2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season
Encyclopedia
The 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers
season was the 62nd season of the franchise, 60th in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) and 48th in Los Angeles
. The team celebrated their 60th anniversary, thus the Laker jerseys wore the 60th anniversary patches on the leftmost part. They finished the regular season with 57 wins, finishing with the most wins in the tightest conference race in NBA history. The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 29th time in franchise history. This 15-game turnaround from the prior season has been attributed to the progress of the team's bench players and the mid-season trade for Pau Gasol
. The Lakers sold out all 41 home games for the season. After 12 seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant
was named the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career. The Lakers post-season ended by losing the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in six games.
, their offseason was marred with surgeries to their two key players. The first of which was Lamar Odom
having shoulder surgery which made him miss the first five games of the 2007–08 NBA season. The other was Kwame Brown
having shoulder surgery also.
. Then the Lakers re-signed Luke Walton
to a six-year contract extension worth $30 million. Chris Mihm
also signed a new contract for two years despite missing the entire previous season after having surgery on his right ankle. Walton was a key player last season while Mihm was sidelined for the whole season.
The most notable signing of the Lakers off-season was past hero Derek Fisher
, signed to a three-year deal worth approximately $14 million. Fisher was released from the Utah Jazz
at his request during the offseason so his family could move to a city that has better treatment for his daughter, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma
. The Lakers signed him in order to add stability at the point and they needed a player who was well versed in the triangle offense
. The Lakers were also hoping that signing a former veteran of the Lakers would ease Bryant's demand to be traded.
Andrew Bynum
and Jordan Farmar
had their 4th-year and 3rd-year contracts extended respectively. This kept each player with the team for at least one more year.
D. J. Mbenga and rookie Coby Karl
were also signed with the team to fill roster spots. Coby Karl, the son of Nuggets
coach George Karl
, switched between the NBDL
and Lakers roster throughout the season. During midseason, injuries plagued the team and Ira Newble
was signed to a ten-day contract. After this he signed a contract for the rest of the season.
to the Miami Heat
. Aaron McKie
left the Lakers and became a voluntary coach for the 76ers. After spending one year with the Lakers, Shammond Williams
left via free agency to play for Pamesa Valencia of the ACB
.
and under-achieving power forward Brian Cook
for forward Trevor Ariza
. Ariza would average 6.5 points per game, averaging only 18 minutes per game. Ariza broke his foot in practice on January 20 and missed the rest of the regular season. He returned to the Lakers on May 23.
After Andrew Bynum
was injured for the rest of the season, the Lakers needed help in the front court before they risked falling out of contention in the playoff race. In February, the Lakers traded Kwame Brown
, Javaris Crittenton
, Aaron McKie
(who was re-signed specifically for the trade), the draft rights to Marc Gasol
, two first-round draft picks (2008 and 2010) and cash for Pau Gasol
and a second-round draft pick in 2010. Many consider the Lakers the major benefactor of the trade. As a result some criticized the trade as being unbalanced in excessively benefiting the Lakers. Gregg Popovich
called Memphis' agreement to the terms of the trade "beyond comprehension" and suggested that the league should form a committee to "scratch all trades that make no sense". The trade became an immediate success for the Lakers, who went 22–5 with Gasol in the lineup and went on to reach the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles had three selections for the 2007 NBA Draft
. With their first-round pick, the Lakers selected Georgia Tech freshman point guard Javaris Crittenton
. With their second pick coming from the Bobcats
, the Lakers selected the 6 in 9 in (2.06 m) Chinese player Sun Yue. And with their final pick the Lakers selected Pau Gasol's younger brother, Marc
. Marc Gasol and Crittenton were both traded midseason for Pau Gasol. Sun Yue spent the entire 2007–08 season playing in the ABA and China national basketball team
and didn't play a game in the NBA.
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers roster
|- style="background-color: #ffcd35;color: #6137ad; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
|-
!width="40"|Pos.
! style="width:165px;"|Starter
! style="width:165px;"|Bench
! style="width:165px;"|Reserve
! style="width:165px;"|Inactive
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | C
| Pau Gasol
|| || D. J. Mbenga
Chris Mihm
|| style="background:#FCB926" | Andrew Bynum
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | PF
| Lamar Odom
|| Ronny Turiaf
|| || style="background:#FCB926" |
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | SF
| Vladimir Radmanović
|| Luke Walton
|| Trevor Ariza
|| style="background:#FCB926" | Ira Newble
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | SG
| Kobe Bryant
|| Sasha Vujačić
|| || style="background:#FCB926" | Coby Karl
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | PG
| Derek Fisher
|| Jordan Farmar
|| || style="background:#FCB926" |
|}
the future of Kobe Bryant's career as a Laker fell into doubt, when he demanded to be traded. For a week he tiraded and the situation escalated when a videotape about him was released. The video recorded him saying that the Lakers should have traded Andrew Bynum
for Jason Kidd
. Bryant insulted Bynum and was critical of General Manager Mitch Kupchak
. Management decided to re-sign Derek Fisher
, a past hero, but the Lakers would enter the season frustrated and with question marks.
