The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the NBA's most storied franchises, originating in 1946 as the Detroit Gems before relocating to Minneapolis in 1947 and ultimately establishing themselves in Los Angeles by 1960. They hold 17 championships, tied for the most in league history, with their early success including the 1948 NBL title and four NBA titles won in Minneapolis. The Lakers entered a golden age in the 1980s, known as the "Showtime" era, where superstars Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the team to five NBA championships, often battling their fierce rivals, the Boston Celtics.
Dominance continued into the 2000s, as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal secured a historic "three-peat" between 2000 and 2002, with Bryant later adding two more championships in 2009 and 2010 alongside Pau Gasol. After a period of rebuilding, the Lakers signed LeBron James in 2018 and traded for Anthony Davis in 2019, culminating in their 17th NBA championship in 2020. This illustrious franchise also boasts the NBA's longest winning streak of 33 games (1971–72) and has been home to 26 Hall of Fame players, continuing to make significant roster changes such as acquiring Luka Dončić in February 2025, as described in the article.