viewership demographics In 2022, an average ticket cost $77.75.[101] Depending on the market and stage of the season—preseason, regular season, postseason—a ticket can range from $10 to $70,000.[a][102] In 2020, ticket prices for the NBA All Star Game became more expensive than ever before, averaging around $2,600, and even more on the secondary market.[103] Viewership demographics According to Nielsen's survey, in 2013 the NBA had the youngest audience, with 45 percent of its viewers under 35. As of 2022, the league remains the least likely to be watched by women, who make up only 30% of the viewership.[104] As of 2014, 45 percent of its viewers were black, while 40 percent of viewers were white, making it the only top North American sport that does not have a white majority audience.[105] As of 2017, the NBA's popularity further declined among White Americans, who during the 2016–17 season, made up only 34% of the viewership. At the same time, the black viewership increased to 47 percent, while Hispanic (of any race) stood at 11% and Asian viewership stood at 8%. According to the same poll, the NBA was favored more strongly by Democrats than Republicans.[106] Outside the U.S., the NBA's biggest international market is in China,[107][108] where an estimated 800 million viewers watched the 2017–18 season.[109] NBA China is worth approximately $4 billion.[107][108] Controversies and criticism Main article: National Basketball Association criticisms and controversies The NBA has been involved in a number of controversies over the years and has received a significant amount of criticism.[110][111][112] Notable people Further information: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Presidents and commissioners Further information: Commissioner of the NBA Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963 Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975 Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984 David Stern, Commissioner from 1984 to 2014 Adam Silver, Commissioner from 2014 to present Players NBA 75th Anniversary Team 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 home games at Crypto.com Arena, an arena shared with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.[9] The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, and have won 17 NBA championships, tied with the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history.[10] The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers.[11] Initially a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival Basketball Association of America, where they would win five of the next six championships, led by star George Mikan.[12] After struggling financially in the late 1950s following Mikan's retirement, they relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season. Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Los Angeles made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, but lost every series to the Celtics, beginning their long and storied rivalry. In 1968, the Lakers acquired four-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Wilt Chamberlain, and won their sixth NBA title—and first in Los Angeles—in 1972, led by new head coach Bill Sharman. After the retirement of West and Chamberlain, the team traded for superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who would win three MVP awards as a Laker. While the team was unable to advance to the Finals in the late 1970s, two momentous changes came in 1979 that would inaugurate a new golden era for the franchise. First, Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers, and as the team's owner, pioneered a vision of basketball games as entertainment spectacles as well as sporting events.[13] Second, the Lakers drafted Magic Johnson first overall in the 1979 NBA draft. The combination of Johnson, a passing prodigy point guard, and a dominant center in Abdul-Jabbar provided the Lakers with two superstars to anchor their roster. The promotion of head coach Pat Riley in 1981 and the addition of forward James Worthy through the 1982 draft established the Lakers as an NBA powerhouse throughout the 1980s. The team was nicknamed the "Showtime Lakers" due to its fast break, transition offense facilitated by Johnson. The franchise won five championships in a nine-year span, including winning two out of three marquee Finals matchups against the Celtics. The Lakers were defeated by their Boston archrivals in the 1984 Finals, but triumphed over the Celtics in 1985 and 1987. After Riley departed and Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, and Worthy all retired, the Lakers struggled in the early 1990s. It was not until 1996 when the team traded with the Charlotte Hornets for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant and signed star center Shaquille O'Neal that the Lakers returned to dominance during the early 2000s. The superstar duo of Bryant and O'Neal, along with Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, led the Lakers to three consecutive championships between 2000 and 2002, securing the franchise's second "three-peat."[14] The dynamic but tumultuous "Shaq-and-Kobe" era ended when the Lakers traded away O'Neal after the team lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 Finals. It was not until after the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol that Bryant and Jackson returned to the NBA Finals, losing to the Celtics in 2008 but winning two more championships in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 Finals marked the latest matchup of the Lakers and Celtics, with Los Angeles winning its 16th title against its longtime rival in a seven-game series. Jackson retired from coaching in 2011, and after a string of tumultuous playoff exits, the Lakers endured their longest playoff drought in franchise history. Gasol departed as a free agent in 2014, and Bryant retired in 2016 after twenty years as a Laker. After multiple rebuilding seasons with young, highly rated prospects, the Lakers signed superstar LeBron James in 2018.[15] In 2019, the team traded several of those prospects for star big man Anthony Davis.[16] The Lakers—led by James, Davis, and head coach Frank Vogel—won the team's 17th championship in 2020, tying the Celtics for the most titles in NBA history.[17] The Lakers hold the record for NBA's longest winning streak, 33 straight games, set during the 1971–72 season.[18] Twenty-six Hall of Famers have played for Los Angeles, while four have coached the team. Four players—Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, O'Neal, and Bryant—have won a combined eight NBA MVP awards with the Lakers.[19] Franchise history Main article: History of the Los Angeles Lakers 1947–1954: Beginnings and Minneapolis dynasty with George Mikan Minneapolis team co-owner Benjamin Berger The Lakers' franchise began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota purchased the recently disbanded Detroit Gems[20] of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 from Gems owner Maury Winston.[21] Minneapolis sportswriter Sid Hartman played a key behind-the-scenes role in helping put together the deal and later the team.[22] Inspired by Minnesota's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the team christened themselves the Lakers.[11][23] Hartman helped them hire John Kundla from College of St. Thomas, to be their first head coach, by meeting with him and selling him on the team.[24][25] The Lakers had a solid roster, which featured forward Jim Pollard, playmaker Herm Schaefer, and center George Mikan, who became the most dominant player in the NBL.[26] In their first season, they led the league with a 43–17 record, later winning the NBL Championship that season.[27] Hall of Famer George Mikan (#99) led the Lakers franchise to their first five NBA championships. He is described by the NBA's official website as the "first superstar" in league history.[12] In 1948, the Lakers moved from the NBL to the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and Mikan's 28.3 point per game (ppg) scoring average set a BAA record. In the 1949 BAA Finals they won the championship, beating the Washington Capitols four games to two.[28] The following season, the team improved to 51–17, repeating as champions.[29] In the 1950–51 season, Mikan won his third straight scoring title at 28.4 ppg and the Lakers went 44–24 to win their second straight division title.[30] One of those games, a 19–18 loss against the Fort Wayne Pistons, became infamous as the lowest scoring game in NBA history.[31] In the playoffs, they defeated the Indianapolis Olympians in three games but lost to the Rochester Royals in the next round.[26] During the 1951–52 season, the Lakers won 40 games, finishing second in their division.[32] They faced the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which they won in seven games.[33] In the 1952–53 season, Mikan led the NBA in rebounding, averaging 14.4 rebounds per game (rpg), and was named MVP of the 1953 NBA All-Star Game.[30] After a 48–22 regular season, the Lakers defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the Western playoffs to advance to the NBA Finals.[33] They then defeated the New York Knicks to win their second straight championship.[34] Though Lakers star George Mikan suffered from knee problems throughout the 1953–54 season, he was still able to average 18 ppg.[35] Clyde Lovellette, who was drafted in 1952, helped the team win the Western Division.[35] The team won its third straight championship in the 1950s and fifth in six seasons when it defeated the Syracuse Nationals in seven games.[34] 1954–1958: Post-Mikan dry spell Following Mikan's retirement in the 1954 off-season, the Lakers struggled but still managed to win 40 games. Although they defeated the Rochester Royals in the first round of the playoffs, they were defeated by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the semifinals.[36] Although they had losing records the next two seasons, they made the playoffs each year.[32] Mikan came back for the last half of the 1955–56 season, but struggled and retired for good after the season.[37] Led by Lovellette's 20.6 points and 13.5 rebounds, they advanced to the Conference Finals in 1956–57. The Lakers had one of the worst seasons in team history in 1957–58 when they won a league-low 19 games.[38] They had hired Mikan, who had been the team's general manager for the previous two seasons, as head coach to replace Kundla. Mikan was fired in January when the team was 9–30, and Kundla was rehired.[32][39] The Lakers earned the top pick in the 1958 NBA draft and used it to select Elgin Baylor. Baylor, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year and co-MVP of the 1959 NBA All-Star Game, averaged 24.9 ppg and 15.0 rpg helping the Lakers improve to second in their division despite a 33–39 record.[40] After upsetting the Hawks in six games in the division finals, they returned to the NBA Finals, but were swept by the Celtics, beginning their long rivalry.[41] 1958–1968: Move to Los Angeles and Celtics rivalry Elgin Baylor (left) and Jerry West (right) led the team to a total of ten NBA Finals appearances in the 1960s and 1970s. Nicknamed "Mr. Clutch", West's silhouette is featured on the NBA's official logo.[42][43] In their last year in Minneapolis, the Lakers went 25–50. On January 18, 1960, the team was coming off a loss and traveling to St. Louis when their plane crash-landed.[44] Snow storms had driven the pilot 150 miles off course when he was forced to land in a cornfield. No one was hurt.[45] Their record earned them the number two pick in the 1960 NBA draft. The team selected Jerry West from West Virginia University.[46] During the 1960 off-season, the Lakers became the NBA's first West Coast team when owner Bob Short decided to move the team to Los Angeles.[47] Led by Baylor's 34.8 ppg and 19.8 rpg, Los Angeles won 11 more than the year before in West's first season.[48] On November 15 that season, Baylor set a new NBA scoring record when he scored 71 points in a victory against the New York Knicks while grabbing 25 rebounds.[49] In doing so, Baylor broke his own NBA record of 64 points. Despite a losing record, the Lakers made the playoffs.[32] They came within two points of the NBA Finals when they lost in game seven of their second round series against St. Louis.[50] Led by Baylor and West at 38.3 and 30.8 ppg respectively,[51] the Lakers improved to 54–26 in 1961–62, and made the finals. In a game five victory, Baylor grabbed 22 rebounds and set the still-standing NBA record for points in a finals game with 61,[52] despite fouling out of the game.[53] The Lakers, however, lost to the Celtics by three points in overtime of game seven.[51] Frank Selvy, after making two jumpers in the final 40 seconds to tie the game,[54][55] missed a potential game-winning 18 foot jump shot in regulation, a miss which he said in June 2010 still haunted him more than 40 years later.[55] Los Angeles won 53 games in 1962–63, behind Baylor's 34.0 ppg and West's 27.1 ppg[56] but lost in the NBA Finals in six games to the Celtics.[56] After falling to 42–38 and losing in the first round of the 1964 NBA playoffs to the Hawks, the team won 49 games in 1964–65. The Lakers surged past the Baltimore Bullets in the division finals, behind West's record-setting 46.3 ppg in the series.[57] They lost again to Celtics in the Finals however, this time in five games.[58] Los Angeles lost in the finals to Boston in seven games again in 1966, this time by two points.[59] Down by 16 entering the fourth quarter, and 10 with a minute and a half to go, the Lakers mounted a furious rally in the closing moments, which fell just short.[60] After dropping to 36 wins and losing in the first round of the 1967 NBA playoffs, they lost in the finals to the Celtics again in 1968.[32] Los Angeles moved to a brand-new arena, The Forum, in 1967, after playing seven seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. 1968–1973: The arrival of Wilt Chamberlain Wilt Chamberlain played for Los Angeles for five seasons during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was an integral part of their 1971–72 team that is considered one of the best in NBA history.[61] On July 9, 1968, the team acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers for Darrell Imhoff, Archie Clark, and Jerry Chambers.[62] In his first season as a Laker, Chamberlain set a team record by averaging a league-leading 21.1 rpg.[63] West, Baylor, and Chamberlain each averaged over 20 points, and Los Angeles won their division.[64] The Lakers and Celtics again met in the finals, and Los Angeles had home court advantage against Boston for the first time in their rivalry. They won the first game behind Jerry West's 53 points,[65] and had a 3–2 lead after five.[66] Boston won the series in seven games however,[67] and earned their 11th NBA Championship in 13 seasons.[68] West was named the first-ever Finals MVP; this remains the only time that a member of the losing team has won the award.[69] In 1970, West won his first scoring title at 31.2 ppg, the team returned to the finals, and for the first time in 16 years, they did not have to face the Celtics; instead playing the New York Knicks, who defeated them 4–3.[70][71] The next season the Lakers were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks, led by future Laker Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in the Western Conference Finals.[72] The 1971–72 season brought several changes. Owner Jack Kent Cooke brought in Bill Sharman as head coach,[73] and Elgin Baylor announced his retirement early in the season after realizing that his legs were not healthy enough.[73] Sharman increased the team's discipline.[74] He introduced the concept of the shootaround, where players would arrive at the arena early in the morning before a game to practice shots.[75] They won 14 straight games in November and all 16 games played in December.[73] They won three straight to open the year of 1972 but on January 9, the Milwaukee Bucks ended their winning streak by defeating the Lakers, 120–104.[76] By winning 33 straight games, Los Angeles set a record for longest winning streak of any team in major American professional team sports.[77][78] The Lakers won 69 games that season, which stood as the NBA record for 24 years until the Chicago Bulls won 72 games in 1995–96.[79] Chamberlain averaged a low 14.8 points but led the league in rebounding at 19.2 a game.[80] West's 9.7 assists per game (apg) led the league, he also averaged more than 25 points, and was named MVP of the 1972 NBA All-Star Game.[80] The team failed to score 100 points just once all year,[81] and at the end of the season, Bill Sharman was named Coach of the Year.[82] The Lakers went on to reach the finals against the New York Knicks where they would avenge their 1970 finals loss by defeating them 4 games to 1. Chamberlain tallied 24 points and 29 rebounds in game five and won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.[83][84] The Lakers won 60 games in the 1972–73 season, and took another Pacific Division title.[85] Wilt Chamberlain, playing in his final season, again led the league in rebounding and set the still standing NBA record for field-goal percentage at 72.7%.[85] The team defeated the Chicago Bulls in seven games in the conference semifinals, then the Golden State Warriors in five in the Western Division Finals.[85] They played the New York Knicks in the 1973 NBA Finals. Los Angeles took the first game by three points, but New York won the series in five games.[86] 1973–1979: Building "Showtime" During the 1973–74 season, the team was hampered by the loss of West, who played only 31 games before his legs gave out.[87] Goodrich, averaging 25.3 points, helped the team to a late-season surge.[87] Trailing the Golden State Warriors by three games with seven left to play, the Lakers rallied to finish 47–35 and win the Pacific Division.