The Lakers started the 2007–08 NBA season surprisingly well. Fueled by the emergence of Andrew Bynum as a main option at center and the return of Derek Fisher, the Lakers would even enjoy being the number one team in the Western Conference for three days. Capped by an early-season trade for Trevor Ariza
, rumors of Bryant wanting to leave Los Angeles were finally beginning to die. However, before the Lakers could savor their new success, Bynum would go down with a knee injury that would take him out for the remainder of the season. Suddenly, the contending Lakers lost three straight games. The remainder of the season looked bleak for the Lakers, who were struggling to win games. It seemed that injuries, once again, would cripple another Laker season.
On February 1, the Lakers dealt the unpopular Kwame Brown
(who was booed viciously by the fans for his many turnovers in recent games), rookie Javaris Crittenton
, veteran Aaron McKie
, the draft rights to Marc Gasol
, and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 for Spaniard all-star forward Pau Gasol and a second-round draft choice in 2010. With the Lakers now having a center and power forward who are both 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, analysts have referred to Gasol and Bynum as "the twin towers", similar to the duo of Tim Duncan
and David Robinson
in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even while waiting for Bynum's return, the Lakers were playing very well and got a second taste of being best in the Western Conference.
With Kobe Bryant leading the charge with his MVP-caliber season, the month of April was very triumphant for the Lakers, who quickly surged to the top of Western Conference. Aided by Pau Gasol's versatile abilities and Lamar Odom's stellar play as a third option, the Lakers clinched their playoff berth for the 55th time in their 60 years with the league, won the Pacific Division from the Phoenix Suns
(their first since Shaq left in 2004), and clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1999–00 NBA season. Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker. During the second round against the Utah Jazz, Byrant was officially named the 2007-2008 NBA Most Valuable Player award, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June", that he was "very proud to represent [the] organization, to represent [the] city" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award."
Furthermore, the team had bonded during training camp last October in Honolulu when Lamar Odom
hired a chef to cook for the team. "I won't take the credit," Odom said, "but in training camp we became tighter. I made sure we had a chef. We ate dinner, lunch and breakfast together every day at training camp. I think that was special. I think that's when the bond started." Additionally, Byrant's behavior towards his teammates changed as well. "It's the little things, taking guys out to dinner, talking to guys more about things," Luke Walton said. "He's such a great player, I think sometimes it gets frustrating if we don't understand something. But he's taking the time to explain what guys are doing out there a little more. I think before he used to be a little more negative towards his teammates, as opposed to now, when he's pulling people to the side, talking to them, finding out ways to figure it out together instead of just coming down hard on them. He's definitely more patient. He's having more fun. I think he's enjoying it more, especially with the team going like this."
became the first player to go against his coaching father, George Karl
, in an NBA playoff game. The Nuggets were routed at home in Game 3, with Carmelo Anthony stating the team quit in the second half. Game 4 was closer, but Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points in the last five and a half minutes to close out the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Lakers were the only team in 2008 to sweep an opponent in the playoffs.
in the second round of the playoffs which began on May 4 at Staples Center. It was the first time the two franchises had competed in a post-season series since the 1998 Western Conference Finals. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and Utah Head Coach Jerry Sloan
and Assistant Coach Phil Johnson
, were the only individuals present from the 1998 series that were in this series. Conversely, it was also the first play-off series meeting between Coach Sloan and Lakers' Head Coach Phil Jackson since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Jazz in the NBA Finals that same year. The Lakers took game 1 at Staples Center, winning by 11 against the Jazz. During Game 2 against the Utah Jazz, Bryant was officially named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player award, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June," that he was "very proud to represent [the] organization, to represent [the] city" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award." After being presented the trophy Bryant led his team to their second victory with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Having a 6–0 record in the playoffs, the Lakers traveled to Utah to play the third and fourth games of the series. However their streak would come to a sudden halt. The Jazz won both Games 3 and 4 to even up the series with Deron Williams
and Carlos Boozer
, who bounced back after having two terrible games at L.A., leading the team. Game 4 went to overtime which the Lakers lost for the first time this season. The series would head back to Los Angeles tied 2–2. The Lakers came back with authority as they took Game 5 with Bryant, Gasol, and Odom scoring 20-plus points each. The Jazz looked to force a Game 7 but the Lakers closed out the series in Game 6 in Utah to end the series 4–2. Their victory on the road against the Jazz marked not only an impressive road win against a team with the best home record in the league, but also the second victory a road team had notched against a home team in the entire 2007-2008 playoff Conference Semifinals, as home teams had won at an unprecedented 22–2 pace.
