2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season is the 64th season of the franchise, 62nd in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) and 50th in Los Angeles. Coming off a championship in 2009, the Lakers successfully defended their title. They spent the most money of any team on player salaries this season, totaling $112.7 million ($91.3 million on player salaries and $21.4 million on luxury tax). The Lakers once again sold out all 41 home games for the season at Staples Center
.
The Lakers clinched the Pacific Division
for the 31st time in franchise history. Despite winning eight games less than the previous season, they still held the top seed in the Western Conference
playoffs and made it to the NBA Finals for the third straight season. In the 2010 NBA Finals
the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics
in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals
won by the Celtics. This time, the Lakers won the series 4-3 for their 16th NBA title and handed Boston its first Game 7 loss in an NBA Finals in team history. Kobe Bryant
won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP.
On July 14, 2009, Phil Jackson
won the 2010 ESPY Awards
for Best Coach/Manager while Kobe Bryant won for Best NBA Player.
was told that he has ligamentous laxity
, which required him to wear a knee brace for the entire season.
During training camp, D. J. Mbenga was not able to participate fully in practice due to a "malalignment of his hips/hip flexors". The imbalance was causing him pain in his abdominal, groin and hip flexor areas. He made a full recovery and played on opening night. Pau Gasol
injured his hamstring
during a preseason game and missed the first 12 games of the season. In December, Ron Artest
revealed that he suffered a shoulder injury during the Lakers' opening exhibition game. He kept the injury quiet so it wouldn't seem like he was making excuses, telling neither the media nor his coaches.
chose not to sign when the Los Angeles Lakers offered the Mid-Level Exception (approximately $6 million per year). When the Lakers looked towards other free agents, Ariza agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets
for slightly more money. The Lakers had a team option on Sun Yue to pick up his contract for one year paying him $736,000. But the Lakers decided to release him to keep the roster to 13 players. Sun eventually signed with the New York Knicks
.
Assistant coach Kurt Rambis
left the Lakers to pursue a head-coaching position with the Minnesota Timberwolves
. Rambis was believed to be the potential replacement to Phil Jackson
if he leave in the next season.
and D. J. Mbenga. The Lakers decided to bring both Powell and Mbenga back, paying them $959,000 each. Kobe Bryant
also had an option to terminate his contract this offseason, which would pay him approximately $23,000,000 for the season and $24,800,000 for the season after. He chose not to opt out of his contract and will sign a 3 year extension worth between 80 and 85 million dollars.
Ron Artest
was the first player from another team to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. On July 2, Artest told CBSSports.com
that he has agreed to a contract with the Lakers. He decided not to pursue a more lucrative contract from his former team (the Rockets) and signed a 5-year deal worth $33 million on July 8. The Lakers used their Mid-Level Exception to sign Artest. Artest has long wanted to play for the Lakers and was looking forward to playing with Kobe Bryant
and childhood friend Lamar Odom
. Artest changed his jersey number from 96 to 37 in honor of Michael Jackson
's album Thriller
which was the #1 selling album for 37 weeks. Jackson died 13 days earlier.
Shannon Brown
agreed to a contract with the Lakers on July 6. Brown turned down a more expensive offer from the Indiana Pacers
and agreed to a 2 year $4.2 million deal. The Lakers used the Bi-annual exception to sign Brown. He has a player option to terminate his contract after the 2009-10 season.
Lamar Odom was the last Lakers free agent to resign with the team. Before the previous season ended, Odom said he was willing to take a paycut from the $11.4 million he made in his final year of his contract (which was actually $14.1 million under the Lakers salary cap because the difference was paid upfront as a "trade-kicker" when he joined the Lakers). Early in July, the Lakers presented two offers to Odom:
When Odom and his agent did not respond quickly enough, owner Jerry Buss
pulled both deals off the table. At the same time, the Miami Heat
actively pursue Odom. Heat President Pat Riley
and Dwyane Wade
met with Odom in Los Angeles in an attempt to get Odom to return to Miami. Afterwards, Odom spoke with Jerry Buss, and Odom's agent and Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak kept an open dialogue. On July 30, Lamar Odom agreed to a four-year deal, reportedly for $33 million, with a team option for the final year. Odom said he did not want to leave Pau Gasol
, Andrew Bynum
, Derek Fisher
and the rest of the Lakers, especially Kobe Bryant
.