[87] They made the playoffs but managed just one win against Milwaukee in the conference semifinals. Following the season, West retired due to contract disagreements with Cooke, and filed a suit for unpaid back wages.[88] The Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975. After missing the playoffs in the 1974–75 season, the Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had won three league MVPs by that time.[89] Abdul-Jabbar wanted out of Milwaukee, demanding a trade to either New York or Los Angeles.[90] He was traded for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, and Dave Meyers. Abdul-Jabbar had his fourth MVP season in 1975–76, leading the league in rebounding, blocked shots, and minutes played.[91] The Lakers struggled in January, going 3–10, and finished out of the playoffs at 40–42.[91] West and Cooke settled their differences—and the former Laker's lawsuit—and Cooke hired him to replace Sharman as the team's coach.[92] West became upset, however, when Cooke refused to spend the money necessary to acquire forward Julius Erving, who the Nets were selling.[93] Behind another MVP season from Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles won the Pacific Division, finishing the 1976–77 season a league-best 53–29.[94] They defeated the Warriors in a seven-game series to open the postseason before being swept by Portland in the Western Conference Finals.[91] During the off-season, Los Angeles picked up Jamaal Wilkes from Golden State and signed first-round draft pick Norm Nixon. In the first two minutes of the first game of the 1977–78 season, Abdul-Jabbar punched Bucks center Kent Benson for an overly aggressive elbow and broke his hand.[95] Two months later, a healthy Abdul-Jabbar got into an altercation with Houston Rockets center Kevin Kunnert after a rebound. The team's starting power forward, Kermit Washington, who was averaging 11.5 points and 11.2 rebounds,[96] entered the fight, and when Rudy Tomjanovich ran in from the bench to break up the action, Washington punched him in the face.[97] Tomjanovich nearly died from the punch, suffering a fractured skull and other facial injuries, which prematurely ended his playing career.[98] Washington, who stated that he assumed Tomjanovich was a combatant, was suspended for two months by the NBA, and released by the Lakers.[99] The team won 45 games despite being down a starter in Washington and not having Abdul-Jabbar for nearly two months, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Seattle.[100] During the 1978–79 season, the team posted a 47–35 record but lost to the SuperSonics in the semifinal round of the playoffs.[91] 1979–1991: "Showtime" Further information: Showtime (basketball) Magic Johnson along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the "Showtime" Lakers to five NBA titles in the 1980s. In the 1979 NBA draft, Los Angeles selected 6-foot, 9-inch point guard Magic Johnson from Michigan State with the first overall pick.[101] It took Johnson's teammates time to acclimate themselves to his passing ability, as his "no-look" passes often caught them unaware. Once they adjusted, his passing became a key part of Los Angeles' offense.[102] The Lakers won 60 games in Johnson's rookie year, and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the 1980 NBA Finals. Johnson won the Finals MVP award, after starting at center for the injured Abdul-Jabbar in game six, and tallying 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists.[103] The team fell off in the 1980–81 season, though, as the Lakers lost Johnson for most of the season to a knee injury.[104] The team turned in a 54–28 record and finished second behind the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division.[104] The Rockets, led by Moses Malone, defeated Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs.[104] Early in the 1981–82 season, Johnson complained to the media about head coach Paul Westhead and demanded a trade.[105] Westhead was fired shortly after Johnson's criticisms, and although Lakers' owner Jerry Buss stated that Johnson's comments did not factor into the decision, Johnson was vilified by the national media and booed both on the road and at home.[106][107][108] Buss promoted assistant coach Pat Riley to "co-head coach" with Jerry West (although West considered himself Riley's assistant) on November 19 and the team won 17 of its next 20 games.[104][109][110] Nicknamed "Showtime" due to the team's new Johnson-led fast break-offense, the Lakers won the Pacific Division title and swept both the Suns and Spurs in the 1982 playoffs.[111] Los Angeles stretched its postseason winning streak to nine games by taking the first contest of the NBA Finals from the 76ers.[104][112] The team won the Finals 4–2 to finish a 12–2 playoff run.[104] On draft night in 1982, the Lakers had the first overall pick (the result of a trade with Cleveland midway through the 1979–80 season, when the Lakers had sent Don Ford and a 1980 first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Butch Lee and their 1982 selection) and selected James Worthy from North Carolina.[113] The Lakers won the Pacific Division at 58–24, but Worthy suffered a leg injury in the last week of the season and missed the rest of the season.[114] Nevertheless, they advanced to play Philadelphia in the 1983 NBA Finals after defeating Portland and San Antonio.[114] The Sixers, however, won the series and the championship in four games.[113] After the season West replaced Sharman as the team's GM.[115] In the 1983–84 season, Los Angeles went 54–28, and played Boston in the Finals for the first time since 1969.[116] The Lakers won two of the first three games. However, Kevin McHale's hard clothesline foul of Lakers forward Kurt Rambis on a fast break is credited as a turning point of the series.[117] Boston won three of the next four to win the title and send Los Angeles's record to 0–8 in Finals series against the Celtics.[116] Using the past year's Finals defeat as motivation, the team won the Pacific Division for the fourth straight year and lost just two games in the Western Conference playoffs. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics were again the Lakers' final hurdle. Los Angeles lost game one of the NBA Finals by a score of 148–114, in what is remembered as the "Memorial Day Massacre".[118] The Lakers, behind 38-year-old Finals MVP Abdul-Jabbar, recovered to defeat the Celtics in six games.[119] The team won the title in the Boston Garden, becoming the only visiting team to ever win an NBA championship there.[118] Los Angeles drafted James Worthy first overall in 1982. "Big Game James" recorded his only career triple double in the Lakers game seven victory over the Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals.[120] In the 1985–86 season, the Lakers started 24–3 and went on to win 62 games and their fifth straight division title.[121] The Rockets, however, defeated the Lakers in five games in the Western Conference Finals. Houston won the series when Ralph Sampson hit a 20-foot jumper as time expired in game five at The Forum.[121] Prior to the 1986–87 season, the Lakers moved A.C. Green into the starting lineup, and acquired Mychal Thompson from the Spurs.[122] Johnson won his first career MVP Award while leading the Lakers to a 65–17 record,[122] and Michael Cooper was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.[122] Before the season, Riley had made the decision to shift the focus of the offense to Johnson over the 40-year-old Abdul-Jabbar.[123] The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals by sweeping the Nuggets, defeating the Warriors in five games, and sweeping the SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals.[124] The Lakers defeated Boston in the first two games of the Finals, and the teams split the next four games, giving Los Angeles their second championship in three seasons.[122] The series was highlighted by Johnson's running "baby hook" shot to win game four at Boston Garden with two seconds remaining.[125] Johnson was named the NBA Finals MVP, in addition to regular season MVP.[126] At the Lakers' championship celebration in Los Angeles, coach Riley brashly declared that Los Angeles would repeat as NBA champions,[122] which no team had done since the 1968–69 Boston Celtics. Looking to make good on Riley's promise in the 1987–88 season, the Lakers took their seventh consecutive Pacific Division title with a 62–20 record. They swept the Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference Finals before pulling out a tough seven-game series win over the Utah Jazz led by youngsters Karl Malone and John Stockton. A seven-game Western Conference finals win over the Dallas Mavericks propelled the Lakers to the NBA Finals once again. In their seventh trip to the Finals in nine years, they met the Detroit Pistons. Los Angeles would take the series in seven games, and James Worthy's game seven triple-double earned him a Finals MVP award.[127] The win marked their fifth title in nine years, but would also mark their last title until 2000. In the 1988–89 season, Los Angeles won 57 games and their eighth consecutive Pacific Division crown. They swept through the playoffs defeating Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix. In an eighth trip to the NBA Finals in 10 years, they once again faced the Detroit Pistons.[128] Hampered by injuries to Byron Scott and Johnson, the Lakers were swept by Detroit.[129] Following the 1989 Finals, on June 28, 1989, after 20 professional seasons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement. The Lakers still cruised through the Pacific Division, winning their ninth consecutive division crown with a 63–19 record. However, after beating the Rockets in the first round, they lost four games to one in the second round of the playoffs to the Suns.[130] Riley announced he was stepping down after the season citing burnout,[131] and was replaced by Mike Dunleavy.[132] Riley's departure received a mixed reaction from the players. They respected his contributions, but some, such as Worthy and Scott, had grown tired of his intense practices and felt he tried to take too much credit for the team's successes.[133] Following the season, 1987 Defensive Player of the Year winner Michael Cooper decided to play in Europe and was waived at his request.[134] The 1990–91 Lakers failed to win the Pacific Division for the first time in 10 years, but still finished with a 58–24 record. After cruising through the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers found themselves in the NBA Finals once again, their ninth trip to the Finals in 12 years. The 1991 Finals represented a changing of the guard as the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Chicago Bulls, led by superstar Michael Jordan.[135] 1991–1996: Post-"Showtime" dry spell On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV and would retire immediately.[136] In their first season without Johnson, the team won 43 games to earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.[32] The Lakers were defeated in the first round by Portland. Following the season, head coach Mike Dunleavy was fired. The Lakers would lose 43 games in 1992–93 under Randy Pfund, their first losing season since 1976. The Lakers would still make the playoffs, and would become the first eighth seed to win the opening two games on the road against a number one seed when they took a 2–0 lead against Phoenix.[137] They lost the next two games at home however, then game five in Phoenix in overtime.[137] During the 1993–94 season, Pfund was fired during the season that would result in the Lakers failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976. Magic Johnson, would coach the final 16 games of the season with former teammate Michael Cooper as his lead assistant.[138] Johnson decided not to take the job permanently due to what he felt was a lack of commitment from certain players, and Los Angeles ended the season with a 10-game losing streak to finish 33–49.[139][140] Under new coach Del Harris, Los Angeles made the playoffs each of the next two seasons but was eliminated in the second and first rounds respectively.[141][142] The team was led by young guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones.[143] Johnson came out of retirement to return as a player in the 1995–96 season to lead the then 24–18 Lakers to a 29–11 finish.[144] After some run-ins with Van Exel, displeasure with Harris's strategies, and a first-round loss to the Rockets, Johnson decided to retire for the final time after the season.[145] 1996–2004: O'Neal and Bryant dynasty Championship banners from Minneapolis and Los Angeles & retired jerseys, hanging in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena in 2022 During the 1996 off-season, the Lakers acquired 17-year-old Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac; Bryant was drafted 13th overall out of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania in that year's draft, by Charlotte. Los Angeles also signed free-agent Shaquille O'Neal.[146] Trading for Bryant was West's idea, and he was influential in the team's signing of the all-star center.[147] "Jerry West is the reason I came to the Lakers", O'Neal later said.[148] They used their 24th pick in the draft to select Derek Fisher.[149] During the season, the team traded Cedric Ceballos to Phoenix for Robert Horry.[150] O'Neal led the team to a 56–26 record, their best effort since 1990–91, despite missing 31 games due to a knee injury.[151] O'Neal averaged 26.2 ppg and 12.5 rpg and finished third in the league in blocked shots (2.88 bpg) in 51 games.[151][152] The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs as O'Neal scored 46 points in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers, marking the highest single-game playoff scoring output by a Laker since Jerry West scored 53 against the Celtics in 1969.[151] In the next round, the Lakers lost in five games to the Utah Jazz.[151] In the 1997–98 season, O'Neal and the Lakers had the best start in franchise history, 11–0.[153] O'Neal would miss 20 games on the season due to an abdominal injury.[153] Los Angeles battled Seattle for the Pacific Division title most of the season. In the final two months, the Lakers won 22 of their final 25 games,[153] finishing 61–21, but still finished second to Seattle in the standings.[153] The Lakers defeated Portland three games to one in the first round to advance to face Seattle. Although the Sonics won the first game, the Lakers responded with four straight wins, taking the series,[153] but were swept by the Jazz in the Western Conference Finals.[153] During the 1998–99 season, All-Star guard Eddie Jones and center Elden Campbell were traded to the Charlotte Hornets.[154] The team also acquired J. R. Reid, B. J. Armstrong, and Glen Rice.[155] Head coach Del Harris was fired in February after a three-game losing streak and replaced on an interim basis by former Laker Kurt Rambis.[156] The team finished 31–19 in the strike-shortened season, which was fourth in the Western Conference.[157] The Lakers defeated Houston in the first round of the playoffs, but were swept by San Antonio in the next round. Game four of the series would be the last game ever played at the Great Western Forum.[158] The Lakers at the White House following their 2001 NBA championship Before the 1999–2000 season, West was prepared to hire Rambis as the team's full-time coach before an outcry from fans and members of the organization caused him to seek out a bigger name.[159] Los Angeles hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who had coached that team to six championships, and gave him a lucrative $6 million a year contract.[160] He brought along assistant Tex Winter and they installed Winter's version of the triangle offense.[161] The Lakers signed veterans Brian Shaw, John Salley, Ron Harper, and A.C. Green, who was a Laker during the "Showtime" era.[150] The team also moved to a new arena, the Staples Center.[162] Led by league MVP O'Neal, the Lakers won 31 of their first 36 games.[163] They finished 67–15, the highest win total since they won 65 in the 1986–87 season.[163] The eliminated Sacramento and Phoenix in the first two rounds of the playoffs.[164] After the Lakers took a three games to one lead in the Western Conference Finals against Portland, the Trail Blazers won the next two games to force a game seven.[165] The Lakers, who trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter, would go on 19–4 run to tie the game and eventually win 89–84 to advance to the NBA Finals.[165] In their first trip to the Finals since 1991, the Lakers defeated Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers four games to two win their first title since 1988.[166] West retired from his spot in the team's front office after the season after a power struggle between him and Jackson over control of the team's operations.[167] After the season, starters Rice and Green left the team,[168] and Los Angeles signed Horace Grant.[169] The following season, the Lakers won 11 fewer regular season games than the prior year,[170] but swept the first three rounds of the playoffs, defeating the Portland, Sacramento, and San Antonio.[171] They met Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. Although the Sixers took game one in overtime,[172] the Lakers won the next four games to win their second straight title. Their 15–1 postseason record was the best in NBA history.[173] Shaquille O'Neal (left), and Kobe Bryant (right), helped the Lakers win three straight NBA titles. Though they played well together on the court, the pair had an acrimonious relationship at times in the locker room.[174][175] The Lakers won 58 games in 2001–02. In the playoffs, they swept Portland and defeated San Antonio four games to one to advance to the Western Conference Finals to face Sacramento.