carrying the Spurs after two terrible games in L.A. The Lakers barely escaped Game 4 with a narrow win after Brent Barry missed a last second three-pointer due to a "missed foul call" on Derek Fisher, even though Bryant, Gregg Popovich
, and Phil Jackson all agreed that it was not a foul. The NBA head office, however, admitted the next day that a foul should have been called, which would have given one of the league's top free throw shooters a chance to tie the game. Heading home up 3–1 in the series, the Lakers trailed in the first quarter by 17 but were able to cut the lead to six by halftime. Again, Bryant stepped up by scoring 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers surged ahead to take a 100–92 victory behind their home crowd for a chance to win championship no. 15. They also improved to 4–0 against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals again as the no. 1 seed. The last time this happened to the team was during 2000, where they beat the Indiana Pacers
4–2. The Lakers looked to renew their rivalry with the Boston Celtics
as the two matched up for the 11th time in the NBA Finals. The Celtics own an 8–2 record all-time against the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but were defeated by Los Angeles the last two times they met in 1985
and 1987
. Entering the finals, the Celtics and the Lakers held the record for most Finals appearances (Celtics 19, Lakers 28) including the 2008 Finals, and most championships (Celtics 16, Lakers 14). The Celtics went on to win the Finals 4–2 for their 17th NBA championship.
|-
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="10%" | Player
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GP
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GS
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | MPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FG%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | 3P%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FT%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | RPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | APG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | SPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | BPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | PPG
|-
|
| 35 || 3 || 15.6 || .507 || .278 || .653 || 3.1 || 1.3 || .89 || .31 || 5.5
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 38.9 || .459 || .361 || .840 || 6.3 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 5.4 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 1.84 || .49 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 28.3
|-
|
| 35 || 25 || 28.8 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .636 || .000 || .695 || 10.2 || 1.7 || .34 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 2.06 || 13.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || 0 || 20.6 || .461 || .371 || .679 || 2.2 || 2.7 || .94 || .06 || 9.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || 27.4 || .436 || .406 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .883 || 2.1 || 2.9 || 1.05 || .04 || 11.7
|-
|
| 66 || 66 || 35.6 || .534 || .250 || .807 || 8.4 || 3.2 || .45 || 1.48 || 18.9
|-
|
| 42 || 0 || 7.8 || .464 || .000 || .417 || 1.7 || .2 || .17 || .62 || 2.0
|-
|
| 17 || 0 || 4.2 || .346 || .308 || .800 || .8 || .5 || .24 || .12 || 1.8
|-
|
| 23 || 5 || 12.1 || .337 || .000 || .667 || 3.3 || .6 || .17 || .61 || 3.6
|-
|
| 49 || 13 || 14.2 || .437 || .327 || .769 || 2.6 || .4 || .57 || .16 || 3.8
|-
|
| 77 || 77 || 37.9 || .525 || .274 || .698 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 10.6 || 3.5 || .97 || .94 || 14.2
|-
|
| 65 || 41 || 22.8 || .453 || .406 || .800 || 3.3 || 1.9 || .71 || .18 || 8.4
|-
|
| 78 || 21 || 18.7 || .474 || .000 || .753 || 3.9 || 1.6 || .36 || 1.38 || 6.6
|-
|
| 72 || 0 || 17.8 || .454 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .437 || .835 || 2.1 || 1.0 || .50 || .07 || 8.8
|-
|
| 74 || 31 || 23.4 || .450 || .333 || .706 || 3.9 || 2.9 || .81 || .24 || 7.2
|}
* Total for entire season including previous team(s)
|-
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="10%" | Player
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GP
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GS
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | MPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FG%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | 3P%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FT%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | RPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | APG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | SPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | BPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | PPG
|-
|
| 8 || 0 || 5.6 || .583 || .250 || .500 || 1.4 || .1 || .13 || .13 || 2.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 41.1 || .479 || .302 || .809 || 5.7 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 5.6 || 1.67 || .38 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 30.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 0 || 17.1 || .383 || .386 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .875 || 1.6 || 1.3 || .33 || .19 || 5.7
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 31.6 || .452 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .440 || .836 || 2.2 || 2.5 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 2.05 || .14 || 10.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 39.8 || .530 || .000 || .692 || 9.3 || 4.0 || .52 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 1.90 || 16.9
|-
|
| 7 || 0 || 4.3 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .625 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || .0 || .29 || .14 || 1.4
|-
|
| 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || 1.0 || .00 || .00 || .0
|-
|
| 1 || 0 || 3.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .00 || .00 || .0
|-
|
| 1 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .00 || .00 || .0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 37.4 || .491 || .273 || .661 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 10.0 || 3.0 || .67 || 1.29 || 14.3
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 22.9 || .444 || .372 || .833 || 3.8 || 1.5 || .62 || .05 || 8.0
|-
|
| 19 || 0 || 9.8 || .389 || .000 || .588 || 1.4 || .3 || .11 || .95 || 2.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 0 || 21.7 || .399 || .392 || .857 || 2.2 || .8 || .57 || .19 || 8.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 0 || 16.8 || .454 || .423 || .722 || 2.6 || 2.0 || .52 || .19 || 6.0
|}
|-
|- bgcolor="eeeeee"
| November 20, 2007
| valign="top"| To Los Angeles Lakers
Trevor Ariza
| valign="top"| To Orlando Magic
Maurice Evans
, Brian Cook
|- bgcolor="eeeeee"
| February 1, 2008
| valign="top"| To Los Angeles Lakers
Pau Gasol
, 2nd Rd. Draft Pick (2010)
| valign="top"| To Memphis Grizzlies
Kwame Brown
, Javaris Crittenton
, Aaron McKie
, draft rights to Marc Gasol
, Two Future 1st Rd Draft Picks (2008, 2010)
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{|class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
| Player || Former team
|-
| Derek Fisher
|| Utah Jazz
|-
| DJ Mbenga
|| Golden State Warriors
|-
| Ira Newble
|| Seattle SuperSonics
|}
| valign="top" |
{|class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
| Player || New team
|-
| Smush Parker
|| Miami Heat
|-
| Shammond Williams
|| Pamesa Valencia
|}
|}
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
season was the 62nd season of the franchise, 60th in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) and 48th in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The team celebrated their 60th anniversary, thus the Laker jerseys wore the 60th anniversary patches on the leftmost part. They finished the regular season with 57 wins, finishing with the most wins in the tightest conference race in NBA history. The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 29th time in franchise history. This 15-game turnaround from the prior season has been attributed to the progress of the team's bench players and the mid-season trade for Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
. The Lakers sold out all 41 home games for the season. After 12 seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career. The Lakers post-season ended by losing the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in six games.