On September 28, the Lakers signed four players to non-guaranteed contracts: Tony Gaffney
, David Monds, Mickaël Gelabale
and Michael Fey. On September 30, the Lakers also signed Thomas Kelati
to a non-guaranteed contract, bring their total player roster to 18 players. By the beginning of the season, they had to reduce their roster to a maximum of 15 players. On October 10, the Lakers cut Mickaël Gelabale, David Monds, and Michael Fey, bringing the roster to 15 players. On October 21, Thomas Kelati was cut from the team. On October 24, the Lakers cut Gaffney.
for $3,000,000 and the Knicks 2011 second round draft pick. The Lakers traded their second pick (originally from the Charlotte Bobcats
for the Kareem Rush
trade) for cash.
from Florida State, and chose Patrick Beverley
from Arkansas
with their 42nd pick, a pick which they got from a previous trade with Charlotte. The Lakers traded both each for a future second-round draft pick and cash. They kept their final pick and selected Chinemelu Elonu
. The Texas A&M
center earned All-Big 12
honors last season after averaging 9.8 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds and 53 blocked shots. He set a school record by making 66.5 percent from the field and was named the Big 12's most improved player.
. Before the game, the remaining Lakers on the team from last year received their 2009 NBA championship rings. Pau Gasol
missed the first 11 games due to his hamstring
injury, so Lamar Odom moved to power forward
and was placed in the starting lineup. The season opened with the starting lineup being:
The Lakers started off 7–1, then lost two in a row. Luke Walton
was another player who was injured, suffering a pinched in his back on November 16. He was out for approximately six weeks. However, Gasol came back soon after and the Lakers returned to their normal lineup (with Odom coming off the bench):
Through the first 14 games of the season, the Lakers ranked second in the league in defensive field-goal shooting (41.7%). They also had to deal with poor play by reserve players. After Gasol's return, the Lakers went 10–0, which included a game on December 4 when Bryant made a three-pointer as time expired to lift the Lakers past the Miami Heat
108–107. Their 11-game winning streak ended on December 12 against the Utah Jazz
. On December 11, Bryant suffered a fracture in his right index finger in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves
, but it didn't force him to miss any games. On December 16, Bryant made another game-winning shot, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks
in overtime. The Lakers went on a five-game winning streak heading into their Christmas Day game at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers
. They lost the game for their third home defeat of the season. Later that night, Ron Artest suffered a concussion from tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs. He missed five games to recover. The Lakers struggled with his absence, giving up 100 or more points in four consecutive games. On January 1, Bryant made a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Sacramento Kings
. It was the third time that season that Bryant made a buzzer-beater to win a game. On January 3, Gasol mildly strained his left hamstring in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks
and had to leave the game. Artest returned to play the next game versus the Houston Rockets
, and Odom almost recorded a triple double with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 9 assists. After Christmas, the Lakers struggled, going 6–5. Since then, both Walton (28 games) and Gasol (six games) returned from injuries and the Lakers played with a full roster for the first time that season against the Clippers on January 15.
On January 21, the Lakers began the second half of the season by playing eight consecutive road games in 12 days. Beginning with a rematch of the Christmas Day game against the Cavaliers and concluding on February 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies
, the defending champions also visited the White House
to meet President Barack Obama
.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies, Bryant surpassed Jerry West
to become the Lakers' all-time leading scorer. The Lakers finished the road trip 5–3. In February, Gasol was named winner of two of the three most prestigious annual awards given to European players, based on performances during the 2009 calendar year for both national and club teams. On December 27, Gasol was announced by the Italian
magazine Superbasket
as the winner of its Mr. Europa
award and on December 28, Gasol was announced by the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport
as the winner of its Euroscar Award
. On February 6 against the Portland Trail Blazers
, an injured Bryant sat out for a game for the first time since 2007. Odom matched a career high with 22 rebounds in the Lakers' win, the first time they had won in Portland since 2005. Gasol produced 21 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and five blocks in a win on February 8 against the San Antonio Spurs
, joining five other players to accomplish the feat. The Lakers headed to the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak. All three victories came without Bryant and the final two were without Bynum.
Bryant was voted as a starter for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game
, but sat out due to injury. Gasol was selected as a reserve for the West and logged 13 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. Brown entered the dunk contest but was defeated in the second round.
Bryant returned from injury on February 23 against the Memphis Grizzlies
. The Lakers went 4-1 without him. Bryant made a three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to lift the Lakers to a 99-98 victory. However, the Lakers went 4-4 in the eight games after Bryant's return. Since the All-Star break, the Lakers have struggled, recording a 5-5 record including the first three-game losing streak since Gasol joined the team in a trade two years earlier. The team also had to deal with injuries to Sasha Vujacic
and Luke Walton
. The Lakers responded by winning five games in a row, but Bynum suffered an injury and was removed from the active roster. It was revealed that Bynum strained his Achilles tendon
against the Minnesota Timberwolves
on March 19, and that he was expected to miss almost two weeks (six games) to recover. After their three-game losing streak, the Lakers responded by winning seven games in a row, then lost two of their next seven. They were the eighth best team in the Western Conference between the All-Star break and April 5 by record, but still held the top seed. Bryant chose to miss three of the final four regular-season games to recover from injuries. Bynum returned from injury for the first game of the playoffs.