[176] The series would go on to be known as one of the greatest playoff matchups in NBA history. The series extended to all seven games and ended in a Lakers victory.[177] In game one, Bryant scored 30 points as the Lakers won, 106–99. The series would then shift in Sacramento's favor, with the Kings winning the next two games. Facing a deficit in game 4, the Lakers had the ball with under 20 seconds to play. After misses by both Bryant and O'Neal, Kings center Vlade Divac tapped the ball away from the rim in an attempt to wind down the clock. It went straight into Robert Horry's hands, who drained a game-winning three with under three seconds to play. After the Kings won game five on a buzzer-beater by Mike Bibby, the Lakers were faced with a must-win game six. In one of the most controversial playoff games in league history (Tim Donaghy's betting scandal), the Lakers would win by four points.[178] The Lakers went on to win game seven in overtime, with the Kings missing numerous potentially game-saving shots and free throws. The Lakers then achieved a three-peat by sweeping Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.[179] O'Neal won each of the Finals series' MVP awards, making him the only player besides Michael Jordan to win three consecutive Finals MVPs.[180] The Lakers would attempt a four-peat the following year, but started the 2002–03 season 11–19.[181] However, they finished the season 39–13 to finish 50–32.[182] They defeated Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs, but the four-peat attempt ended as they were eliminated by San Antonio in six games in the second round.[183] During the 2003–04 season, the team was the subject of intense media coverage generated by the teaming of four stars and the sexual-assault case involving Kobe Bryant.[184][185] Before the season, the Lakers signed two-time MVP Karl Malone formerly of the Jazz, and former Seattle Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton to join O'Neal and Bryant.[186] Three of the "big four", however, struggled with injuries: O'Neal suffered from a strained calf, Malone an injured knee, and Bryant an injured shoulder.[187][188] The Lakers started 18–3 and finished 56–26 and won the Pacific Division title, entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. They defeated Houston, San Antonio, and Minnesota to advance to the NBA Finals.[189] In the Finals, they would lose to Detroit in five games. 2004–2016: The Kobe Bryant era 2004–2007: Rebuilding During the 2004 off-season, the team entered a rebuilding phase when O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler, and a first-round draft pick.[190] Bryant and O'Neal had clashed in the past,[191] and the media credited their feud as one of the motivating factors for the trade.[192] Jackson did not return as head coach, and wrote a book about the team's 2003–04 season, in which he heavily criticized Bryant and called him "uncoachable".[193][194][195] The Lakers front office said that the book contained "several inaccuracies".[196] The Lakers also traded Rick Fox and Gary Payton to Boston, for Chris Mihm, Marcus Banks, and Chucky Atkins before the 2004–05 season.[197] Derek Fisher, frustrated with losing playing time, opted out of his contract and signed with the Warriors.[197] The team hired Rudy Tomjanovich to replace Jackson.[197] After sitting out the first half of the 2004–05 season, Malone announced his retirement on February 13, 2005.[198] Tomjanovich coached the team to a 22–19 record before resigning due to health problems.[199] Assistant Frank Hamblen was named interim head coach to replace Tomjanovich for the remainder of the season.[200] Bryant (ankle) and Odom (shoulder) suffered injuries, and the Lakers finished 34–48, missing the playoffs for only the fifth time in franchise history and the first time since 1994.[32] With the tenth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, the Lakers selected Andrew Bynum, a center from St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey.[201] The team also traded Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins to Washington for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit.[202] Jackson returned to coach the team after Rudy Tomjanovich resigned midway through the previous season.[203] On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto, the second-highest total in NBA history.[204] Ending the season 45–37, the team made the playoffs after a one-season absence.[205] After taking a three games to one lead in the first round, Phoenix came back to take the series in seven games.[206] In the following season, the Lakers won 26 of their first 39 games,[207] but lost 27 of their last 43—including seven in a row at one point—to finish 42–40.[207] They were eliminated in the first round by Phoenix again.[207] Frustrated by the team's inability to advance in the playoffs, Bryant demanded to be traded in the off-season.[208] Buss initially agreed to seek a trade,[209] but also worked to try to change Bryant's mind.[210] 2007–2011: Bryant and Gasol duo After re-acquiring Derek Fisher, the Lakers started the 2007–08 season with a 25–11 record, before Andrew Bynum, their center who was leading the league in field-goal percentage, went out for the year due to a knee injury in mid-January.[211] In what would become a crucial transfer for the franchise's return to championship form, they acquired the six-time all-star power forward Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade in early February and went 22–5 to finish the season.[212] The Lakers' 57–25 record earned them the first seed in the Western Conference.[213] Bryant was awarded the league's MVP award, becoming the first Laker to win the award since O'Neal in 2000.[214][215] In the playoffs, they defeated the Nuggets in four games, the Jazz in six, and the defending champion Spurs in five, but lost to the Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals.[216] In the 2008–09 season, the Lakers finished 65–17; the best record in the Western Conference.[217] They defeated the Jazz in five games, the Rockets in seven and the Nuggets in six, to win the Western Conference title. They then won their 15th NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in the NBA finals.[218] Bryant was named the NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his career.[219] The Lakers with President Barack Obama following their 2010 NBA championship The Lakers, who had added Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace)[220] in place of Trevor Ariza in their starting lineup, finished the 2009–10 season with the best record in the Western Conference for the third straight time. On January 13, 2010, the Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win 3,000 regular-season games by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 100–95.[221] They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Utah Jazz, and the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference playoffs. In the finals, the Lakers played the Boston Celtics for the 12th time. They rallied back from a 3–2 disadvantage in the series and erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the seventh game to defeat the Celtics. This series win gave them their 16th NBA title overall and 11th since they moved to Los Angeles.[222] Bryant was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row, despite a 6–24 shooting performance in game seven.[223] After much speculation, head coach Phil Jackson returned for the 2010–11 season.[224] In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in the first round.[225] But their opportunity for a three-peat was denied by the Dallas Mavericks in a four-game sweep of the second round. After the season, it was announced that Jackson will not be returning to coach the Lakers.[226] 2011–2016: Post-Jackson era After Jackson's retirement, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was hired as head coach on May 25, 2011.[227] Before the start of the shortened 2011–12 season, the Lakers traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks after Odom requested to be traded.[228] On the trade deadline long time Laker Derek Fisher along with a first round draft pick were traded to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill.[229] With a 41–25 regular season record the Lakers entered the playoffs as the third seed, the team defeated the Denver Nuggets in the first round in seven games but were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round in five games.[230][231] On July 4, 2012, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that would send him to the Lakers in exchange for the Lakers' 2013 and 2015 first round draft picks, 2013 and 2014 second round draft picks, and $3 million. The trade was made official on July 11, 2012, the first day the trade moratorium was lifted.[232] On August 10, 2012, in a four-team trade the Lakers traded Andrew Bynum and acquired Dwight Howard.[233] On November 9, 2012, Mike Brown was relieved of coaching duties after a 1–4 start to the 2012–13 season.[234] Assistant Coach Bernie Bickerstaff took over as interim head coach, leading the Lakers to a 5–5 record. On November 12, 2012, the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni as head coach.[235] On February 18, 2013, Lakers owner Jerry Buss died from cancer at age 80.[236] On the court, D'Antoni coached the Lakers to a 40–32 record the rest of the way to finish 45–37, their worst record since 2007. The Lakers clinched a playoff berth on the final game of the season and finished seventh in the Western Conference after beating the Houston Rockets on April 16, 2013.[237][238] The Lakers battled injuries all season, the most prominent of which is the Achilles tendon rupture to Kobe Bryant that ended his season after 78 games. The absence of Bryant was sorely felt as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs.[239] Nevertheless, Bryant passed Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain to become the fourth all-time leading scorer in NBA history on March 30, 2013, against the Sacramento Kings.[240] On December 8, 2013, Bryant played in his first game since tearing his Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013.[241] However, on December 17, 2013, he suffered a broken bone in his knee, and did not return for the remainder of the season.[242][243] On March 25, 2014, the Lakers scored 51 points in the third quarter against the New York Knicks, the most points scored in a quarter in the history of the franchise.[244] The Lakers went on to miss the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2005, for just the second time in the last two decades and for just the sixth time in franchise history. On April 30, 2014, Mike D'Antoni resigned from his position as head coach after a 27–55 season.[245] After spending the majority of the off-season without a head coach, the Lakers named former player Byron Scott as the new head coach.[246] After the season, he was the frontrunner to become the new Lakers head coach. Scott interviewed three times for the position, which had become vacant after Mike D'Antoni's resignation.[247] On July 28, 2014, he signed a multi-year contract to coach the Lakers.[248] During the first game of the 2014–15 season, the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Julius Randle went down with a broken leg, which ended his rookie season. The Lakers began their season losing 10 of their first 16 games. After playing only 35 games, Kobe Bryant tore a rotator cuff in his shoulder ending his season. Nick Young was also forced to end his season with a fractured kneecap, leaving the team with a record of 14–41.[249] With 27 games left in the regular season, Byron Scott gave rookie Jordan Clarkson more playing time. Clarkson, the 46th overall pick in the 2014 draft, finished his rookie season with game stats of 11.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, and shooting 44.8% from the field.[250] The Lakers' season ended with a record of 21–61, the fourth worst record in the league and at the time the worst record in franchise history. The next season, the Lakers had the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft, which they used to select Ohio State freshman point guard D'Angelo Russell. The team also selected Larry Nance Jr. with the 27th overall pick.[251] On November 30, 2015, Bryant announced he would retire at the end of the season after 20 seasons with the team.[252] In Bryant's last season the team missed the playoffs for the third straight year with a 17–65 record, the worst in franchise history.[253] 2016–2018: Post-Bryant era Frank Vogel, who coached the Lakers for three seasons On April 24, 2016, the Lakers announced that they would not exercise their option on Byron Scott's contract for the following season.[254] On April 29, the team announced another former Laker, Luke Walton, as their new head coach. At the time of his hiring, Walton was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, who were in the playoffs, so he could not officially begin his duties as head coach until the Warriors' playoff run was over.[255] The Lakers earned the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft,[256] and selected Brandon Ingram from Duke University.[257] The team also selected Ivica Zubac with the 32nd overall pick.[258] On February 21, 2017, the Lakers fired general manager Mitch Kupchak, while Magic Johnson was named as the president of basketball operations. The team's governor Jeanie Buss, also announced the removal of her brother, Jim Buss, from his position as executive vice president of basketball operations.[259][260] On March 7, 2017, the Lakers hired Rob Pelinka as the general manager, signing him to a five-year deal.[261] The Lakers again earned the second overall pick, this time, in the 2017 NBA draft,[262] and selected Lonzo Ball from UCLA.[263] The Lakers also acquired Kyle Kuzma from the University of Utah with the 27th overall pick from a draft-day trade, along with Brook Lopez in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.[264] The Lakers also traded their 28th overall pick, Tony Bradley, in exchange for the 30th overall pick, Josh Hart, from Villanova University and the 42nd overall pick, Thomas Bryant, from Indiana University.[265] In February 2018, Nance Jr. and Clarkson were traded away to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a 2018 first-round draft pick.[266] On July 2, 2018, Randle was renounced by the Lakers.[267] 2018–present: The LeBron James era 2018–2019: The arrival of LeBron James LeBron James in 2018 On July 9, 2018, the Lakers signed LeBron James to a four-year, $154 million contract.[268][269] By the Christmas Day game, the Lakers were six games over .500 before James sustained a groin injury leading to several weeks of missed games. Ball and Ingram also ended their seasons early due to injuries. On February 7, 2019, Zubac was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers along with Michael Beasley in exchange for Mike Muscala.[270] On April 9, 2019, Johnson stepped down as the team's president of basketball operations,[271] and two days later, the Lakers parted ways with head coach Walton after the team failed to reach the playoffs for the sixth straight year.[272] 2019–present: James and Davis era On May 13, Frank Vogel was named the Lakers' head coach.[273] The Lakers received the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft lottery.[274] On July 6, the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans for Ball, Ingram, Hart, and three first-round picks, including the number four overall in the 2019 draft.[275] This trade officially ended the young core era of the Lakers; only Kuzma remained out of the group of players. Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Lakers were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final eight games of the regular season.[276] The Lakers finished the regular season with a 52–19 record, entering the playoffs for the first time since 2013,[277] and as the top seed for the first time since 2010.[278] They advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.[279] They defeated the Miami Heat 4–2 to win the 2020 NBA Finals,[280] and James was named the Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career.[281] The win gave Los Angeles their 17th championship in franchise history, tying the Boston Celtics for the most all-time.[282] Primary Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who took over the team in 2017, would also become the first female controlling owner of an NBA team to win the NBA Finals.[283] During the 2021 off-season, the Lakers picked up many NBA veterans, the most notable of which was Russell Westbrook, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards. Kyle Kuzma, the last player left from the Lakers' young core era, was traded away, along with others. Other veterans picked up during the off-season included Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, and returning players Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo.[284] Alex Caruso left the Lakers and signed with the Chicago Bulls, and veteran locker-room voice Jared Dudley retired.[285][286] Rivalries Boston Celtics Main article: Celtics–Lakers rivalry The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Lakers involves the two most storied basketball franchises in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. It has been called the best rivalry in the NBA.