Key dates
- June 28: The 2007 NBA Draft2007 NBA DraftThe 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
took place in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York. - July 1: The free agencyFree agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
period started. - October 7: The preseason started with a home game versus the Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. - October 28: The regular season started with a home game versus the Houston RocketsHouston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. - February 16-17: The 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend2008 NBA All-Star Game-Eastern Conference roster:The Boston Celtics, the team with the league's best record, came into New Orleans with three players. Kevin Garnett, top vote-getter in the league with 2,399,148 votes, was selected as a starter, while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were selected as reserves by the coaches of...
took place. - March 2: The Lakers matched their previous season win total (42) with an overtimeOvertime (sports)Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
win against the Dallas MavericksDallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. - April 11: The Lakers clinched the Pacific DivisionPacific Division (NBA)The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...
title with a win over the New Orleans Hornets. - April 15: The Lakers clinched the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
title and concluded the regular season with a game against the Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. - April 20: The Lakers played their first playoff game of the season.
- June 17: The Lakers played their final game of the playoffs against the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
Injuries and surgeries
Following the 2006-07 NBA Season2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
, their offseason was marred with surgeries to their two key players. The first of which was Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
having shoulder surgery which made him miss the first five games of the 2007–08 NBA season. The other was Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown
Kwame James Brown is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The , center was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school...
having shoulder surgery also.
Signings
The Lakers' first signing was their first-round draft pick Javaris CrittentonJavaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
. Then the Lakers re-signed Luke Walton
Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
to a six-year contract extension worth $30 million. Chris Mihm
Chris Mihm
Christopher Steven Mihm is a 7 ft , 265 pound American professional basketball player currently a free agent. He was drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.-Early life:...
also signed a new contract for two years despite missing the entire previous season after having surgery on his right ankle. Walton was a key player last season while Mihm was sidelined for the whole season.
The most notable signing of the Lakers off-season was past hero Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
, signed to a three-year deal worth approximately $14 million. Fisher was released from the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
at his request during the offseason so his family could move to a city that has better treatment for his daughter, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a rapidly developing cancer that develops in the cells of retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye. In the developed world, Rb has one of the best cure rates of all childhood cancers , with more than nine out of every ten sufferers surviving into...
. The Lakers signed him in order to add stability at the point and they needed a player who was well versed in the triangle offense
Triangle offense
The Triangle Offense, also known as the triple-post offense, is an offensive strategy in basketball. Its basic ideas were initially established by Hall of Fame coach Sam Barry at the University of Southern California. His system was later refined by former Kansas State University head basketball...
. The Lakers were also hoping that signing a former veteran of the Lakers would ease Bryant's demand to be traded.
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
and Jordan Farmar
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...
had their 4th-year and 3rd-year contracts extended respectively. This kept each player with the team for at least one more year.
D. J. Mbenga and rookie Coby Karl
Coby Karl
Coby Joseph Karl is an American professional basketball player. He is the son of George Karl, head coach of the Denver Nuggets.-High school career:...
were also signed with the team to fill roster spots. Coby Karl, the son of Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
coach George Karl
George Karl
George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
, switched between the NBDL
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
and Lakers roster throughout the season. During midseason, injuries plagued the team and Ira Newble
Ira Newble
Ira Newble is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.-College career:After graduating from Southfield...
was signed to a ten-day contract. After this he signed a contract for the rest of the season.