in the first round of the playoffs. Both Bryant and Bynum returned from injury to start in the first game. In game one, the Lakers outscored the Thunder 27-13 in the first quarter. The Thunder attempted to close in on the lead, but the Lakers held on in the 2nd half, matching the Thunder's point total in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Although Bryant led the Lakers in points scored (21), Gasol had the most impressive night statically, collecting 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. The series went to Oklahoma City
for games three and four. The Thunder won both games including a 21 point win in game 4. Kevin Durant
averaged 30.5 points in the two games to lead the Thunder. During the two games, the Thunder used their speed to run on the Lakers which translated into 24 fast-break points and 23 second-chance points in game 4. In game 5 in L.A., Gasol and Bynum combined for 46 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists in a 111-87 win. Game six saw the Lakers returning to Oklahoma City
were they could clinch the series with the win. The Lakers' bench outscored the Thunder's 30-16, however the Thunder claimed a one point lead with 3:04 to play. With time winding down, Gasol caught an offensive rebound off of a missed jump shot by Bryant and scored a layup with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game for the win.
who advanced to the second round of the playoffs by defeating the Denver Nuggets
4-2. This was the third straight year the two teams met in the playoffs. The Lakers started off the first quarter shooting 79.8% from the field, and leading by 10 at half time. The Lakers gave up the lead in the 4th quarter before Bryant scored 11 points in the final four minutes to lead the Lakers to a 104-99 victory. Although Bryant had the most successful night in game 2, it was the Lakers front court of Gasol, Bynum, and Odom who dominated the game. Each had at least 11 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks while the team outrebounded the Jazz 58-40 to a 111-103 victory. Andrei Kirilenko
returned in game 3 from more than a month out with a strained left calf. While the Lakers' big men were dominate in the first two games, they had to rely on their backcourt in game 3 with Bynum and Odom being held in check. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan
said the Jazz's effort to keep the Lakers out of the middle opened up some 3-point shots and Los Angeles capitalized. Artest scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half while overcoming his three-point range slump in the playoffs. The fourth quarter had 12 lead changes, including Bryant and Fisher making back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-2 run in the final minute. In the final four seconds, Deron Williams
missed a shot and Wesley Matthews
rebound and tip missed just before the end of the game. The Lakers won 111-110 and were on the verge of sweeping the Jazz. In game four, the Lakers jumped ahead and led by 22 points in the first half. The Jazz opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run and were able to cut the lead to 70-65, but the Lakers responded by finishing the period on a 10-2 run and led 80-67 at the end of the third quarter. The Lakers led by 10 for most of the 4th quarter. Coach Phil Jackson called it "the first really consistent game we have played...We controlled the game and forced our will on our opponent." Bryant scored at least 30 points in all four games and the Lakers swept the series 4-0.
in the Western Conference Finals. In game 1, the Lakers blew out the Suns 128-107 led by Bryant's 40 points including 23 in the third quarter. Odom came off the bench to tally 19 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists. In game 2 Bryant played the role of facilitator, putting up 13 assists, while Gasol recorded 29 points, 9 rebounds, and five assists. The teams were tied at 90-90 heading into the fourth quarter, but Bryant and Gasol led the fourth quarter rally and the Lakers won the game 124-112. Game 3 was played in Phoenix, where the Suns used their big men and physical play to win the game. Amar'e Stoudemire scored 42 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Robin Lopez
20 points. Odom and Bynum, however, both picked up fouls early and were ineffective for the Lakers for most of the game. The Lakers only scored 15 points in the second quarter and were down 86-84 in after three quarters. The Lakers were able to take the lead 90-89 with 8:47 to play, but the Suns rallied back to win 118-109. After battling each other in game 4 and slugging out a 23-23 first quarter, the Suns erupted for a 41 points in the second quarter, shooting 74%. Early in the 4th quarter the Lakers led 87-85. However, the Suns reserve players (who outscored the Lakers reserves 54-20) produced and 18-3 run in the 4th which the Lakers never recovered from despite Bryant's 38 points and 10 assists. In game 5, the Lakers surged to a 16 point lead in the first half including a 21-4 run and led by 18 points by half time. Steve Nash, who had 29 points and 11 assists in the game, led the Suns to a 16-4 rally in the third quarter to trim the lead to six by the end of the period and one with 2:52 left in the game. Jason Richardson
made a three pointer with 3.5 seconds left in the game to tie the score 101-101.On the next possession, Bryant, who had 30 points and 11 assists in the game, missed a shot, but Artest got the offensive rebound and made the game winning layup as time expired. In game 6 in Phoenix, the Lakers had the lead for most of the game. Los Angeles outscored the Suns 23-10 over the last eight minutes of the second quarter to lead 65-53 at the break and were up by 17 entering the fourth. However the Suns went on a 16-4 run and cut the Lakers lead to 95-90 with 6:09 remaining in the game. Artest scored 25 in the game and Bryant had a 37 point performance including nine points in the final two minutes to win the game 111-103 and clinch the series 4-2.