[287] The two teams have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. They would go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and the 1980s, facing each other six times in the 1960s and three times in the 1980s. The rivalry had been less intense since the retirements of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the early 1990s, but in 2008 it was renewed as the Celtics and Lakers met in the Finals for the first time since 1987, with the Celtics winning the series 4–2. They faced off once again in the 2010 NBA Finals, which the Lakers won in 7 games. The two teams have tied for the highest number of championships, with 17 titles apiece; together, the 34 championships account for almost half of the 74 championships in NBA history. The all-time series record for the Lakers vs Celtics is 204–162 with the Celtics being the forerunners.[288] Detroit Pistons Main article: Lakers–Pistons rivalry The rivalry between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons developed in the late 1980s.[289]: 228  Both teams faced each other in back-to-back finals appearances in the 1988 NBA Finals, which the Lakers won in 7 games and the 1989 NBA Finals, which the Pistons won in 4 games. The rivalry reemerged in the early 2000s as both teams squared off against one another in the 2004 NBA Finals, which the Pistons won in five games. Golden State Warriors Main article: Lakers–Warriors rivalry The Lakers have a lengthy history with the Golden State Warriors as both franchises relocated to California during the early 1960s. Geography does play a minor role in the rivalry; however there exists more respect between both teams and fans alike. Unlike the Dodgers–Giants rivalry of MLB, or the 49ers–Rams rivalry of the NFL in which both teams express fierce animosity against one another.[290][291] The rivalry began to sprout during the 1970s as the two teams would meet six times in the postseason from 1967 to 1991. Both teams fluctuated in success at varying times, however; the Lakers recent rise following the signing of LeBron James contributed heavily to adding a level of competition between both sides as James had previously faced the Warriors in four straight finals as a member of the Cavaliers. Both teams have met seven times in the postseason, combining for 38 division titles since both teams relocated to California in the early 1960s.[292][293][294] The Lakers lead the all time regular season series 262–173, and the postseason series 25–11.[295][296] Los Angeles Clippers Main article: Lakers–Clippers rivalry The rivalry between the Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers is unique because they are the only two NBA teams to share an arena, the Crypto.com Arena. It is also one of only two intra-city rivalries in the NBA, the other being the new crosstown rivalry between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Los Angeles fans have historically favored the Lakers.[297][298] Some contend that the term rivalry was inaccurate until the Clippers became more successful.[299] San Antonio Spurs Main article: Lakers–Spurs rivalry The San Antonio Spurs and the Lakers, developed what some would classify as a rivalry in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since 1999, the teams have met in the NBA Playoffs five times, with the clubs combining to appear in seven consecutive NBA Finals (from 1999 to 2005). Additionally, the teams combined to win five NBA championships from 1999 to 2003; the Spurs won the NBA championship in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 while the Lakers won the championship in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. From 1999 to 2004 the clubs' rivalry was often considered the premier rivalry in the NBA,[300] and each time the clubs faced each other in the playoffs the winner advanced to the NBA Finals. In 2008, the teams met again in the Western Conference Finals where the Spurs were handily defeated only to beat the Lakers when they met again in 2013. Sacramento Kings Main article: Kings–Lakers rivalry The Kings and the Lakers have faced each other in the playoffs nine times between 1949 and 2002, and since the Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985, both have been based in California. The 2002 Western Conference Finals was one of the most bitterly contested in NBA history, with many controversial calls in game 6.[301] The Lakers would win the series in game 7. Ownerships, financial history, and fanbase Berger and Chalfen purchased the NBL's disbanded Detroit Gems for $15,000 in 1947, changed their name to the Lakers, and relocated them to Minnesota. Max Winter bought a third of the club in their early years and sold his share to Mikan in 1954. Berger bought Mikan's share in 1956 giving him a controlling (⅔) interest.[302] After Mikan retired, attendance plummeted and the team lost money for several seasons, leading the ownership group to put the team up for sale in 1957.[303] Marty Marion, a retired baseball player and manager, and his business partner Milton Fischman attempted to purchase the team with the intention of moving the club to Kansas City, Missouri.[303][304] Mikan offered to mortgage his home in an attempt to buy the team and keep the club in Minnesota.[305] The Lakers were sold to a group of investors led by Bob Short, however.[302] The team was sold to Short's group with the agreement that it would not be relocated to Kansas City but kept in Minnesota.[306] Short's ownership group consisted of 117 Minnesota businesses and private citizens, who amassed a total of $200,000 for the purchase; $150,000 to buy the team and $50,000 to run it.[302] By 1958 Short had become 80% owner of the team by buying out his partners,[302] but the team was floundering. Attendance remained poor, and the NBA had put the Lakers on "financial probation", notifying them that if they did not meet certain ticket sales numbers they could be bought out by the league and relocated. Short was forced to move the team to Los Angeles in 1960; the club had lost $60,000 in the first half of the 1959–60 season alone.[307] The NBA's owners originally voted 7–1 against the move.[308] When Short indicated that he might take the team to a new rival league that was developing, however, the owners held another vote that same day and allowed the relocation (8–0).[309] Aided by Baylor's drawing power,[310][311] and the new locale, the team's finances improved when they arrived in LA.[312][313] Short sold the team to Washington Redskins owner and publisher Jack Kent Cooke in 1965 for a then league record amount of $5.175 million.[314] Short insisted the deal be conducted in cash as he was wary of Cooke, so guards transported the money in a cart from one New York bank to another.[315] Jerry Buss owned the team from 1979 until his death in 2013. Cooke was a more hands-on owner than Short, and overhauled the team's operations.[316] He personally financed construction of the Forum in 1967 at a cost of $16.5 million.[317][318] He owned the team until 1979 when he sold it, the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, the Forum, and some real estate to Jerry Buss for $67 million.[319] Cooke was forced to sell the team as he was undergoing a costly divorce.[320][321] Buss was a local chemical engineer and former University of Southern California professor who had become wealthy in real estate.[318][322] Philip Anschutz bought a stake in the team in 1998,[323] and until October 2010 Magic Johnson was a minority owner as well.[324] Buss started the trend of allowing sponsors to add their name to team's stadiums when he renamed the Forum the Great Western Forum in 1988.[325] In 2009 major sponsors included Verizon Wireless, Toyota, Anheuser-Busch, American Express, and Carl's Jr., and the team's $113 average ticket price was the highest in the league.[323] In 2013, Buss died at the age of 80 after being hospitalized for 18 months with cancer.[326][327][328] His controlling ownership of the team passed to his six children via a trust, with each child receiving an equal vote.[329][330] Buss' succession plan had daughter Jeanie Buss assume his title as the Lakers' governor as well as its team representative at NBA Board of Governors meetings.[330][331] Given the team's proximity to Hollywood, the Lakers fanbase includes numerous celebrities, many of whom can be seen at the Staples Center during home games.[332] Jack Nicholson, for example, has held season tickets since the 1970s, and directors reportedly need to work their shooting schedules around Lakers home games.[333] From 2002 and 2007 the team averaged just over 18,900 fans, which placed them in the top ten in the NBA in attendance. Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "Magic Johnson", from their 1989 album Mother's Milk, is a tribute to the former point guard, and frontman Anthony Kiedis and bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary are frequently seen attending home games.[334] In 2008, the team sold out every home game,[335] and in 2010, the Lakers had the most popular team merchandise among all NBA teams, and Bryant the most popular jersey.[336] Name, logo, and uniforms Further information: Logos and uniforms of the Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers current wordmark, used since the 1999–2000 season. The version shown is used on their "Association" white jerseys. The Laker nickname came from the state of Minnesota being the Land of 10,000 Lakes.[11][337] The team's colors are purple, gold and white.[338][6][339] The Lakers logo consists of the team name, "Los Angeles Lakers" written in purple on top of a gold basketball. The team usually wears white jerseys for Sunday and holiday home games.[338][340] Season-by-season record List of the last five seasons completed by the Lakers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Los Angeles Lakers seasons. The Lakers have won 17 NBA titles and have appeared in the NBA Finals 15 other times.[32] These appearances include eight NBA Finals appearances in the 1980s. The best record posted by the team was 69–13, in 1972; the worst record was 17–65, in 2016.[32] Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage Season GP W L W–L% Finish Playoffs 2018–19 82 37 45 .451 4th, Pacific Did not qualify 2019–20 71 52 19 .732 1st, Pacific NBA champions, 4–2 (Heat) 2020–21 72 42 30 .583 3rd, Pacific Lost in First Round, 2–4 (Suns) 2021–22 82 33 49 .402 4th, Pacific Did not qualify 2022–23 82 43 39 .524 5th, Pacific Lost in Conference Finals, 0–4 (Nuggets) Franchise and NBA records Further information: Los Angeles Lakers accomplishments and records Bryant holds most individual team records for longevity including most games played (1,333), and most minutes logged (48,298). Johnson holds all significant assist records for the club including career assists (10,141), assists in a game (24), and highest assist average for a season (13.1). Johnson also has the most triple doubles, with his 138 over 100 more than the next closest player (Bryant; 17). Elmore Smith holds team records for blocks in a game (17), blocks per game for a season (4.85), and career blocks per game (3.93). The scoring records are mostly shared by Elgin Baylor and Bryant, with Baylor having the highest average for a career (27.4) while Bryant has the highest points scored in a single game (81). Baylor, Bryant and West hold the top five single-season scoring averages, with Bryant occupying the first (35.4) and fourth (31.6) spots, while Baylor has the second (34.8), and third (34.0), and West the fifth (31.3).[341][342] The Lakers hold several NBA records as a team including most consecutive games won overall (33) and most consecutive road games won (16), both of which came during the 1971–72 season,[343] highest field-goal percentage for a season at 54.5% (1984–85),[344] and highest road winning percentage at 0.816 (1971–72).[61] They also hold records for having (into the 2009–10 season) the most wins (3,027), the highest winning percentage (61.9%), and the most NBA Finals appearances (31).[32][345] The 2000–01 team set the NBA record for best playoff record at 15–1, which was later broken by the Golden State Warriors in 2017.[346] The 1971–72 team holds franchise records in wins (69), most points scored, and largest margin of victory; both of the latter came in the team's 63 point win versus Golden State (162–99).[347] They also held the record for most wins at home in the regular season (going 36–5 in 1971–72, then 37–4 in both 1976–77 and 1979–80) unil the Boston Celtics set the current record of 40–1 in the 1985–86 season. Home arenas The Forum (left), served as the Lakers' home arena from 1967 to 1999, before they moved to their present home, the Crypto.com Arena (right). The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, located at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles. The arena opened in fall 1999 and seats up to 18,997 for Lakers games.[348] Owned and operated by AEG and L.A. Arena Company, the arena is also home to the Los Angeles Clippers, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.[348] Before moving to Staples Center, for 32 seasons (1967–1999), the Lakers played their home games at The Forum in Inglewood, California, located approximately 10 miles southwest of the team's current home.[162] During the 1999 preseason, the Lakers played their home games at the Forum before officially moving into Crypto.com Arena, and once again hosted a preseason game versus the Golden State Warriors on October 9, 2009, this time to commemorate the team's 50th anniversary season in Los Angeles.[349] In the first seven years in Los Angeles, the team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, south of Downtown Los Angeles.[350] While the team played in Minneapolis, the team played their home games at the Minneapolis Auditorium from 1947 to 1960.[351] Players For the complete list of Los Angeles Lakers players, see Los Angeles Lakers all-time roster. Current roster Los Angeles Lakers rostervte Players Coaches Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From F/C 14 Castleton, Colin (TW) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 2000-05-25 Florida G 10 Christie, Max 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2003-02-10 Michigan State F/C 3 Davis, Anthony 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 253 lb (115 kg) 1993-03-11 Kentucky F 17 Fudge, Alex (TW) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2003-05-06 Florida F 28 Hachimura, Rui 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1998-02-08 Gonzaga F/C 11 Hayes, Jaxson 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 2000-05-23 Texas G 55 Hodge, D'Moi (TW) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-12-20 Missouri G 0 Hood-Schifino, Jalen 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2003-06-19 Indiana F 23 James, LeBron 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1984-12-30 St. Vincent-St. Mary HS (OH) F 21 Lewis, Maxwell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2002-07-27 Pepperdine F 12 Prince, Taurean 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 216 lb (98 kg) 1994-03-22 Baylor G 15 Reaves, Austin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 197 lb (89 kg) 1998-05-29 Oklahoma G/F 5 Reddish, Cam 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1999-09-01 Duke G 1 Russell, D'Angelo 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1996-02-23 Ohio State F 2 Vanderbilt, Jarred 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 214 lb (97 kg) 1999-04-03 Kentucky G 7 Vincent, Gabe 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1996-07-14 UC Santa Barbara Head coach Darvin Ham Assistant coach(es) DeMarre Carroll J. D. DuBois Phil Handy Chris Jent Jordan Ott Zach Peterson Schuyler Rimmer Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate (TW) Two-way affiliate player (L) On leave from the team Injured Injured Roster Last transaction: July 26, 2023 Retained draft rights The Lakers hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA.[352] A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[353] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams. Draft Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Current team Note(s) Ref 2014 2 57 Louis Labeyrie F/C France UNICS Kazan (Russia) Acquired from the New York Knicks [354] 2009 2 59 Chinemelu Elonu F/C Nigeria Capitanes de Arecibo (Puerto Rico) [355] Draft picks Main article: List of Los Angeles Lakers first and second round draft picks The Lakers have had three first overall picks in their history: Elgin Baylor (selected in 1958), Magic Johnson (selected in 1979) and James Worthy (selected in 1982).[356] The Lakers have also had six lottery picks in their history: Eddie Jones (selected tenth overall in 1994), Andrew Bynum (selected tenth overall in 2005), Julius Randle (selected seventh overall in 2014), D'Angelo Russell (selected second overall in 2015), Brandon Ingram (selected second overall in 2016), and Lonzo Ball (selected second overall in 2017).[356] Other draft picks include Jerry West and Gail Goodrich in the 1960s, Michael Cooper and Norm Nixon in the 1970s, A.C. Green and Vlade Divac in the 1980s, Elden Campbell, Nick Van Exel, Derek Fisher, and Devean George in the 1990s, and Luke Walton, Sasha Vujačić, and Ronny Turiaf in the 2000s.[356] Head coaches Former head coach Phil Jackson led the team to five championships. Main article: List of Los Angeles Lakers head coaches There have been 22 head coaches for the Lakers franchise. John Kundla coached the team in Minneapolis when they won their first five BAA/NBA championships from 1949 to 1954.[47] Pat Riley is second in franchise history in both regular season and playoff games coached and wins.[357] Phil Jackson broke Riley's regular-season wins record in 2009, and he passed Riley's playoff wins and games coached records in 2010.[357] Jackson, Riley, Kundla, and Bill Sharman have all been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for their coaching careers. George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Jerry West, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott and Luke Walton have all played and head-coached for the Lakers. Jackson, who had two stints as head coach, was coach from 2005 to 2011. In May 2011, Mike Brown was named his replacement for the 2011–12 season.