Departures
The most notable departure was last year's starting point guard Smush ParkerSmush Parker
William Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player. Parker played shooting guard in college but moved to point guard in the NBA...
to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
. Aaron McKie
Aaron McKie
Aaron Fitzgerald McKie is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA and currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers...
left the Lakers and became a voluntary coach for the 76ers. After spending one year with the Lakers, Shammond Williams
Shammond Williams
Shammond Omar Williams is a naturalized Georgian professional basketball player who grew up in the United States . The 6'1" combination point guard/shooting guard is known for his long-range shooting accuracy...
left via free agency to play for Pamesa Valencia of the ACB
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
.
Trades
Early in the season the Lakers traded Maurice EvansMaurice Evans (basketball)
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 5 in guard/forward, Evans weighs 220 lb...
and under-achieving power forward Brian Cook
Brian Cook
Brian Joshua Cook is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...
for forward Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
. Ariza would average 6.5 points per game, averaging only 18 minutes per game. Ariza broke his foot in practice on January 20 and missed the rest of the regular season. He returned to the Lakers on May 23.
After Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
was injured for the rest of the season, the Lakers needed help in the front court before they risked falling out of contention in the playoff race. In February, the Lakers traded Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown
Kwame James Brown is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The , center was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school...
, Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
, Aaron McKie
Aaron McKie
Aaron Fitzgerald McKie is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA and currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers...
(who was re-signed specifically for the trade), the draft rights to Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
, two first-round draft picks (2008 and 2010) and cash for Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
and a second-round draft pick in 2010. Many consider the Lakers the major benefactor of the trade. As a result some criticized the trade as being unbalanced in excessively benefiting the Lakers. Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
called Memphis' agreement to the terms of the trade "beyond comprehension" and suggested that the league should form a committee to "scratch all trades that make no sense". The trade became an immediate success for the Lakers, who went 22–5 with Gasol in the lineup and went on to reach the NBA Finals.
Draft picks
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
. With their first-round pick, the Lakers selected Georgia Tech freshman point guard Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
. With their second pick coming from the Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
, the Lakers selected the 6 in 9 in (2.06 m) Chinese player Sun Yue. And with their final pick the Lakers selected Pau Gasol's younger brother, Marc
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
. Marc Gasol and Crittenton were both traded midseason for Pau Gasol. Sun Yue spent the entire 2007–08 season playing in the ABA and China national basketball team
China national basketball team
The Chinese men's national basketball team is the basketball team representing China in international competitions. The governing body of Chinese basketball operations is the Basketball Association of China...
and didn't play a game in the NBA.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Javaris Crittenton Javaris Crittenton Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team.... |
Point Guard | Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that... |
|
| 2 | 40 | Sun Yue | Point Guard | Beijing Olympians Beijing Olympians Beijing Aoshen Olympians or Beijing Olympians or Beijing Aoshen are a professional basketball team that formerly played in the Chinese Basketball Association and now play in the West Coast Pro Basketball League. They have also played in the American Basketball Association. Some sources refer to... (ABA) |
|
| 2 | 48 | Marc Gasol Marc Gasol Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft... |
Center | Akasvayu Girona (Spain Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European... ) |
|
Roster
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers roster
|- style="background-color: #ffcd35;color: #6137ad; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
Depth chart
{| style="text-align: center; background:#5C2F83; color:white"|-
!width="40"|Pos.
! style="width:165px;"|Starter
! style="width:165px;"|Bench
! style="width:165px;"|Reserve
! style="width:165px;"|Inactive
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | C
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
| Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
|| || D. J. Mbenga
Chris Mihm
Chris Mihm
Christopher Steven Mihm is a 7 ft , 265 pound American professional basketball player currently a free agent. He was drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.-Early life:...
|| style="background:#FCB926" | Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
! style="background:#FCB926" | PF
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
| Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
|| Ronny Turiaf
Ronny Turiaf
Ronny Turiaf is a French professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the NBA. Turiaf has been a member of the French national basketball team....
|| || style="background:#FCB926" |
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | SF
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
| Vladimir Radmanović
Vladimir Radmanovic
Vladimir Radmanović is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association...
|| Luke Walton
Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
|| Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
|| style="background:#FCB926" | Ira Newble
Ira Newble
Ira Newble is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.-College career:After graduating from Southfield...
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | SG
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
| Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
|| Sasha Vujačić
Sasha Vujacic
Aleksandar "Sasha" Vujačić is a Slovenian basketball player who has played in Italy, the United States , and more recently for Anadolu Efes S.K. in Turkey...
|| || style="background:#FCB926" | Coby Karl
Coby Karl
Coby Joseph Karl is an American professional basketball player. He is the son of George Karl, head coach of the Denver Nuggets.-High school career:...
|- style="height:40px; background:white; color:white"
! style="background:#FCB926" | PG
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
| Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
|| Jordan Farmar
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...
|| || style="background:#FCB926" |
|}
Season summary
Following the 2006-07 NBA Season2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
the future of Kobe Bryant's career as a Laker fell into doubt, when he demanded to be traded. For a week he tiraded and the situation escalated when a videotape about him was released. The video recorded him saying that the Lakers should have traded Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
for Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
. Bryant insulted Bynum and was critical of General Manager Mitch Kupchak
Mitch Kupchak
Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization....