|
| 77 || 77 || 33.8 || .414 || .355 || .688 || 4.3 || 3.0 || 1.4 || 0.3 || 11.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 7 || 20.7 || .427 || .328 || .818 || 2.2 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 8.1
|-
|
| 73 || 73 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 38.8 || .456 || .329 || .811 || 5.4 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 5.0 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.6 || 0.3 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 27.0
|-
|
| 65 || 65 || 30.4 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .570 || .000 || .739 || 8.3 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 1.4 || 15.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 0 || 18.0 || .435 || .376 || .671 || 1.6 || 1.5 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 7.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 27.2 || .380 || .348 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .856 || 2.1 || 2.5 || 1.1 || 0.1 || 7.5
|-
|
| 65 || 65 || 37.0 || .536 || .000 || .790 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 11.3 || 3.4 || .6 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.7 || 18.3
|-
|
| 49 || 2 || 7.2 || .466 || .000 || .474 || 1.8 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 0.6 || 2.1
|-
|
| 31 || 0 || 7.8 || .376 || .238 || .625 || 1.0 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 2.4
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 38 || 31.5 || .463 || .319 || .693 || 9.8 || 3.3 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 10.8
|-
|
| 63 || 0 || 9.2 || .366 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .438 || .645 || 1.8 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 2.7
|-
|
| 67 || 1 || 8.6 || .402 || .309 || .848 || 1.2 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 2.8
|-
|
| 29 || 0 || 9.4 || .357 || .412 || .500 || 1.3 || 1.4 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 2.4
|}
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 36.5 || .398 || .291 || .579 || 4.0 || 2.1 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.5 || .5 || 11.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 0 || 14.1 || .393 || .281 || .714 || 1.3 || .9 || .4 || .3 || 4.9
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 40.1 || .458 || .374 || .842 || 6.0 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 5.5 || 1.4 || .7 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 29.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 24.4 || .537 || .000 || .679 || 6.9 || .5 || .3 || 1.6 || 8.6
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 0 || 13.1 || .404 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .400 || .692 || 1.2 || 1.4 || .7 || .0 || 4.6
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 32.5 || .448 || .360 || .821 || 2.5 || 2.8 || 1.2 || .0 || 10.3
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 39.7 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .539 || .000 || .759 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 11.1 || 3.5 || .4 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 2.1 || 19.6
|-
|
| 3 || 0 || 4.0 || .333 || .000 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.000 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 1.7
|-
|
| 2 || 0 || 6.5 || .444 || .000 || .000 || 2.5 || .5 || .0 || .0 || 4.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 0 || 29.0 || .469 || .244 || .600 || 8.6 || 2.0 || .6 || .9 || 9.7
|-
|
| 13 || 0 || 3.1 || .375 || .000 || .750 || .5 || .1 || .0 || .0 || .7
|-
|
| 10 || 0 || 7.6 || .435 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .400 || .833 || .8 || .5 || .2 || .0 || 3.1
|-
|
| 16 || 0 || 6.0 || .304 || .222 || .500 || .5 || .9 || .1 || .1 || 1.1
|}
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 50th in Los Angeles. Coming off a championship in 2009, the Lakers successfully defended their title. They spent the most money of any team on player salaries this season, totaling $112.7 million ($91.3 million on player salaries and $21.4 million on luxury tax). The Lakers once again sold out all 41 home games for the season at Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
.
The Lakers clinched the Pacific Division
Pacific 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...
for the 31st time in franchise history. Despite winning eight games less than the previous season, they still held the top seed in the Western Conference
Western 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....
playoffs and made it to the NBA Finals for the third straight season. In the 2010 NBA Finals
2010 NBA Finals
The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2009–10 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics, champions of the Eastern Conference...
the Lakers defeated 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...
in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
won by the Celtics. This time, the Lakers won the series 4-3 for their 16th NBA title and handed Boston its first Game 7 loss in an NBA Finals in team history. 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...
won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP.
On July 14, 2009, Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip 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;...
won the 2010 ESPY Awards
ESPY Awards 2010
The 18th ESPY Awards were held on July 14, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre, hosted by Seth Meyers.- Categories :There are 37 categories and 3 special awards. The winners are listed first in bold. Other nominees are in alphabetical order....
for Best Coach/Manager while Kobe Bryant won for Best NBA Player.
Key dates
- June 25 – The 2009 NBA Draft2009 NBA DraftThe 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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...