[358] Brown was fired[359] on November 9, 2012, after a 1–4 start. Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff served as interim head coach for five games before the Lakers selected Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach. D'Antoni resigned at the end of the 2013–14 season. In July 2014, Byron Scott was hired as head coach.[360] After the 2015–16 season ended, Scott was fired. On April 29, 2016, former Lakers player Luke Walton was named as Scott's replacement,[361] and served as head coach until the end of the 2018–19 season.[362] Frank Vogel was named his successor on a multiyear deal announced on May 13, 2019.[363] Vogel was fired following the conclusion of the 2021–22 season.[364] Hall of Famers, retired and honored numbers The Lakers have 38 Hall of Famers (28 players, 5 head coaches, 1 assistant coach, and 4 contributors) who contributed to the organization.[365][366][367] Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famers Players No. Name Position Tenure Inducted No. Name Position Tenure Inducted 99 George Mikan 1 C 1948–1954 1955–1956 1959[368] 22 Elgin Baylor F 1958–1971 1977[369] 17 Jim Pollard 2 F 1948–1955 1978 13 Wilt Chamberlain C 1968–1973 1979[370] 44 Jerry West 3 5 G 1960–1974 1980[371] 22 Slater Martin G 1949–1956 1982 34 89 Clyde Lovellette F/C 1953–1957 1988 42 Connie Hawkins F/C 1973–1975 1992 19 Vern Mikkelsen F 1949–1959 1995 33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar C 1975–1989 1995[372] 11 25 Gail Goodrich G 1965–1968 1970–1976 1996 11 Bob McAdoo F/C 1981–1985 2000 32 Magic Johnson 4 6 G 1979–1991 1996 2002[373] 00 42 James Worthy F 1982–1994 2003 4 Adrian Dantley F 1977–1979 2008 11 Karl Malone 7 F 2003–2004 2010 73 Dennis Rodman F 1999 2011 52 Jamaal Wilkes F 1977–1985 2012 20 Gary Payton G 2003–2004 2013 23 Mitch Richmond G 2001–2002 2014 31 Spencer Haywood F 1979–1980 2015 31 Zelmo Beaty C 1974–1975 2016 34 Shaquille O'Neal C 1996–2004 2016[374] 11 Charlie Scott G 1977–1978 2018 10 Steve Nash G 2012–2015 2018[375] 12 Vlade Divac C 1989–1996 2004–2005 2019 8 24 Kobe Bryant G 1996–2016 2020[376] 23 Lou Hudson G/F 1977–1979 2022 16 Pau Gasol F/C 2008–2014 2023 Coaches Name Position Tenure Inducted Name Position Tenure Inducted John Kundla Head coach 1948–1957 1958–1959 1995 Bill Sharman Head coach 1971–1976 2004 Phil Jackson Head coach 1999–2004 2005–2011 2007 12 Pat Riley 8 Assistant coach Head coach 1979–1981 1981–1990 2008 Tex Winter Assistant coach 1999–2008 2011 Rudy Tomjanovich Head coach 2004–2005 2020 Contributors Name Position Tenure Inducted Name Position Tenure Inducted Pete Newell9 General manager 1972–1976 1979 Chick Hearn Broadcaster 1961–2002 2003 Jerry Buss Owner 1979–2013 2010 Del Harris Head coach 1994–1999 2022 The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Michigan State University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. The Spartans have won two NCAA championships and 16 Big Ten Championships. Their home games are played at the Breslin Student Events Center ("Breslin Center") in East Lansing, Michigan. Tom Izzo has been the head coach since 1995. Their two national championships came in the 1979 NCAA tournament and the 2000 NCAA tournament. The 1979 national championship game was the most watched college basketball game in history, with 35.11 million television viewers.[2] The 1979 National Championship team was coached by Jud Heathcote and included tournament MVP Magic Johnson, Greg Kelser, and Jay Vincent. The Spartans defeated the previously unbeaten Indiana State, led by future Hall of Famer Larry Bird. The 2000 National Championship team defeated Florida in the final. The team was coached by Tom Izzo and led by players Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell, Jason Richardson, and tournament MVP Mateen Cleaves. The Spartans have participated in 36 NCAA tournaments and appeared in 25 consecutive NCAA tournaments (the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the third-longest streak ever and second-longest active streak in college basketball, behind Kansas (33).[3] Michigan State has the sixth most all-time Final Four appearances with 10 (1957, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2019) and has the winningest basketball team in the Big Ten under Tom Izzo. The program is also ninth all-time in NCAA tournament winning percentage (.673, through 2022). Team history 1898–1954: early years The first established coach for Michigan Agricultural College (MSU's name at the time), Charles Bemies was also the first athletic director in school history, while also coaching the football, baseball, and track teams. His two-year stint as basketball head coach ended in 1901. MAC's second basketball coach was George Denman. Denman is the only basketball coach to go undefeated during his tenure, posting an 11–0 mark during his two seasons. His team still holds the record for largest margin of victory with a 102–3 defeat of Alma College in 1902.[4] MAC's first full-time athletic director and one of the Spartan's most successful coaches, Chester Brewer led the football, basketball, and baseball squads to winning records. He holds the highest winning percentage of any Spartan basketball coach with at least four seasons at .736 (70–25). His team also defeated Michigan in the schools’ first meeting in 1909. George Gauthier was the first alumnus to lead a Michigan State basketball squad. He compiled a career record of 41–38 over four seasons. Gauthier left after 29 games in 1919– 20, posting a 15–14 record. Lyman Frimodig coached the final seven games of the season, going 6–1. He would also serve as head coach for the next two seasons. He remained active in the athletic department after his stint as basketball coach, serving Michigan State for 41 years as assistant athletic director and business manager Benjamin Van Alstyne coached MSU for 22 years from 1926 to 1949. He is third in career victories with 231. Van Alstyne coached MSU's first All-American, Roger Grove, in 1930. Some of his greatest victories included a 27–26 victory over Michigan in 1930 at the dedication of Demonstration Hall, and a 66–50 upset over Kentucky in 1945 that was named “Coca-Cola Upset of the Week.” His 47–45 loss to Kentucky in 1948 set the record for the largest crowd in Jenison Field House history. In one season under Alton Kircher, the Spartans finished 4–18. Following the conclusion of the 1950 season, the Spartans would join the Big Ten Conference. Pete Newell was hired from San Francisco following a successful four years with the Dons where he went 70–37 and won the 1949 NIT. His 1951–52 squad was the first ranked Spartan team and also registered a win over No. 14 Notre Dame, the first win over a ranked opponent in school history. One of his biggest wins was a 1952 defeat of No. 2-ranked Kansas State. After four seasons, California hired Newell as its head coach and MSU had to search for another coach. Newell is often considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of basketball.[5][6][7] 1954–1965: Forrest "Forddy" Anderson era Forrest "Forddy" Anderson was hired away from Bradley following a trip to the 1954 Final Four with the Braves. His Bradley team had also made it to the 1950 championship game. Two years after taking over the Spartans, in 1957, he led MSU to its first Big Ten Championship. After opening the season with a 4–7 record, the Spartans won 10 in a row and 12-of-13 to capture their first league title and advance to the school's first NCAA tournament. A bye in the first round of the Tournament preceded wins over Notre Dame and Kentucky to earn a trip to the Final Four. A loss to North Carolina in the Final Four left MSU in the national third-place game where they lost to San Francisco. Two years later, led by All-American Johnny Green, the Spartans cruised to a Big Ten Championship, winning the league by four games. A win over Marquette in the 1959 NCAA tournament put MSU in the Mideast regional finals against Kentucky. The Spartans lost and fell one game short of another trip to the Final Four. Following his initial successes in East Lansing, his Spartan teams only finished with a winning record one time after 1959. He was fired following the 1964–65 season. 1965–1976: post-Anderson era John Benington, who had been an assistant to Anderson at Bradley before joining his staff at MSU, took over as head coach, and led MSU to a second-place Big Ten finish in his first season at the helm. The next season, he led the Spartans to a shared Big Ten title, but Indiana received the NCAA tournament bid (at that time, only one Big Ten team received an NCAA bid). After four seasons leading the Spartans, he died of a heart attack after jogging at Jenison Fieldhouse in the summer of 1969 at the age of 47. Gus Ganakas was an assistant under Benington and was hired to take over following Benington's death. His most successful seasons were in 1973–74 with a fourth-place Big Ten finish and 1974–75 with a 17–9 overall record. In 1975, 10 black members of his team walked out before a game against Indiana for what was perceived at the time as a racial disagreement over starting a white player.[8] Ganakas was fired in 1976, but he continued to be a part of the Michigan State Athletics Department, serving as an assistant A.D. and then as an aide to coach Tom Izzo from 1998 to 2000. He was an MSU basketball radio announcer until 2017. He died in 2019.[8] 1976–1995: Jud Heathcote era Jud Heathcote was hired to take over as coach in 1976 from Montana by athletic director Joseph Kearney in May 1976, after coaching the Grizzlies for five years.[9] Heathcote had led the Grizzlies to two Big Sky championships and the 1975 NCAA tournament, the Grizzlies first ever trip to the Tournament. He finished his tenure at Montana with an 80–53 record. As a virtual unknown, Heathcote came to East Lansing looking to return MSU to greatness.[4] In his second year, he landed one of the game's all-time greats, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, from nearby Lansing Everett High School, as a recruit.[4][9] The 1977–78 Spartans won the Big Ten title, their first since 1967, and qualified for the NCAA tournament for only the third time in school history. They advanced to the Elite Eight and were led by Johnson and Greg Kelser. In 1979, the duo led the Spartans to a second consecutive Big Ten title and the NCAA National Championship. The NCAA championship marked the school's first in basketball. Following the championship, Johnson left school to join the NBA and Kelser graduated. The result was a ninth place finish in the Big Ten the next year and struggles thereafter. MSU returned to postseason play in 1983, finishing with a 17–13 record and receiving an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament. Following the expansion of the NCAA tournament to 64 teams in 1985, Heathcote returned the Spartans, led by the future MSU all-time scoring leader, Scott Skiles, to the Tournament with a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten. MSU again reached the NCAA tournament the following year after finishing third in the Big Ten with a 23–8 record. Led by Skiles and Darryl Johnson, they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing. Heathcote returned MSU to postseason play in 1989, led by Steve Smith, losing the third-place game of the NIT. Smith returned the Spartans to the NCAA tournament in 1990 as a No. 1 seed. The Spartans narrowly avoided losing to No. 16-seeded Murray State, needing overtime to advance to the second round.[10][11] They again narrowly advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Georgia Tech in overtime.[12] The Spartans also made an appearance in the 1991 NCAA tournament. The Spartans finished in third place in Big Ten play and received an at-large bid as a No. 5 seed to the Tournament where they beat Green Bay on a buzzer beater by Smith.[13] In the second round, they lost to No. 10 Utah in double overtime.[14] The Spartans made their third straight trip to the NCAA tournament in 1992. Another third-place finish in Big Ten play resulted in an at-large bid as a No. 5 seed to the NCAA tournament. There they beat Missouri State[15] before losing to Cincinnati in the second round in a rematch of an earlier Spartan win.[16] A trip to the NIT in 1993 broke the NCAA tournament streak, but Heathcote again led MSU to the NCAA tournament in 1994. A fourth-place finish the Big Ten led to an at-large bid to the Tournament as a No. 7 seed. Led by Shawn Respert, they beat Seton Hall in the first round[17] before losing to second-seeded Duke in the second round. In his final year at MSU in 1995, Heathcote returned the Spartans to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in six years. A second-place finish in Big Ten play resulted in an at-large bid to the Tournament as a No. 3 seed where they were surprised by No. 14-seeded Weber State in the first round.[18] The game marked the final game of All-American Shawn Respert's career at MSU. Heathcote stepped down in 1995 after 19 seasons at Michigan State. He finished with nine NCAA appearances, three Big Ten championships and three NIT appearances. He hand-picked his successor, Tom Izzo. "I had to orchestrate the hiring of Tom through (trustees) Bob Weiss and Joel Ferguson and the president (Peter McPherson) because most people wanted to open it up and see who would apply. And then some wanted a black coach," Heathcote said in 2014. "But I felt Tom deserved the job because he'd been there 12 years, and he'd gotten better in the job every single year. Tom was a tireless worker and had a passion for the game. So that combination, in my mind, I knew he was going to be a good coach."[9] In 2001, the National Association of Basketball Coaches awarded him with the Golden Anniversary Award for 50 years of service to college basketball. Also, in 2001, he was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2009, Heathcote was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. 1995–present: Tom Izzo era Tom Izzo took over for Heathcote in 1995 after 11 years as an assistant coach under Heathcote. Michigan State struggled in the first season with Izzo at the helm and after losing All-American Shawn Respert. The Spartans finished the season at .500 (16–16, 9–9) and in a tie for seventh place in the Big Ten. MSU received an invitation to the NIT where they defeated Washington before losing to Fresno State in the second round. The season marked the last time MSU did not finish with a winning record. In 1997, the Spartans welcomed new recruits Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson to East Lansing. Along with sophomore Antonio Smith, the three made up three-fourths of Izzo's "Flintstones" who would win the national championship in 2000 (without Smith). In what would be a rarity for MSU in Izzo's tenure, the Spartans played no ranked teams in the non-conference season. The Spartans finished in a tie for sixth place in the conference with a record of 16–11 overall and 9–9 in conference. They received an invitation to the NIT for the second consecutive year. MSU beat George Washington in the first round[19] and lost in the second round to Florida State.[20] As of 2023, this is the last year MSU failed to make the NCAA tournament. In 1998, MSU welcomed freshman recruit Charlie Bell, the fourth of Izzo's "Flintstones" and started slow. They lost to No. 7 Temple,[21] and suffered surprising losses to UIC[22] and Detroit in non-conference.[23] However, MSU won nine of their first 10 conference games before losing to eventual conference co-champion Illinois. In January, MSU entered the AP and Coaches rankings for the first time since the end of the 1994–95 season.[24] The Spartans finished in a tie for the conference championship, their first since 1990, with a record of 13–3 in conference play.[25] Mateen Cleaves was named Big Ten Player of the Year. The Spartans earned the No. 1 seed in the inaugural Big Ten tournament, but lost their first game in the quarterfinals to Minnesota.[25] Izzo's team received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed in the East Region, their first trip to the Tournament since 1995. MSU advanced to their first Sweet Sixteen since 1990 by beating Eastern Michigan[26][27] and No. 8 Princeton.[28][29][30] The Spartans were eliminated from the Tournament by No. 1 North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen.[31] As the 1998–99 season began, Izzo began his willingness to play anyone anywhere mantra as the Spartans played three top seven teams in their first seven games. However, MSU lost all three.[32][33][34] MSU would recover and, after losing their first Big Ten game to No. 24 Wisconsin,[35][36] the Spartans won the remaining 15 games in conference and won the Big Ten conference regular season by six games with a record of 15–1, their second consecutive Big Ten title. For the second consecutive year, Mateen Cleaves was named Big Ten Player of the Year. The Spartans won the Big Ten tournament and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region and ranked No. 2 in the country, MSU defeated Mount St. Mary's,[37] and Mississippi to advance to their second straight Sweet Sixteen.[38] A win over Oklahoma[39] and Kentucky led MSU to the Final Four for the first time since 1979.[40][41] However, MSU fell short in their bid for an NCAA championship, losing to Duke in the Final Four.[42][43] In 1999–2000. Seniors Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson led the way for the Spartans as they began the season ranked No. 3 in the country. However, Cleaves sustained a stress fracture in his right foot prior to the season which forced him to miss the non-conference schedule and MSU fell to 9–4 and ranked No. 11 in the country. After Cleaves' return, MSU finished the Big Ten regular season with a 13–3 conference record and 23–7 overall while being ranked No. 2 in the country and earned a share of the Big Ten title, their third consecutive Big Ten championship. Peterson was named Big Ten Player of the Year, the third consecutive year a Spartan had received the award. The Spartans went on to win the third annual Big Ten tournament as the No. 2 seed, defeating No. 25 Illinois for the championship for the second consecutive year.