. Management decided to re-sign Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
, a past hero, but the Lakers would enter the season frustrated and with question marks.
The Lakers started the 2007–08 NBA season surprisingly well. Fueled by the emergence of Andrew Bynum as a main option at center and the return of Derek Fisher, the Lakers would even enjoy being the number one team in the Western Conference for three days. Capped by an early-season trade for Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
, rumors of Bryant wanting to leave Los Angeles were finally beginning to die. However, before the Lakers could savor their new success, Bynum would go down with a knee injury that would take him out for the remainder of the season. Suddenly, the contending Lakers lost three straight games. The remainder of the season looked bleak for the Lakers, who were struggling to win games. It seemed that injuries, once again, would cripple another Laker season.
On February 1, the Lakers dealt the unpopular Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown
Kwame James Brown is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The , center was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school...
(who was booed viciously by the fans for his many turnovers in recent games), rookie Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
, veteran Aaron McKie
Aaron McKie
Aaron Fitzgerald McKie is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA and currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers...
, the draft rights to Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
, and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 for Spaniard all-star forward Pau Gasol and a second-round draft choice in 2010. With the Lakers now having a center and power forward who are both 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, analysts have referred to Gasol and Bynum as "the twin towers", similar to the duo of Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
and David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even while waiting for Bynum's return, the Lakers were playing very well and got a second taste of being best in the Western Conference.
With Kobe Bryant leading the charge with his MVP-caliber season, the month of April was very triumphant for the Lakers, who quickly surged to the top of Western Conference. Aided by Pau Gasol's versatile abilities and Lamar Odom's stellar play as a third option, the Lakers clinched their playoff berth for the 55th time in their 60 years with the league, won the Pacific Division from the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
(their first since Shaq left in 2004), and clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1999–00 NBA season. Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker. During the second round against the Utah Jazz, Byrant was officially named the 2007-2008 NBA Most Valuable Player award, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June", that he was "very proud to represent [the] organization, to represent [the] city" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award."
Furthermore, the team had bonded during training camp last October in Honolulu when Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
hired a chef to cook for the team. "I won't take the credit," Odom said, "but in training camp we became tighter. I made sure we had a chef. We ate dinner, lunch and breakfast together every day at training camp. I think that was special. I think that's when the bond started." Additionally, Byrant's behavior towards his teammates changed as well. "It's the little things, taking guys out to dinner, talking to guys more about things," Luke Walton said. "He's such a great player, I think sometimes it gets frustrating if we don't understand something. But he's taking the time to explain what guys are doing out there a little more. I think before he used to be a little more negative towards his teammates, as opposed to now, when he's pulling people to the side, talking to them, finding out ways to figure it out together instead of just coming down hard on them. He's definitely more patient. He's having more fun. I think he's enjoying it more, especially with the team going like this."
Denver Nuggets
In Pau Gasol's playoff debut with the Lakers, he scored 36 points, with 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocked shots, as the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Game 1. After Game 1, Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker. Kobe Bryant gave the fans a vintage performance in Game 2 by scoring 49 points and adding 10 assists in a blowout at Staples Center. Game 2 against the Nuggets would mark a playoff first in which Lakers rookie guard Coby KarlCoby Karl
Coby Joseph Karl is an American professional basketball player. He is the son of George Karl, head coach of the Denver Nuggets.-High school career:...
became the first player to go against his coaching father, George Karl
George Karl
George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
, in an NBA playoff game. The Nuggets were routed at home in Game 3, with Carmelo Anthony stating the team quit in the second half. Game 4 was closer, but Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points in the last five and a half minutes to close out the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Lakers were the only team in 2008 to sweep an opponent in the playoffs.
Utah Jazz
The Lakers faced the Utah JazzUtah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the second round of the playoffs which began on May 4 at Staples Center. It was the first time the two franchises had competed in a post-season series since the 1998 Western Conference Finals. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and Utah Head Coach Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
and Assistant Coach Phil Johnson
Phil Johnson (basketball)
Phil D. Johnson is a former College basketball player and a former basketball coach. He played college basketball at Utah State University and Weber State, and has coached collegiately at Weber State University....
, were the only individuals present from the 1998 series that were in this series. Conversely, it was also the first play-off series meeting between Coach Sloan and Lakers' Head Coach Phil Jackson since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Jazz in the NBA Finals that same year. The Lakers took game 1 at Staples Center, winning by 11 against the Jazz. During Game 2 against the Utah Jazz, Bryant was officially named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player award, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June," that he was "very proud to represent [the] organization, to represent [the] city" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award." After being presented the trophy Bryant led his team to their second victory with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Having a 6–0 record in the playoffs, the Lakers traveled to Utah to play the third and fourth games of the series. However their streak would come to a sudden halt. The Jazz won both Games 3 and 4 to even up the series with Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
and Carlos Boozer
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
, who bounced back after having two terrible games at L.A., leading the team. Game 4 went to overtime which the Lakers lost for the first time this season. The series would head back to Los Angeles tied 2–2. The Lakers came back with authority as they took Game 5 with Bryant, Gasol, and Odom scoring 20-plus points each. The Jazz looked to force a Game 7 but the Lakers closed out the series in Game 6 in Utah to end the series 4–2. Their victory on the road against the Jazz marked not only an impressive road win against a team with the best home record in the league, but also the second victory a road team had notched against a home team in the entire 2007-2008 playoff Conference Semifinals, as home teams had won at an unprecedented 22–2 pace.