. - July 8 – 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 Lakers played their first preseason game of the season against the Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe 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...
. - October 27 – The Lakers' regular season2009–10 NBA seasonThe 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
began with a home game versus the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. The previous year's players received their championship rings and the team raised their 15th championship banner into the Staples CenterStaples CenterStaples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
rafters. - January 25 – The previous year's players and staff visited the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
to meet President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. - February 12–14 – The 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend2010 NBA All-Star GameThe 2010 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game between players selected from the National Basketball Association 's Western Conference and the Eastern Conference that was played on February 14, 2010 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. This game was the 59th edition...
took place. - March 19 – The Lakers clinched a post-season berth for the 29th time in 31 years. They are the first Western Conference team this season to clinch a playoff berth.
- April 5 – The Lakers clinched their third consecutive and 21st overall Pacific Division title Saturday night with the Phoenix SunsPhoenix SunsThe 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...
' loss at the Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
. - April 9 – The Lakers clinched the top seed in 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....
with a win against the Minnesota TimberwolvesMinnesota TimberwolvesThe Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. - April 14 – The Lakers played their final game of the regular season in a road game against the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. - April 18 – The Lakers played the Oklahoma City ThunderOklahoma City ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
in their first game of the 2010 NBA Playoffs2010 NBA PlayoffsThe 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
. - June 17 - The Lakers beat the 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...
in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals2010 NBA FinalsThe 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2009–10 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics, champions of the Eastern Conference...
to win their 16th NBA title.
Injuries
The Lakers came into training camp with no serious injuries. All players were expected to be healthy enough to play in the season opener. After having surgery on his knee last season, Andrew BynumAndrew 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 told that he has ligamentous laxity
Ligamentous Laxity
Ligamentous laxity is a term given to describe "loose ligaments."In a 'normal' body, ligaments are naturally tight in such a way that the joints are restricted to 'normal' ranges of motion. This creates normal joint stability...
, which required him to wear a knee brace for the entire season.
During training camp, D. J. Mbenga was not able to participate fully in practice due to a "malalignment of his hips/hip flexors". The imbalance was causing him pain in his abdominal, groin and hip flexor areas. He made a full recovery and played on opening night. 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...
injured his hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
during a preseason game and missed the first 12 games of the season. In December, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
revealed that he suffered a shoulder injury during the Lakers' opening exhibition game. He kept the injury quiet so it wouldn't seem like he was making excuses, telling neither the media nor his coaches.
Departures
Trevor ArizaTrevor 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:...
chose not to sign when the Los Angeles Lakers offered the Mid-Level Exception (approximately $6 million per year). When the Lakers looked towards other free agents, Ariza agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The 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...
for slightly more money. The Lakers had a team option on Sun Yue to pick up his contract for one year paying him $736,000. But the Lakers decided to release him to keep the roster to 13 players. Sun eventually signed with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Assistant coach Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
left the Lakers to pursue a head-coaching position with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. Rambis was believed to be the potential replacement to Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip 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;...
if he leave in the next season.
Signings
The Lakers had team options to exercise contracts on Josh PowellJosh Powell
Josh Powell is an American professional basketball player.-Early life:While playing at NC State, Powell averaged 12.4 ppg and 5.2 rpg in his sophomore year . He was not selected in the 2003 NBA Draft and played in Europe...
and D. J. Mbenga. The Lakers decided to bring both Powell and Mbenga back, paying them $959,000 each. 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...
also had an option to terminate his contract this offseason, which would pay him approximately $23,000,000 for the season and $24,800,000 for the season after. He chose not to opt out of his contract and will sign a 3 year extension worth between 80 and 85 million dollars.
Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
was the first player from another team to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. On July 2, Artest told CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com was founded in 1994 as SportsLine USA, and today is a CBS-owned website that provides sports scores, news, statistics, live and on-demand video, mobile apps, e-commerce, fantasy sports products, services, and information..Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBSSports.com it is...
that he has agreed to a contract with the Lakers. He decided not to pursue a more lucrative contract from his former team (the Rockets) and signed a 5-year deal worth $33 million on July 8. The Lakers used their Mid-Level Exception to sign Artest. Artest has long wanted to play for the Lakers and was looking forward to playing with 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...
and childhood friend 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:...
. Artest changed his jersey number from 96 to 37 in honor of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's album Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
which was the #1 selling album for 37 weeks. Jackson died 13 days earlier.
Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard and point guard positions. He last played in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr...
agreed to a contract with the Lakers on July 6. Brown turned down a more expensive offer from the Indiana Pacers
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...
and agreed to a 2 year $4.2 million deal. The Lakers used the Bi-annual exception to sign Brown. He has a player option to terminate his contract after the 2009-10 season.