[44] The Spartans were awarded the No. 1 seed, their second consecutive No. 1 seed, in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament. From there, the Spartans cruised to their third consecutive Sweet Sixteen with wins over Valparaiso,[45][46] and Utah.[47][48] MSU continued their national championship push by reaching their second consecutive Final Four with wins over Syracuse[49][50] and Iowa State.[51][52] MSU won every game by double digits despite playing the best possible seed in each round. In their Final Four matchup, Michigan State faced off against fellow Big Ten foe, Wisconsin, beating them in a hard-fought game, 53–41.[53] In the national championship game, the Spartans triumphed over the Florida Gators 89–76, despite losing Cleaves to an ankle injury 3:42 into the second half.[54] The win marked MSU's second national championship in basketball and Izzo's first and only championship to date. Losing both Cleaves and Peterson to graduation following the season, MSU still began the 2000–01 season ranked No. 3 in the country. Led by sophomore Jason Richardson, freshmen Zach Randolph, and seniors Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson, the Spartans finished the non-conference schedule undefeated and ranked No.1 in the country. MSU again earned a share the Big Ten title, their fourth consecutive, with a 13–3 conference record. They suffered a surprise defeat by Penn State in the Big Ten tournament in their attempt to win the tournament for the third consecutive year.[55] They received their third consecutive No. 1 seed, in the South Region of the NCAA tournament. Seeking a repeat National Championship, MSU easily dispatched Alabama State[56] and Fresno State[57] to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth consecutive year. A win over Gonzaga[58] and Temple led to the school's third straight trip to the Final Four.[59] However, they were unable to repeat as national champions, losing to Arizona in the National Semifinal.[60][61] Following the season, Randolph and Richardson each left school early and declared for the NBA draft. As a result of Randolph and Richardson's early departure, MSU struggled with Izzo's tough non-conference schedule in 2002. The Spartans lost four games, all to teams ranked in the top 25 and started the Big ten season with three straight losses. The loss to Wisconsin snapped MSU's 53-game home winning streak.[62][63] Michigan State finished the conference schedule at 10–6 and in fourth place with an overall record of 19–10. MSU lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament to No. 23 Indiana marking the first time since 1997 that Michigan State did not win either the Big Ten regular season or tournament title.[64] The Spartans received an at-large bid as a No. 10 seed in the NCAA tournament and were eliminated in the first round by NC State.[65] Following the disappointment of an early NCAA tournament exit, the first time Izzo's squads had not won at least one game in the NCAA tournament, the 2002–03 team played another tough non-conference schedule. This time the Spartans faced three ranked teams, only losing one. However, they suffered four losses and finished the non-conference schedule at 8–4 and ranked No. 25 in the country. MSU began the Big Ten regular season losing four of their first six games and fell out of the rankings. The Spartans finished in a tie for third place in the Big Ten at 10–6 in conference and 18–11 overall. Michigan State beat Purdue in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals,[66] but fell to Ohio State in the semifinals.[67] The Spartans received a bid to the NCAA tournament for the sixth consecutive year. MSU received a No. 7 seed in the South Region. A win over Colorado in the first round[68] was followed by a rout of No. 10 Florida to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth time in six years.[69] The Spartans defeated No. 17 Maryland to advance to the Elite Eight for the fourth time in five years.[70] However, MSU fell to No. 5 Texas in the Regional Final.[71][72] In 2004, Izzo looked to continue his dominant NCAA run. However, Izzo's penchant for tough scheduling hurt his team as they faced a murderer's row of a schedule which included three straight losses to No. 6 Duke, in overtime,[73] to No. 14 Oklahoma at the Palace of Auburn Hills,[74] and to No. 8 Kentucky at Ford Field in the Basketbowl.[75][76] The Spartans followed this losing streak by losing two of their final four non-conference games including at No. 17 Syracuse and dropped out of the rankings.[77] They finished the non-conference slate at 5–6. After a loss to open Big Ten play to No. 21 Wisconsin,[78] the Spartans recovered to win seven of their next eight and six of their last seven Big Ten games. They finished in a tie for second place in the Big Ten at 12–4 and 17–10 overall. A win over Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals[79] was followed by a third loss of the season to No. 17 Wisconsin.[80] The Spartans received a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, reaching the tournament for the seventh consecutive year. But, for the second time in three years, the Spartans were knocked out in the first round, this time by Nevada.[81][82] In 2005, the Spartans again looked to rebound from a disappointing early NCAA tournament exit. They started the season 3–2, but cruised through the Big Ten, only losing three games, including a loss to No. 1 Illinois[83] and finished second in conference to Illinois. MSU finished the regular season with a 13–3 conference record and 22–5 overall while being ranked No. 13 in the country. The Spartans lost in the quarterfinals in the Big Ten tournament to Iowa.[84] Michigan State received an at-large bid as a No. 5 seed in the Austin Regional of the NCAA tournament, their eighth straight appearance in the Tournament under Tom Izzo. Wins over Old Dominion[85] and Vermont led the Spartans to the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth time in eight years.[85] In the Sweet Sixteen, the Spartans beat No. 3-ranked and No. 1-seeded Duke, which MSU had not defeated since 1958.[86] The win marked Izzo's first win over Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (as of 2017).[87] A double overtime victory over Kentucky[88][89] sent the Spartans to their fourth Final Four in seven seasons. MSU would again fall in the Final Four, this time to No. 2-ranked and No. 1-seeded North Carolina.[90][91] The 2005–06 Spartans opened the season with a loss to Hawaii[92] before losing to No. 8 Gonzaga led by Adam Morrison in triple overtime in the Maui Classic.[93] Despite this, MSU ended the non-conference schedule at 12–2 and ranked No. 7 in the country. Early Big Ten losses followed by late season losses in conference left the Spartans 8–8 in the Big Ten. In the Big Ten tournament, MSU defeated Purdue[94] and No. 9 Illinois[95] before being defeated by No. 20 Iowa in the semifinals.[96] The Spartans received an at-large bid as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, their ninth consecutive trip to the Tournament. In the Tournament, they lost to eventual Final Four Cinderella, George Mason, in the first round.[97] Following the season, Shannon Brown declared for the NBA draft, leaving the Spartans one year prior to graduation, just the fourth player under Izzo to declare early.[98][99] The 2006–07 Spartans began the season 13–2, but were not ranked in the polls. A roller coaster Big Ten season resulted in MSU finishing 8–8 with a win against No. 1 Wisconsin which likely assured the Spartans a trip to the NCAA tournament.[100] MSU lost to Wisconsin[101] after beating Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament.[102] The Spartans received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the 10th consecutive year and beat Marquette, coached by former Izzo assistant Tom Crean, in the first round of the Tournament.[103] A loss to No. 3 North Carolina in the second round ended the season.[104] In 2008, MSU finished the non-conference schedule 12–1 and ranked No. 6 in the country with wins over No. 24 NC State,[105] No. 20 BYU,[106] and No. 4 Texas.[107] A hot start to the Big Ten schedule, winning six of seven, was followed by four losses in their next seven which left them in fourth place in the Big Ten with a record of 12–6. As the No. 4 seed tn the Big Ten tournament, they beat Ohio State before losing to No. 8 Wisconsin.[108] The Spartans received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament to mark their 11th consecutive trip to the Tournament under Tom Izzo. As a No. 5 seed, the Spartans beat Temple,[109] and Pittsburgh to move on to the Sweet Sixteen for the seventh time in 11 years.[110] A rout by a Derrick Rose-led Memphis ended the season.[111] Kalin Lucas By the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Izzo's teams, though having great success in the NCAA tournament, had not won the Big Ten regular season title since 2001. A solid non-conference start left them at 9–2 and were ranked No. 10 in the country. MSU routed the Big Ten, winning their first five conference games, their best start in conference since 1978.[112] MSU finished the conference season well, winning the Big Ten championship by four games with a 15–3 record, 25–5 overall, and ranked No. 7 in the country.[113] Following the conclusion of the regular season, Kalin Lucas was named Big Ten Player of the Year[114] and Tom Izzo was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year.[115] As the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, the Spartans defeated Minnesota.[116] However, Michigan State's hopes for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament likely vanished as they were defeated by Ohio State, 82–70.[117] Michigan State received an at-large bid as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament, their 12th straight appearance in the Tournament.[118] With wins over Robert Morris[119] and USC, the Spartans were able to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, the school's eighth trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the previous 12 years.[120][121] MSU advanced to the Elite Eight with a win over No. 14-ranked and No. 3-seeded Kansas.[122] In the Elite Eight, the Spartans defeated Louisville to advance to Final Four in nearby Detroit, only 90 miles from MSU's campus.[123] The Spartans defeated UConn in the national semifinals to earn their third-ever trip to the national championship game.[124] With Izzo 1–0 in championship games and the Spartans 2–0 all-time, North Carolina scored more points than any team had ever scored in the first half of an NCAA championship game, scoring 55 and blowing out the Spartans 89–72, marking the Spartans first ever loss in the national championship game.[125][126] In 2010, the Spartans finished the non-conference schedule at 10–3. The Spartans began the Big Ten season on fire, winning their first nine games and went on to earn a share of the Big Ten championship with a 14–4 and ranked 11th in the country. As the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they were defeated in overtime by No. 6 seed Minnesota in the quarterfinals.[127] The Spartans received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, their 13th straight appearance, earning a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region. A win over New Mexico State[128] and Maryland led MSU to the Sweet Sixteen for the ninth time in 13 years.[129] However, Kalin Lucas suffered a serious knee injury and would miss the remainder of the Tournament. MSU did not seem to miss him and would go on to beat Northern Iowa and Tennessee to advance to their second consecutive Final Four and sixth in the prior 12 years.[130] In the National semifinal, they were defeated by Butler by two points.[131] The 2010–11 Spartans. let by senior Kalin Lucas, finished the non-conference portion of their season 8–4 and ranked No. 20 in the country. However, the Spartans were inconsistent in conference play, suffering nine losses and finishing 9–9 in conference and in danger of missing the NCAA tournament. After beating Iowa[132] and blowing out No. 9 Purdue[133] in the Big Ten tournament, the Spartans fell to Penn State in the semifinals.[134] The blowout win over Purdue likely ensured the Spartans inclusion in the NCAA tournament.[133] Michigan State received a No. 10 seed in the Southeast Region of the NCAA tournament, their 14th straight appearance, but the lowest seeding the Spartans had received in the NCAA tournament since 2002. MSU fell behind early to UCLA in the second round (formerly known as the first round) and made a furious rally, but fell short, losing by two points.[135] The loss marked only the fourth time MSU failed to win a game in their 14 trips to the NCAA tournament under Tom Izzo. The 2011–12 Spartans, led by senior Draymond Green, started the season 0–2. However, MSU won the next 15 games in a row to jump into the top ten in the polls. A loss in the regular season finale at home to No. 10 Ohio State meant the Spartans shared the Big Ten regular season championship with Ohio State and Michigan, all of which finished the Big Ten season with a 13–5 conference record.[136] In that loss to Ohio State, key freshman reserve, Branden Dawson, tore his ACL, ending his season.[136] As the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, The Spartans beat Iowa,[137] No. 14 Wisconsin,[138] and No. 7 Ohio State to win the tournament championship, their first tournament championship since 2000.[139] Draymond Green earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors, the fifth time a player had done so under Tom Izzo.[140] Izzo was also named Big Ten Coach of the Year.[140] MSU received a No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA tournament, where they beat LIU–Brooklyn in the first round behind Green's triple-double.[141] The Spartans overcame Saint Louis in the second round to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.[142] This marked the 10th time in 15 seasons that the Spartans advanced to at least the Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans, missing Dawson and struggling offensively, became the first No. 1 seed to lose in the Tournament, falling to No. 17 and No. 4-seeded Louisville.[143] MSU began the 2012–13 season 11–2 and ranked No. 18 in the country with wins over No. 7 Kansas and Texas and were led by junior Keith Appling and freshman Gary Harris. The Spartans remained ranked the entire year while finishing tied for second in the Big Ten with Ohio State, with a 13–5 conference record and ranked No. 10 in the country. As the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they beat Iowa in the quarterfinals,[144] but fell to eventual tournament champion, Ohio State, in the semifinals.[145] The Spartans received a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, their 16th straight appearance in the tournament. MSU defeated Valparaiso[146] and Memphis to advance to their fifth Sweet Sixteen in six years and their 11th trip in 16 years.[147] However, the Spartans were defeated by Duke, who was led by Seth Curry, in the Sweet Sixteen.[148] Michigan State began the 2013–14 season looking to continue Tom Izzo's Final Four streak: every player who had played four years for Izzo had made at least one Final Four. After beating No. 1 Kentucky in the Champions Classic, the Spartans moved to the No. 1 spot in the country.[149] The Spartans held the No. 1 spot for three weeks before losing to North Carolina in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.[150] The Spartans cruised through the remaining non-conference schedule, finishing 11–1, to begin the Big Ten season ranked No. 5 in the country. The Spartans won their first seven conference games, but due to injuries to Keith Appling, Adriean Payne, and Brendan Dawson, MSU lost five of their last eight conference games to finish in a second-place tie with Wisconsin at 12–6. The Spartans, finally healthy and at full strength, beat Northwestern,[151] No. 12 Wisconsin,[152] and No. 8 Michigan to capture the Big Ten tournament championship.[153] This marked Michigan State's fourth tournament championship. Michigan State earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament's East Region. With wins against Delaware[154] and Harvard, they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight year and the 12th time in 17 years.[155] They defeated No. 1-seeded Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2010.[156] There they fell to No. 7 seed and eventual National Champion, Connecticut. With the loss, the Tom Izzo's Final Four streak ended.[157] Shortly after the season, Gary Harris declared for the NBA draft.[158] In 2015, MSU started the season well, but with a shocking loss to Texas Southern at home in overtime, finished the non-conference season at 9–4 [159] MSU rallied late in the Big Ten season, winning six of their last eight conference games. MSU finished the season in a tie for third place in conference and got hot in the Big Ten tournament beating Ohio State[160] and No. 8 Maryland, before losing to No. 6 Wisconsin for the tournament title.[161] The Spartans received an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed in the East Region. The bid was MSU's 18th straight trip to the NCAA tournament. MSU beat Georgia in the second round[162] and surprised No. 2-seeded and No. 6-ranked Virginia in the Third Round.[163] With the win, the Spartans advanced to their fourth straight Sweet Sixteen and seventh Sweet Sixteen in eight years.