San Antonio Spurs
The Lakers went on to face the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals. The two teams combined to win seven of the last nine NBA Championships. The Lakers were able to overcome a 20-point deficit in game 1 and win behind Kobe Bryant's 27 points, with 25 being scored in the second half. Game 2 was a cruise for the Lakers as they made a 9–0 run before halftime and built the lead to 30. For the third straight series the Lakers started off 2–0. This also marked Ariza playing for the first time since breaking a bone in his right foot in January. The Spurs easily took game 3 in San Antonio with Manu GinóbiliManu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
carrying the Spurs after two terrible games in L.A. The Lakers barely escaped Game 4 with a narrow win after Brent Barry missed a last second three-pointer due to a "missed foul call" on Derek Fisher, even though Bryant, Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
, and Phil Jackson all agreed that it was not a foul. The NBA head office, however, admitted the next day that a foul should have been called, which would have given one of the league's top free throw shooters a chance to tie the game. Heading home up 3–1 in the series, the Lakers trailed in the first quarter by 17 but were able to cut the lead to six by halftime. Again, Bryant stepped up by scoring 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers surged ahead to take a 100–92 victory behind their home crowd for a chance to win championship no. 15. They also improved to 4–0 against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals.
Boston Celtics
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
4–2. The Lakers looked to renew their rivalry with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
as the two matched up for the 11th time in the NBA Finals. The Celtics own an 8–2 record all-time against the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but were defeated by Los Angeles the last two times they met in 1985
1985 NBA Finals
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1984–85 NBA season.The Boston Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA Champions for the first time since the . The Celtics had homecourt advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63-19...
and 1987
1987 NBA Finals
The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1986-87 NBA season. The match took place between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won 4–2, beating the Celtics in the Finals. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's junior sky hook in Game 4...
. Entering the finals, the Celtics and the Lakers held the record for most Finals appearances (Celtics 19, Lakers 28) including the 2008 Finals, and most championships (Celtics 16, Lakers 14). The Celtics went on to win the Finals 4–2 for their 17th NBA championship.
Regular season
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"|-
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="10%" | Player
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GP
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GS
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | MPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FG%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | 3P%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FT%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | RPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | APG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | SPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | BPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | PPG
|-
|
| 35 || 3 || 15.6 || .507 || .278 || .653 || 3.1 || 1.3 || .89 || .31 || 5.5
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 38.9 || .459 || .361 || .840 || 6.3 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 5.4 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 1.84 || .49 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 28.3
|-
|
| 35 || 25 || 28.8 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .636 || .000 || .695 || 10.2 || 1.7 || .34 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 2.06 || 13.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || 0 || 20.6 || .461 || .371 || .679 || 2.2 || 2.7 || .94 || .06 || 9.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 82 || 27.4 || .436 || .406 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .883 || 2.1 || 2.9 || 1.05 || .04 || 11.7
|-
|
| 66 || 66 || 35.6 || .534 || .250 || .807 || 8.4 || 3.2 || .45 || 1.48 || 18.9
|-
|
| 42 || 0 || 7.8 || .464 || .000 || .417 || 1.7 || .2 || .17 || .62 || 2.0
|-
|
| 17 || 0 || 4.2 || .346 || .308 || .800 || .8 || .5 || .24 || .12 || 1.8
|-
|
| 23 || 5 || 12.1 || .337 || .000 || .667 || 3.3 || .6 || .17 || .61 || 3.6
|-
|
| 49 || 13 || 14.2 || .437 || .327 || .769 || 2.6 || .4 || .57 || .16 || 3.8
|-
|
| 77 || 77 || 37.9 || .525 || .274 || .698 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 10.6 || 3.5 || .97 || .94 || 14.2
|-
|
| 65 || 41 || 22.8 || .453 || .406 || .800 || 3.3 || 1.9 || .71 || .18 || 8.4
|-
|
| 78 || 21 || 18.7 || .474 || .000 || .753 || 3.9 || 1.6 || .36 || 1.38 || 6.6
|-
|
| 72 || 0 || 17.8 || .454 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .437 || .835 || 2.1 || 1.0 || .50 || .07 || 8.8
|-
|
| 74 || 31 || 23.4 || .450 || .333 || .706 || 3.9 || 2.9 || .81 || .24 || 7.2
|}
Playoffs
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;"|-
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="10%" | Player
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GP
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | GS
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | MPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FG%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | 3P%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | FT%
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | RPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | APG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | SPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | BPG
! style="background:#6137ad;color:#ffcd35;" width="6%" | PPG
|-
|
| 8 || 0 || 5.6 || .583 || .250 || .500 || 1.4 || .1 || .13 || .13 || 2.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 41.1 || .479 || .302 || .809 || 5.7 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 5.6 || 1.67 || .38 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 30.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 0 || 17.1 || .383 || .386 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .875 || 1.6 || 1.3 || .33 || .19 || 5.7