Lamar Odom was the last Lakers free agent to resign with the team. Before the previous season ended, Odom said he was willing to take a paycut from the $11.4 million he made in his final year of his contract (which was actually $14.1 million under the Lakers salary cap because the difference was paid upfront as a "trade-kicker" when he joined the Lakers). Early in July, the Lakers presented two offers to Odom:
- A four-year deal for $9 million a season, worth up to $36 million, but only three years and $27 million was guaranteed, with the Lakers' buyout in the fourth year worth $3 million.
- A three-year, $30-million deal that would have paid Odom $10 million a season.
When Odom and his agent did not respond quickly enough, owner Jerry Buss
Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss Ph.D., M.S. is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California...
pulled both deals off the table. At the same time, 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...
actively pursue Odom. Heat President Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
and Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
met with Odom in Los Angeles in an attempt to get Odom to return to Miami. Afterwards, Odom spoke with Jerry Buss, and Odom's agent and Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak kept an open dialogue. On July 30, Lamar Odom agreed to a four-year deal, reportedly for $33 million, with a team option for the final year. Odom said he did not want to leave 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...
, 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...
, 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...
and the rest of the Lakers, especially 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...
.
On September 28, the Lakers signed four players to non-guaranteed contracts: Tony Gaffney
Tony Gaffney
Anthony Joseph Gaffney Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Massachusetts. During the 2008–2009 season, he received numerous honors from the Atlantic 10 Conference including Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team, and Second...
, David Monds, Mickaël Gelabale
Mickaël Gelabale
Mickaël Gelabale is a French professional basketball player. He currently plays for Spirou Basket in the Belgian BLB...
and Michael Fey. On September 30, the Lakers also signed Thomas Kelati
Thomas Kelati
Thomas Kelati is a US-born Polish professional basketball player of Eritrean heritage who is currently playing for BC Khimki in the Russian Superleague. In 2010 he gained Polish citizenship through his wife and is eligible to play on the Poland national basketball team in international competition...
to a non-guaranteed contract, bring their total player roster to 18 players. By the beginning of the season, they had to reduce their roster to a maximum of 15 players. On October 10, the Lakers cut Mickaël Gelabale, David Monds, and Michael Fey, bringing the roster to 15 players. On October 21, Thomas Kelati was cut from the team. On October 24, the Lakers cut Gaffney.
Trades
The Lakers traded their first round draft pick (#29) to the New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for $3,000,000 and the Knicks 2011 second round draft pick. The Lakers traded their second pick (originally from the Charlotte 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...
for the Kareem Rush
Kareem Rush
Kareem Lamar Rush is an American former professional basketball player who last played at shooting guard with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers...
trade) for cash.
Draft
The Lakers originally had three picks entering the Draft. Their 29th pick was used to pick Toney DouglasToney Douglas
Toney Bernard Douglas is an American professional basketball player who plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...
from Florida State, and chose Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Spartak Saint Petersburg in Russia. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Draft and then traded to the Miami Heat for a future 2011 second round draft pick and an undisclosed amount of cash...
from Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball
The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008...
with their 42nd pick, a pick which they got from a previous trade with Charlotte. The Lakers traded both each for a future second-round draft pick and cash. They kept their final pick and selected Chinemelu Elonu
Chinemelu Elonu
Chinemelu D. Elonu, Jr. is a Nigerian American basketball player. He played college basketball for Texas A&M.-College career:...
. The Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
center earned All-Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
honors last season after averaging 9.8 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds and 53 blocked shots. He set a school record by making 66.5 percent from the field and was named the Big 12's most improved player.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Toney Douglas Toney Douglas Toney Bernard Douglas is an American professional basketball player who plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association... |
Guard | Florida State | |
| 2 | 42 | Patrick Beverley Patrick Beverley Patrick Beverley is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Spartak Saint Petersburg in Russia. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Draft and then traded to the Miami Heat for a future 2011 second round draft pick and an undisclosed amount of cash... |
Guard | Arkansas Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008... |
|
| 2 | 59 | Chinemelu Elonu Chinemelu Elonu Chinemelu D. Elonu, Jr. is a Nigerian American basketball player. He played college basketball for Texas A&M.-College career:... |
Power Forward | / | Texas A&M Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University.... |
Roster
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Reserve | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
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... |
D. J. Mbenga | ||
| 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... |
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... |
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:... |
Josh Powell Josh Powell Josh Powell is an American professional basketball player.-Early life:While playing at NC State, Powell averaged 12.4 ppg and 5.2 rpg in his sophomore year . He was not selected in the 2003 NBA Draft and played in Europe... |
|
| 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... |
Ron Artest Ron Artest Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004... |
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... |
="color:#5c2f83;">Adam Morrison Adam Morrison Adam John Morrison is an American basketball player who is currently free agent after being released from KK Crvena zvezda.... |
|
| 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... |
Shannon Brown Shannon Brown Shannon Brown is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard and point guard positions. He last played in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr... |
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... |
|
| 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... |
Season summary
The Los Angeles Lakers opened the season at home against their intra-city rival the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. Before the game, the remaining Lakers on the team from last year received their 2009 NBA championship rings. 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...
missed the first 11 games due to his hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury, so Lamar Odom moved to power forward
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...
and was placed in the starting lineup. The season opened with the starting lineup being:
- PG – Derek FisherDerek FisherDerek 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...