[163] Wins over Oklahoma[164] and Louisville in overtime gave MSU a trip to their seventh Final Four under Tom Izzo.[165] In the Final Four, the Spartans fell to the eventual National Champions for the second straight season, losing a rematch of their Champions Classic game to Duke in the National semifinal.[166] With senior Denzel Valentine leading the 2015–16 Spartans, MSU went undefeated in the non-conference with the school's best start in history and moved to No. 1 in the polls.[167] However, Valentine suffered a knee injury in late December and would miss four games as MSU lost its first game of the season in Big Ten play and fell from the top spot in the polls.[168] Upon Valentine's return, MSU continued to struggle, losing four of their first seven conference games and marking their worst conference start since 2003.[169][170] The Spartans recovered well, losing only one more conference game and finished 13–5 in conference, good enough for second place in the Big Ten. MSU's 26 regular season wins tied the most for a Michigan State team in the regular season.[171] Following the regular season, USA Today named Valentine National Player of the Year.[172] The Big Ten also announced that Valentine was the Big Ten's Player of the Year.[173] As the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament, MSU defeated Ohio State for a third time on the season before dispatching Maryland and Purdue to win the tournament championship. With the win, MSU set the record for most Big Ten tournament championships with five (Ohio State has also won five, but one has been vacated due to NCAA violations). MSU, ranked No. 2 in the country, learned that it would not receive a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, instead receiving a No. 2 seed in the Midwest bracket. This marked the 19th consecutive year the Spartans made the NCAA tournament. Despite receiving the No. 2 seed, MSU was considered by some the favorite to with the NCAA Championship.[174][175] However, MSU was shocked by No. 15-seeded Middle Tennessee in the first round in what some argued was the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history at the time.[176] The 2016–17 Spartans were decimated by departures from the prior year as seniors Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes, and Matt Costello all graduated and moved to the NBA. Freshman Deyonta Davis also declared his eligibility for the NBA after the year and sophomores Javon Bess and Marvin Clark transferred out of the program. In all, five of the Spartans' top six scorers from the 2016 team did not return. In response, MSU welcomed their most-heralded recruiting class ever as four top-50 ranked players entered the program: Miles Bridges, Joshua Langford, Cassius Winston, and Nick Ward. A young team would look to graduate transfer Ben Carter and seniors Gavin Schilling and Eron Harris to fill the holes left by departing players. However, Carter and Schilling suffered season-ending knee injuries before the season began and Harris would suffer one late in the season. As a result, MSU struggled up front as Ward at 6' 8" was the tallest on the team. Former walk-on Kenny Goins became the backup big man at 6' 6". Following losses in their first two games to top-10 teams, MSU suffered two other losses to top-20 teams. Bridges missed seven games with a knee injury near the end of the non-conference slate and the Spartans, who started the season ranked as high as 10 in some polls, entered Big Ten play with an 8–5 record. Izzo would lament his early-season schedule which involved trips to Hawaii, New York, and the Bahamas when his young team wouldn't get needed practice time. Wins to start conference play over Minnesota (twice) and Northwestern, which would prove to be two of their better wins on the season,[177] and Bridges's return had MSU at 4–1 in conference play. However, inconsistency haunted the Spartans[178] as their failure to win road games left the Spartans at 8–5 in conference play with a visit to conference leaders, Purdue. MSU was handled easily by the Boilermakers and Harris suffered his knee injury which appeared to spell the end of MSU's 19-year NCAA tournament streak. However, Bridges, who averaged over 16 points and eight rebounds on the season, and Ward who averaged over 13 points and six rebounds, led the Spartans as they knocked off No. 16-ranked Wisconsin to likely seal a trip to the NCAA tournament. A 10–8 conference record left the Spartans in a tie for fifth place. A win over Penn State in the Big Ten tournament preceded a loss to Minnesota, but was enough for the Spartans to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the 20th consecutive year. As a No. 9 seed, a win over Miami in the first round led to a loss to No. 1-seeded Kansas and an end to the season. Bridges finished the season with perhaps the second-best freshman season in MSU history (behind Magic Johnson): 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.[179][180] Surprisingly, Bridges opted to not enter the NBA draft and returned to Michigan State for his sophomore year in 2017–18. With newcomer Jaren Jackson Jr., a consensus top-25 player, joining the team, the Spartans were picked by several publications as the No. 1 team in the country. They began the season ranked No. 2 behind Duke. After a loss to Duke in the second game of the season, the Spartans won the Victory Bracket of the PK–80 Tournament holding No. 9-ranked North Carolina to a school-record low for shooting percentage as they shot 24.6% from the field, including 5.6% from three-point land.[181][182] The Spartans won 14 straight games, and ascended to No. 1 in the country. A road loss to surprise Big Ten contender Ohio State followed by a home loss to rival Michigan dropped MSU in the rankings and shook the team's confidence. However, the team rebounded well, finishing the season by winning their last 12 regular season games, including a win over Big Ten co-leader Purdue as Bridges took the ball and hit a three-pointer to win the game.[183] On February 17, 2018 while playing at Northwestern, the Spartans overcame a 27-point deficit to beat the Wildcats, at that time, the fifth largest comeback all-time in Division I history.[184][185] The Spartans finished with a school-record 16 Big Ten wins and their first outright regular season Big Ten title since 2009.[186] The team also finished 28–3, a record for regular season wins. The Spartans fell again to their rival Michigan in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament and received only a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament due to their low strength of schedule. The NCAA trip marked the school's 21st consecutive trip to the Tournament, but following a win in the first round over Bucknell, the Spartans fell to 11th-seeded Syracuse marking the third consecutive year and first time under Izzo that the Spartans had failed to reach the Sweet Sixteen in a three-year period. The Spartans led the nation in field goal defense, rebounding margin, and blocks. Freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. set the single-season MSU record for blocks and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Bridges was named first-team All-Big Ten and second team All-American. For much of the season, the on-court play was shrouded by reports that surfaced that Tom Izzo's program had covered up sexual assault allegations ten years prior.[187] Izzo refused to comment on the reports due to an ongoing investigation by several agencies including Michigan Attorney General's office [188] and the United States Department of Education,[189] but repeatedly said he had no intention of leaving Michigan State and that he had cooperated with all investigations including the previous allegation of sexual assault in 2010.[190][191] In August 2018 the NCAA cleared Izzo in his handling of the sexual assault allegations.[192] The school was implicated tangentially to the FBI-college basketball scandal as reports surfaced that Bridges had been paid to attend Michigan State, among other allegations.[193] MSU conducted an investigation and presented their findings that the allegations were false to the NCAA, who cleared Bridges, ruling him eligible to play.[194] Following Bridges and Jackson's departures to the NBA, the 2018–19 team began the season ranked No. 10 in the country. The season was dominated by injuries to the Spartans. Starting guard Joshua Langford only played 13 games before missing the rest of the season with a foot injury. Key starter Matt McQuaid missed three games with injury and key reserve Kyle Ahrens missed nine games with back and ankle injuries. With five games remaining in the Big Ten regular season, big man Nick Ward suffered a hairline fracture in his shooting hand and missed the rest of the regular season. He returned in time for the postseason, but was not the same as he struggled to return to the lineup. Despite this, the Spartans earned a share of the Big Ten regular season championship with Purdue and defeated arch-rival Michigan twice in the regular season. Led by Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus second team All-American Cassius Winston, the Spartans also won the Big Ten tournament for the sixth time, again defeating Michigan in the championship game to go 3–0 against their rival. As the No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, the school's 22nd straight appearance in the Tournament, the Spartans defeated Bradley and Minnesota to advance to their first Sweet Sixteen in four years. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Spartans blew out No. 3 seed LSU to face top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight. Despite having multiple first round NBA Draft picks, the Spartans knocked off the Blue Devils to earn a trip to the school's 10th Final Four and eighth under Izzo. The win over Duke improved Izzo's record to 2–11 against Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. In the Final Four, the Spartans were upset by Texas Tech, ending the school's bid for a third national championship. Winston led the Spartans, averaging 18.8 points and 7.5 assists per game. The 2020 team started the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in school history. Senior point guard Cassius Winston was a popular pick as the preseason player of the year. However, shortly before the season, it was announced that Josh Langford had reinjured the foot that had caused him to miss most of the prior season. Langford would not play a game for the Spartans during the season. Due in part to Langford's injury, the Spartans struggled in the non-conference schedule, losing the first game of the season to No. 2 Kentucky before losing twice more in their first eight games and falling to 5–3. MSU also struggled as Cassius Winston dealt with the suicide of his brother, Zachary, on November 10, 2020. Winston did not miss a game due to the tragedy, but did struggle for a portion of the season. MSU rebounded as Winston struggled to return to his All-American form and the Spartans did not lose again until Big Ten play after starting the conference schedule 5–0. The Spartans then lost six of their next 10 games to all but assure they would be unable to win their third straight Big Ten regular season championship. The Spartans rebounded to win their final five games and come from a three-game deficit to earn a share of their third straight Big Ten championship. As the Spartans prepared for the postseason, they were once again a popular pick to win the NCAA tournament. However, the season ended abruptly when all postseason tournaments, including the NCAA tournament, were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cassius Winston finished his MSU career with the most assists in Big Ten history and was a consensus second team All-American for the second consecutive year. In the COVID-19-shortened 2020–21 season, MSU began the season well, beating Duke at the Champions Classic for only the third time under Izzo. MSU finished the shortened non-conference schedule with a perfect 6–0 record and ranked No. 4 in the country. However, things changed abruptly when MSU began Big Ten play. The Spartans lost four of their first six games before pausing team activities for about two weeks due to positive COVID-19 tests in the program. Upon returning to play, MSU lost three straight dropping their conference record to 2–7 on the season and making it seem highly unlikely that they would continue the school's NCAA tournament appearance streak. Four games later, their odds had not improved as they sat at 4–9 in conference and 10–9 overall with seven games remaining. MSU, however, did the unthinkable: five of their last seven games including wins over No. 5 Illinois, No. 4 Ohio State, and No. 2 Michigan to finish the regular season with 15–11 overall record. At 9–11 in the Big Ten, MSU finished with a losing record for the first time under Izzo, but looked safe to move the NCAA tournament streak to 23 straight appearances. A loss in the second round of the Big Ten tournament marked the first time ever that the Spartans would not compete in the quarterfinals and left them on shaky ground for the NCAA tournament. The Spartans received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed in the South region. For the first time, MSU was forced to participate in the First Four, losing to UCLA in overtime. Looking to rebound from one of the worst seasons in Izzo's tenure, the Spartans began the 2021–22 season with a loss to No. 3 Kansas. Following the loss, they won five straight before losing to defending national champion Baylor. They would not lose again until suffering a home loss to Northwestern ended their perfect start to conference play leaving them at 14–, 5–1 on the season. They rebounded well in the next game, winning on the road against No. 8 Wisconsin, but would lose six of their next nine games to drop to 9–7 in Big Ten play and falling out of the national polls. A win over No. 4 Purdue restored likely ensured a trip to the NCAA tournament, but the Spartans dropped two of their last three regular season games, finishing 11–9 in Big Ten play and finishing in a tie with Michigan for seventh in the conference. They beat Maryland in the second round of the Big Ten tournament before beating Wisconsin in the quarterfinals. However, their Big Ten tournament run ended in the semifinals with a loss to Purdue. The Spartans continued their streak of NCAA tournament appearances, extending it to 24 straight seasons as they received an at-large bid as the No. 7 seed in the West region. In the first round, they eked out a 74–73 win against Davidson, featuring former MSU player Foster Loyer. In the second round of the tournament, they faced Duke in what would be the final match-up between Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo due to Krzyzewski's retirement after the season. MSU kept the game close and held a 70–65 with five minutes remaining before Duke outscored them 20–6 to end the game and eliminate the Spartans from the tournament. Coaches Three Michigan State coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. They are Pete Newell (National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2006), Jud Heathcote (National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2009), and Tom Izzo (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2016). Since 1976, the Spartans have had only two head basketball coaches, Heathcote and Izzo. Heathcote (1976–1995) coached the Spartans for 19 seasons before retiring following the 1994–95 season. His hand-picked successor, Izzo, an assistant with MSU since 1983, completed his 25th year as head coach of the Spartans in 2020. On November 28, 2009, Izzo passed Heathcote's mark of 340 career wins by beating UMass 106–68.[195] Izzo now leads all MSU basketball coaches in wins with 628 through 2020.[196][197] On March 6, 2022, Izzo surpassed Bob Knight for the most wins by a men's basketball coach at a Big Ten school with 663.[198] Of all MSU coaches who have headed the Spartans basketball squad in at least a dozen games, Izzo is second in winning percentage and no MSU coach tops him since 1910. Former coach George E. Denman won all 11 games he coached between 1901 and 1903 and Chester L. Brewer won 70 of 95 games from 1903 to 1910.