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 31.6 || .452 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .440 || .836 || 2.2 || 2.5 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 2.05 || .14 || 10.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 39.8 || .530 || .000 || .692 || 9.3 || 4.0 || .52 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 1.90 || 16.9
|-
|
| 7 || 0 || 4.3 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | .625 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || .0 || .29 || .14 || 1.4
|-
|
| 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || 1.0 || .00 || .00 || .0
|-
|
| 1 || 0 || 3.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .00 || .00 || .0
|-
|
| 1 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .00 || .00 || .0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 37.4 || .491 || .273 || .661 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 10.0 || 3.0 || .67 || 1.29 || 14.3
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 22.9 || .444 || .372 || .833 || 3.8 || 1.5 || .62 || .05 || 8.0
|-
|
| 19 || 0 || 9.8 || .389 || .000 || .588 || 1.4 || .3 || .11 || .95 || 2.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 0 || 21.7 || .399 || .392 || .857 || 2.2 || .8 || .57 || .19 || 8.1
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;" | 21 || 0 || 16.8 || .454 || .423 || .722 || 2.6 || 2.0 || .52 || .19 || 6.0
|}
Awards
- Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Player of the Week for games played January 7, 2008 through January 13, 2008. - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Player of the Week for games played February 25, 2008 through March 2, 2008. - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Player of the Month for February 2008. - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Player of the Week for games played March 31, 2008 through April 6, 2008. - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Player of the Month for April 2008. - Phil JacksonPhil JacksonPhilip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
was named the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Coach of the Month for April 2008.
Milestones
- On December 23, 2007 Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
became the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points. - Sasha VujacicSasha VujacicAleksandar "Sasha" Vujačić is a Slovenian basketball player who has played in Italy, the United States , and more recently for Anadolu Efes S.K. in Turkey...
set the highest 3 pointer shot percentage for a season in Lakers history (43.7%).
Season
- Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named the NBA's Most Valuable PlayerNBA Most Valuable Player AwardThe National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
for the 2008 season - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named to the All-NBA Team First TeamAll-NBA TeamThe All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the... - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
was named to the NBA All-Defensive TeamNBA All-Defensive TeamThe NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; the coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team...
Transactions
The Lakers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2007-08 season.Trades
{| border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse" bordercolor="#DFDFDF" cellpadding="5"|-
|- bgcolor="eeeeee"
| November 20, 2007
| valign="top"| To Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
| valign="top"| To Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (basketball)
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 5 in guard/forward, Evans weighs 220 lb...
, Brian Cook
Brian Cook
Brian Joshua Cook is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...
|- bgcolor="eeeeee"
| February 1, 2008
| valign="top"| To Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
, 2nd Rd. Draft Pick (2010)
| valign="top"| To Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown
Kwame James Brown is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The , center was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school...
, Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
, Aaron McKie
Aaron McKie
Aaron Fitzgerald McKie is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA and currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers...
, draft rights to Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
, Two Future 1st Rd Draft Picks (2008, 2010)
|-
|}
Free agents
{| cellspacing="10"| valign="top" |
{|class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
| Player || Former team
|-
| Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
|| Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
|-
| DJ Mbenga
Didier Ilunga Mbenga
Didier Ilunga-Mbenga, commonly referred to as D. J. Mbenga , is a Belgian professional basketball player who last played for the New Orleans Hornets...
|| Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
|-
| Ira Newble
Ira Newble
Ira Newble is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.-College career:After graduating from Southfield...
|| Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
|}
| valign="top" |
{|class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
| Player || New team
|-
| Smush Parker
Smush Parker
William Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player. Parker played shooting guard in college but moved to point guard in the NBA...
|| Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
|-
| Shammond Williams
Shammond Williams
Shammond Omar Williams is a naturalized Georgian professional basketball player who grew up in the United States . The 6'1" combination point guard/shooting guard is known for his long-range shooting accuracy...
|| Pamesa Valencia
|}
|}
Trivia
- Three members of the Lakers roster were second-generation players: Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
(son of Joe "Jellybean" BryantJoe BryantJoseph Washington "Jellybean" Bryant is a retired American professional basketball player, current coach, and the father of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Bryant was the head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks from August 22, 2005 until April 4, 2007...
), Luke WaltonLuke WaltonLuke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
(son of Bill WaltonBill WaltonWilliam Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
), and Coby KarlCoby KarlCoby Joseph Karl is an American professional basketball player. He is the son of George Karl, head coach of the Denver Nuggets.-High school career:...
(son of George KarlGeorge KarlGeorge Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
). - In 82 games played, Kobe Bryant led his team in scoring 66 times (including a two-way tie).
See also
- 2007–08 NBA season