- SG – 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...
- SF – Ron ArtestRon ArtestMetta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
- PF – Lamar OdomLamar OdomLamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
- C – Andrew BynumAndrew BynumAndrew 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...
The Lakers started off 7–1, then lost two in a row. 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...
was another player who was injured, suffering a pinched in his back on November 16. He was out for approximately six weeks. However, Gasol came back soon after and the Lakers returned to their normal lineup (with Odom coming off the bench):
- PG – Derek Fisher
- SG – Kobe Bryant
- SF – Ron Artest
- PF – Pau Gasol
- C – Andrew Bynum
Through the first 14 games of the season, the Lakers ranked second in the league in defensive field-goal shooting (41.7%). They also had to deal with poor play by reserve players. After Gasol's return, the Lakers went 10–0, which included a game on December 4 when Bryant made a three-pointer as time expired to lift the Lakers past 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...
108–107. Their 11-game winning streak ended on December 12 against 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...
. On December 11, Bryant suffered a fracture in his right index finger in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, but it didn't force him to miss any games. On December 16, Bryant made another game-winning shot, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in overtime. The Lakers went on a five-game winning streak heading into their Christmas Day game at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. They lost the game for their third home defeat of the season. Later that night, Ron Artest suffered a concussion from tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs. He missed five games to recover. The Lakers struggled with his absence, giving up 100 or more points in four consecutive games. On January 1, Bryant made a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The 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...
. It was the third time that season that Bryant made a buzzer-beater to win a game. On January 3, Gasol mildly strained his left hamstring in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The 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...
and had to leave the game. Artest returned to play the next game versus the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The 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...
, and Odom almost recorded a triple double with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 9 assists. After Christmas, the Lakers struggled, going 6–5. Since then, both Walton (28 games) and Gasol (six games) returned from injuries and the Lakers played with a full roster for the first time that season against the Clippers on January 15.
On January 21, the Lakers began the second half of the season by playing eight consecutive road games in 12 days. Beginning with a rematch of the Christmas Day game against the Cavaliers and concluding on February 1 against the 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...
, the defending champions also visited the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
to meet President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies, Bryant surpassed Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
to become the Lakers' all-time leading scorer. The Lakers finished the road trip 5–3. In February, Gasol was named winner of two of the three most prestigious annual awards given to European players, based on performances during the 2009 calendar year for both national and club teams. On December 27, Gasol was announced by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
magazine Superbasket
Superbasket Magazine
Superbasket Magazine is an Italian weekly magazine dedicated to coverage of European and world basketball. It was first published in the year 1978, being one of the oldest basketball publications in Europe...
as the winner of its Mr. Europa
Mr. Europa
The Mister Europa European Player of the Year Award is an annual basketball award created in 1976 and given today by the panel of journalists of the Italian weekly magazine Superbasket. Its purpose is to praise the best European basketball player, regardless of where he plays in the world,...
award and on December 28, Gasol was announced by the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. It was first published on April 3, 1896, allowing it to cover the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens...
as the winner of its Euroscar Award
Euroscar Award
The Euroscar European Player of the Year Award known as European basketball's Oscar award, is an annual basketball award that started in 1979. The award names each year's best European basketball player, regardless of where he plays in the world, including NBA players. The award is judged on the...
. On February 6 against the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, an injured Bryant sat out for a game for the first time since 2007. Odom matched a career high with 22 rebounds in the Lakers' win, the first time they had won in Portland since 2005. Gasol produced 21 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and five blocks in a win on February 8 against the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, joining five other players to accomplish the feat. The Lakers headed to the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak. All three victories came without Bryant and the final two were without Bynum.
Bryant was voted as a starter for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game
2010 NBA All-Star Game
The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game between players selected from the National Basketball Association 's Western Conference and the Eastern Conference that was played on February 14, 2010 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. This game was the 59th edition...
, but sat out due to injury. Gasol was selected as a reserve for the West and logged 13 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. Brown entered the dunk contest but was defeated in the second round.
Bryant returned from injury on February 23 against the 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...