[196] Name Years Overall Record Conference Record Note None established 1898–99 0–2 (.000) Charles Bemies 1899–1901 5–2 (.714) Michigan State's first basketball coach George Denman 1901–03 11–0 (1.000) Michigan State's only undefeated basketball coach. Chester Brewer 1903–10 70–25 (.737) John Macklin 1910–16 48–38 (.558) George Gauthier 1916–20 47–39 (.547) Lyman Frimodig 1920–22 24–20 (.545) Fred Walker 1922–24 20–19 (.513) John Kobs 1924–26 11–26 (.297) Benjamin Van Alstyne 1926–49 231–163 (.586) Avg. final score increased from 28 to 46 during his tenure[199] Alton Kircher 1949–50 4–18 (.182) Pete Newell 1950–54 45–42 (.517) 26–34 (.433) Went on to win the 1959 NCAA tournament as head coach at California; coached the U.S. to the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics Forddy Anderson 1954–65 125–124 (.502) 69–85 (.448) Guided Michigan State to its first Final Four and NCAA appearance in 1957; 2 NCAA appearances; 2 Conference championships John Benington 1965–69 54–38 (.587) 32–24 (.571) Conference championship in 1967 Gus Ganakas 1969–76 89–84 (.514) 49–57 (.462) Jud Heathcote 1976–95 340–220 (.607) 182–160 (.532) 1979 NCAA Champions; 9 NCAA Appearances; 3 Conference championships Tom Izzo 1995–Present 679–274 (.712) 327–156 (.677) 2000 NCAA Champions, 2009 National Runner-up, 8 Final Four appearances; 25 straight NCAA tournament appearances; 10 conference championships; 6 conference tournament championships Total 1764–1110 (.614) 662–505 (.567) 2 NCAA tournament championships, 10 Final Fours, 36 NCAA tournament appearances, 16 conference championships, 6 conference tournament championships Jud Heathcote Jud Heathcote won three Big Ten titles in his 19 years at MSU. His teams appeared in nine NCAA tournaments, four Sweet Sixteens, one Elite Eight, one Final Four and won one National Championship. After his early success with Magic Johnson and company, Heathcote finished his career strong, appearing in five NCAA tournaments in his final six years. However, he never advanced past the Sweet Sixteen after winning the championship in 1979. His teams also appeared in three NITs reaching the NIT Final Four in 1989. Heathcote was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1978 and 1986. Heathcote was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2009. Tom Izzo worked as an assistant under Heathcote for 12 years prior to being named his successor. Other assistants who worked under Heathcote went on to head coaching positions: Don Monson (Idaho and Oregon), Bill Berry (San Jose State), Mike Deane (Siena, Marquette, Lamar, and Wagner), Jim Boylan (Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks), Jim Boylen (Utah), Stan Joplin (Toledo), and Brian Gregory (Dayton, Georgia Tech, and South Florida). Record by season under Heathcote:[196][200] See Michigan State Spartans men's basketball seasons Tom Izzo Since 1995, the team has been coached by Tom Izzo, who has an overall record of 628–241 as the head coach at Michigan State. Izzo coached the Spartans to their second national championship in 2000 with an 89–76 victory over Florida. Izzo has turned Michigan State into a perennial basketball powerhouse. Izzo is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[201] Izzo has guided the Spartans to eight NCAA Final Fours since 1999, an accomplishment unmatched by any other college basketball program during that span. Izzo has never had a losing season at MSU and has also appeared in a postseason tournament every year he has headed the MSU basketball program: two years in the NIT and 25 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament. His teams have won ten Big Ten regular-season championships, six Big Ten tournament championships and have reached the Sweet Sixteen 20 times, the Elite Eight 14 times, the Final Four eight times, and played in two NCAA Championship games, in which they won the 2000 NCAA National Championship Tournament. Izzo has received numerous awards including the 1998 Associated Press National Coach of the Year, the 1998 Basketball News National Coach of the Year, the 1998 United States Basketball Writers Association Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award (1998), three-time Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year (1998, 2009, 2012), the 1998 Basketball Times Mideast Coach of the Year, the 1999 Basketball News Coach of the Year Award, two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year Award (2001, 2012) and the 2005 Clair Bee Award.[202] Izzo also helped his assistants secure head coaching jobs across the basketball world. Tom Crean, the former head coach at Georgia, was head coach at Indiana and Marquette for nine years each. Brian Gregory coached for Dayton and Georgia Tech and is the current head coach at South Florida. Mark Montgomery was the head coach at Northern Illinois from 2011 to 2021. Current Izzo assistant coach Mike Garland spent three seasons as head coach at Cleveland State following an initial seven-year stint as an assistant at MSU. Former assistant Stan Heath was head coach at Kent State, Arkansas, and South Florida.[203] Doug Wojcik was the head coach at Tulsa[204] and College of Charleston.[205] On March 15, 2019 Tom Izzo won his 600th game. Branding On March 11, 2021, Michigan State announced that the men's basketball team would be known as "MSU Spartans Presented by Rocket Mortgage."[206] The next day, Michigan State issued a clarification stating that it was not renaming its basketball team.[207] The announcement and clarification were discussed on national sports programs and commentaries were published on news and sports sites.[208][209] Season by season results For the entire season-by-season results, see Michigan State Spartans men's basketball seasons. Under Tom Izzo: Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Tom Izzo (Big Ten Conference) (1995–present) 1995–96 Tom Izzo 16–16 9–9 7th NIT second round 1996–97 Tom Izzo 17–12 9–9 T–6th NIT second round 1997–98 Tom Izzo 22–8 13–3 T–1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen 1998–99 Tom Izzo 33–5 15–1 1st NCAA final Four 1999–2000 Tom Izzo 32–7 13–3 T–1st NCAA champion 2000–01 Tom Izzo 28–5 13–3 T–1st NCAA final Four 2001–02 Tom Izzo 19–12 10–6 5th NCAA first round 2002–03 Tom Izzo 22–13 10–6 T–3rd NCAA Elite Eight 2003–04 Tom Izzo 18–12 12–4 T–2nd NCAA first round 2004–05 Tom Izzo 26–7 13–3 2nd NCAA final Four 2005–06 Tom Izzo 22–12 8–8 T–6th NCAA first round 2006–07 Tom Izzo 23–12 8–8 T–7th NCAA second round 2007–08 Tom Izzo 27–9 12–6 4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2008–09 Tom Izzo 31–7 15–3 1st NCAA Runner-up 2009–10 Tom Izzo 28–9 14–4 T–1st NCAA final Four 2010–11 Tom Izzo 19–15 9–9 T–4th NCAA second round 2011–12 Tom Izzo 29–8 13–5 T–1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2012–13 Tom Izzo 27–9 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2013–14 Tom Izzo 29–9 12–6 T–2nd NCAA Elite Eight 2014–15 Tom Izzo 27–12 12–6 T–3rd NCAA final Four 2015–16 Tom Izzo 29–6 13–5 2nd NCAA first round 2016–17 Tom Izzo 20–15 10–8 T–5th NCAA second round 2017–18 Tom Izzo 30–5 16–2 1st NCAA second round 2018–19 Tom Izzo 32–7 16–4 T–1st NCAA final Four 2019–20 Tom Izzo 22–9 14–6 T–1st No postseason due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 Tom Izzo 15–13 9–11 T–8th NCAA First Four 2021–22 Tom Izzo 23–13 11–9 T–7th NCAA second round 2022–23 Tom Izzo 21–13 11–8 4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2022–23 Tom Izzo 0–0 0–0 Tom Izzo: 687–280 (.710) 333–160 (.675) Total: 1,811–1,140 (.614)       National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion Postseason history NCAA tournament The Spartans have appeared in 36 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments, with a current streak of 25 straight years, with two NCAA basketball national championships. They have appeared in ten Final Fours and sport a 69–33 all-time NCAA tournament record. National championships Season Coach Opponent Score Site Overall Record Big Ten Record 1978–79 Jud Heathcote Indiana State 75–64 Salt Lake City, UT 25–6 13–5 1999–2000 Tom Izzo Florida 89–76 Indianapolis, IN 31–7 13–3 National Championships 2 1979 NCAA tournament results[210] Round Opponent Score First round Bye Second round No. 10 Lamar 95–64 Sweet Sixteen No. 3 LSU 87–71 Elite Eight No. 1 Notre Dame 80–68 Final Four No. 9 Penn 101–67 Championship No. 1 Indiana State 75–64 2000 NCAA tournament results[211] Round Opponent Score First round No. 16 Valparaiso 65–38 Second round No. 8 Utah 73–61 Sweet Sixteen No. 4 Syracuse 75–58 Elite Eight No. 2 Iowa State 75–64 Final Four No. 8 Wisconsin 53–41 Championship No. 5 Florida 89–76 Complete NCAA tournament results The Spartans have appeared in the NCAA tournament 36 times. Their combined record is 69–33.[212] Year Seed Round Opponent Result 1957 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National third-place game Notre Dame Kentucky North Carolina San Francisco W 85–83 W 80–68 L 70–74 3OT L 60–67 1959 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Marquette Louisville W 74–69 L 81–88 1978 First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Providence WKU Kentucky W 77–63 W 90–69 L 49–52 1979 No. 2 Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four national championship game No. 10 Lamar No. 3 LSU No. 1 Notre Dame No. 9 Penn No. 1 Indiana State W 95–64 W 87–71 W 80–68 W 101–67 W 75–64 1985 No. 10 First round No. 7 UAB L 68–70 1986 No. 5 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen No. 12 Washington No. 4 Georgetown No. 1 Kansas W 72–70 W 80–68 L 86–96 OT 1990 No. 1 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen No. 16 Murray State No. 9 UC Santa Barbara No. 4 Georgia Tech W 75–71 OT W 62–58 L 80–81 OT 1991 No. 5 First round Second round No. 12 Green Bay No. 4 Utah W 60–58 L 84–85 2OT 1992 No. 5 First round Second round No. 12 SW Missouri State No. 4 Cincinnati W 61–54 L 65–77 1994 No. 7 First round Second round No. 10 Seton Hall No. 2 Duke W 84–73 L 74–85 1995 No. 3 First round No. 14 Weber State L 72–79 1998 No. 4 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen No. 13 Eastern Michigan No. 5 Princeton No. 1 North Carolina W 83–71 W 63–56 L 58–73 1999 No. 1 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four No. 16 Mount St. Mary's No. 9 Ole Miss No. 13 Oklahoma No. 3 Kentucky No. 1 Duke W 76–53 W 74–66 W 54–46 W 73–66 L 62–68 2000 No. 1 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four national championship game No. 16 Valparaiso No. 8 Utah No. 4 Syracuse No. 2 Iowa State No. 8 Wisconsin No. 5 Florida W 65–38 W 73–61 W 75–58 W 75–64 W 53–41 W 89–76 2001 No. 1 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four No. 16 Alabama State No. 9 Fresno State No. 12 Gonzaga No. 11 Temple No. 2 Arizona W 69–35 W 81–65 W 77–62 W 69–62 L 61–80 2002 No. 10 First round No. 7 NC State L 58–69 2003 No. 7 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight No. 10 Colorado No. 2 Florida No. 6 Maryland No. 1 Texas W 79–64 W 68–46 W 60–58 L 76–85 2004 No. 7 First round No. 10 Nevada L 66–72 2005 No. 5 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four No. 12 Old Dominion No. 13 Vermont No. 1 Duke No. 2 Kentucky No. 1 North Carolina W 89–81 W 72–61 W 78–68 W 94–88 2OT L 71–87 2006 No. 6 First round No. 11 George Mason L 65–75 2007 No. 9 First round Second round No. 8 Marquette No. 1 North Carolina W 61–49 L 67–81 2008 No. 5 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen No. 12 Temple No. 4 Pittsburgh No. 1 Memphis W 72–61 W 65–54 L 74–92 2009 No. 2 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four national championship game No. 15 Robert Morris No. 10 USC No. 3 Kansas No. 1 Louisville No. 1 Connecticut No. 1 North Carolina W 77–62 W 74–69 W 67–62 W 64–52 W 82–73 L 72–89 2010 No. 5 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four No. 12 New Mexico State No. 4 Maryland No. 9 Northern Iowa No. 6 Tennessee No. 5 Butler W 70–67 W 85–83 W 59–52 W 70–69 L 50–52 2011 No. 10 First round No. 7 UCLA L 76–78 2012 No. 1 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen No. 16 Long Island No. 9 Saint Louis No. 4 Louisville W 89–67 W 65–61 L 44–57 2013 No. 3 Second round Third Round Sweet Sixteen No. 14 Valparaiso No. 6 Memphis No. 2 Duke W 65–54 W 70–48 L 61–71 2014 No. 4 Second round Third Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight No. 13 Delaware No. 12 Harvard No. 1 Virginia No. 7 Connecticut W 93–78 W 80–73 W 61–59 L 54–60 2015 No. 7 Second round Third Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four No. 10 Georgia No. 2 Virginia No. 3 Oklahoma No. 4 Louisville No. 1 Duke W 70–63 W 60–54 W 62–58 W 76–70 OT L 61–81 2016 No. 2 First round No. 15 Middle Tennessee L 81–90 2017 No. 9 First round Second round No. 8 Miami No. 1 Kansas W 78–58 L 70–90 2018 No. 3 First round Second round No. 14 Bucknell No. 11 Syracuse W 82–78 L 53–55 2019 No. 2 First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four No. 15 Bradley No. 10 Minnesota No. 3 LSU No. 1 Duke No. 3 Texas Tech W 76–65 W 70–50 W 80–63 W 68–67 L 51–61 2021 No. 11 First Four No. 11 UCLA L 80–86OT 2022 No. 7 First round Second round No. 10 Davidson No. 2 Duke W 74–73 L 76–85 2023 No. 7 First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen No. 10 USC No. 2 Marquette No. 3 Kansas State W 72–62 W 69–60 L 93–98 OT NCAA tournament history and seeds The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition. The Spartans have received a No. 1 seed in five Tournaments. Their average seed in the NCAA tournament is a 4.8. They have been a No. 5 seed the most times (six). The lowest seed the Spartans have received in the Tournament is 11. Prior to seeding in NCAA tournaments, MSU appeared in the 1957, 1959, and 1978 NCAA tournaments.[213] Since 1979, the Spartans have failed to qualify for the tournament 11 times. They have a current streak of 25 straight appearances in the tournament (as of 2023). Years '79 '85 '86 '90 '91 '92 '94 '95 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '21 '22 '23 Seeds 2* 10 5 1 5 5 7 3 4 1 1* 1 10 7 7 5 6 9 5 2 5 10 1 3 4 7 2 9 3 2 11 7 7 *Won National Championship The Spartans have appeared in 34 NCAA tournaments, reaching the Sweet Sixteen 20 times, the Elite Eight 14 times, the Final Four 10 times, and the national championship game three times. They have reached the Final Four three times as a No. 1 seed, three times as a No. 2 seed, twice as a No. 5 seed, and once as a No. 7 seed. They won the National Championship as a No. 2 seed in 1979 and as a No. 1 seed in 2000. NIT results The Spartans have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) five times. Their combined record is 6–6. Year Round Opponent Result 1983 First round Second round Bowling Green Fresno State W 72–71 L 58–72 1989 First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd-place game Kent State Wichita State Villanova Saint Louis UAB W 83–69 W 79–67 W 70–63 L 64–74 L 76–78 1993 First round Oklahoma L 86–88 1996 First round Second round Washington Fresno State W 64–50 L 70–80 1997 First round Second round George Washington Florida State W 65–50 L 63–68 Big Ten regular-season championships Michigan State has won 16 Big Ten regular-season championships, the sixth-most in Big Ten history. Season Coach Overall record Big Ten record 1956–57 Forddy Anderson 16–10 10–4 1958–59 Forddy Anderson 19–4 13–3 1966–67 John Benington 16–7 10–4 1977–78 Jud Heathcote 25–5 15–3 1978–79 Jud Heathcote 26–6 13–5 1989–90 Jud Heathcote 28–6 15–3 1997–98 Tom Izzo 22–8 13–3 1998–99 Tom Izzo 33–5 15–1 1999–2000 Tom Izzo 32–7 13–3 2000–01 Tom Izzo 28–5 13–3 2008–09 Tom Izzo 31–7 15–3 2009–10 Tom Izzo 28–9 14–4 2011–12 Tom Izzo 29–8 13–5 2017–18 Tom Izzo 30–5 16–2 2018–19 Tom Izzo 32–7 16–4 2019–20 Tom Izzo 22–9 14–6 Big Ten regular season championships 16 Big Ten tournament championships Michigan State has won six Big Ten tournament championships since its inception in 1998, the most championships in the Big Ten. The Spartans have appeared in seven championship games, only losing the 2015 championship to Wisconsin. Michigan State had appeared in the quarterfinals of every Big Ten tournament until 2021. Season Seed Opponent Score Site Most Valuable Player 1998–99 1 No. 11 Illinois 67–50 United Center, Chicago, IL Mateen Cleaves 1999–2000 2 No. 4 Illinois 76–61 United Center, Chicago, IL Morris Peterson 2011–12 1 No. 3 Ohio State 68–64 Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN Draymond Green 2013–14 3 No. 1 Michigan 69–55 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN Branden Dawson 2015–16 2 No. 4 Purdue 66–62 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN Denzel Valentine 2018–19 1 No. 3 Michigan 65–60 United Center, Chicago, IL Cassius Winston Big Ten tournament Championships 6 Record vs. Big Ten opponents *Through 2020-21 season Michigan State only has losing records against three Big Ten teams. Opponent Wins Losses Pct. Streak Illinois 65 61 .516 L1 Indiana 58 68 .460 W1 Iowa 78 55 .586 L2 Maryland 13 7 .650 W1 Michigan 86 102 .457 W1 Minnesota 81 57 .584 W3 Nebraska 23 7 .767 W8 Northwestern 96 33 .744 L1 Ohio State 80 52 .606 W1 Penn State 42 9 .824 W3 Purdue 59 69 .461 L4 Rutgers 14 2 .875 L2 Wisconsin 88 65 .575 W1 Source[214][4][215] Spartans of Note Retired numbers Main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers Michigan State Spartans retired numbers No. Player Position Tenure Date Retired 4 Scott Skiles PG 1982–86 November 13, 1998[216] 12 Mateen Cleaves G 1996–2000 February 3, 2007[217] 21 Steve Smith SG 1987–91 January 2, 1999[218] 23 Draymond Green PF 2008–12 December 3, 2019[219] 24 Johnny Green SF 1955–58 Shawn Respert PG 1991–95 November 28, 1998[220] 31 Jay Vincent SF 1978–81 January 9, 1999[221] 32 Greg Kelser SF 1976–79 33 Magic Johnson PG 1977–79 42 Morris Peterson SG, SF 1995–2000 January 17, 2009[222] – Jud Heathcote Head Coach 1976–95 National Player of the Year Scott Skiles – Basketball Times (1986) Shawn Respert – Sporting News, NABC (1995) Draymond Green – NABC (2012) Denzel Valentine – AP, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times, NABC, NBC Sports (2016) Final Four Most Outstanding Player Earvin Johnson (1979) Mateen Cleaves (2000) Big Ten Player of the Year Jay Vincent (1981) Scott Skiles (1986) Shawn Respert (1995) Mateen Cleaves (1998, 1999) Morris Peterson (2000) Kalin Lucas (2009) Draymond Green (2012) Denzel Valentine (2016) Cassius Winston (2019) Big Ten Coach of the Year Jud Heathcote (1978, 1986) Tom Izzo (1998, 2009, 2012) Big Ten Freshman of the Year Gary Harris (2013) Miles Bridges (2017) Jaren Jackson Jr. (2018) Defensive Player of the Year Ken Redfield (1990) Eric Snow (1995) Travis Walton (2009) Jaren Jackson Jr. (2018) Xavier Tillman (2020) Spartans in the NBA Spartans formerly in the NBA include: Maurice Ager Mathew Aitch Robert Anderegg Alan Anderson Keith Appling Chet Aubuchon Charlie Bell Robert Brannum Shannon Brown Edward Burton Mateen Cleaves Matt Costello Paul Davis Branden Dawson Jamie Feick Al Ferrari Terry Furlow Johnny Green Darryl Johnson Earvin Johnson Ken Johnson Greg Kelser Kalin Lucas Matthew Mazza Anthony Miller Mike Peplowski Morris Peterson Zach Randolph Shawn Respert Jason Richardson Ralph Simpson Scott Skiles Steve Smith Eric Snow Matt Steigenga Jay Vincent Sam Vincent Horace Walker Kevin Willis
  • Player: Magic Johnson
  • Year: 1977
  • Original/Reproduction: Original
  • Vintage: Yes

PicClick Insights - 1977-78 Michigan State Big Ten Champ Original Type 1 8x10 Rare Magic Johnson PicClick Exclusive

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