. The Lakers went 4-1 without him. Bryant made a three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to lift the Lakers to a 99-98 victory. However, the Lakers went 4-4 in the eight games after Bryant's return. Since the All-Star break, the Lakers have struggled, recording a 5-5 record including the first three-game losing streak since Gasol joined the team in a trade two years earlier. The team also had to deal with injuries to Sasha Vujacic
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...
and 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...
. The Lakers responded by winning five games in a row, but Bynum suffered an injury and was removed from the active roster. It was revealed that Bynum strained his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
on March 19, and that he was expected to miss almost two weeks (six games) to recover. After their three-game losing streak, the Lakers responded by winning seven games in a row, then lost two of their next seven. They were the eighth best team in the Western Conference between the All-Star break and April 5 by record, but still held the top seed. Bryant chose to miss three of the final four regular-season games to recover from injuries. Bynum returned from injury for the first game of the playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Lakers played the Oklahoma City ThunderOklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
in the first round of the playoffs. Both Bryant and Bynum returned from injury to start in the first game. In game one, the Lakers outscored the Thunder 27-13 in the first quarter. The Thunder attempted to close in on the lead, but the Lakers held on in the 2nd half, matching the Thunder's point total in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Although Bryant led the Lakers in points scored (21), Gasol had the most impressive night statically, collecting 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. The series went to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
for games three and four. The Thunder won both games including a 21 point win in game 4. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association . A 6'9" small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the...
averaged 30.5 points in the two games to lead the Thunder. During the two games, the Thunder used their speed to run on the Lakers which translated into 24 fast-break points and 23 second-chance points in game 4. In game 5 in L.A., Gasol and Bynum combined for 46 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists in a 111-87 win. Game six saw the Lakers returning to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
were they could clinch the series with the win. The Lakers' bench outscored the Thunder's 30-16, however the Thunder claimed a one point lead with 3:04 to play. With time winding down, Gasol caught an offensive rebound off of a missed jump shot by Bryant and scored a layup with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game for the win.
Utah Jazz
The Lakers next opponent was 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...
who advanced to the second round of the playoffs by defeating the Denver 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...
4-2. This was the third straight year the two teams met in the playoffs. The Lakers started off the first quarter shooting 79.8% from the field, and leading by 10 at half time. The Lakers gave up the lead in the 4th quarter before Bryant scored 11 points in the final four minutes to lead the Lakers to a 104-99 victory. Although Bryant had the most successful night in game 2, it was the Lakers front court of Gasol, Bynum, and Odom who dominated the game. Each had at least 11 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks while the team outrebounded the Jazz 58-40 to a 111-103 victory. Andrei Kirilenko
Andrei Kirilenko (basketball)
Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko is a Russian-American professional basketball player who plays at the small forward position for the CSKA Moscow in the Russian Professional Basketball League. He also plays for the Russia national basketball team...
returned in game 3 from more than a month out with a strained left calf. While the Lakers' big men were dominate in the first two games, they had to rely on their backcourt in game 3 with Bynum and Odom being held in check. Jazz 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...
said the Jazz's effort to keep the Lakers out of the middle opened up some 3-point shots and Los Angeles capitalized. Artest scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half while overcoming his three-point range slump in the playoffs. The fourth quarter had 12 lead changes, including Bryant and Fisher making back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-2 run in the final minute. In the final four seconds, 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...
missed a shot and Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles...
rebound and tip missed just before the end of the game. The Lakers won 111-110 and were on the verge of sweeping the Jazz. In game four, the Lakers jumped ahead and led by 22 points in the first half. The Jazz opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run and were able to cut the lead to 70-65, but the Lakers responded by finishing the period on a 10-2 run and led 80-67 at the end of the third quarter. The Lakers led by 10 for most of the 4th quarter. Coach Phil Jackson called it "the first really consistent game we have played...We controlled the game and forced our will on our opponent." Bryant scored at least 30 points in all four games and the Lakers swept the series 4-0.
Phoenix Suns
The Lakers then faced the Phoenix SunsPhoenix 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...
in the Western Conference Finals. In game 1, the Lakers blew out the Suns 128-107 led by Bryant's 40 points including 23 in the third quarter. Odom came off the bench to tally 19 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists. In game 2 Bryant played the role of facilitator, putting up 13 assists, while Gasol recorded 29 points, 9 rebounds, and five assists. The teams were tied at 90-90 heading into the fourth quarter, but Bryant and Gasol led the fourth quarter rally and the Lakers won the game 124-112. Game 3 was played in Phoenix, where the Suns used their big men and physical play to win the game. Amar'e Stoudemire scored 42 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Robin Lopez
Robin Lopez
Robin Byron Lopez is an American professional basketball player. On June 26, 2008 he was drafted by the NBA's Phoenix Suns as the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft...
20 points. Odom and Bynum, however, both picked up fouls early and were ineffective for the Lakers for most of the game. The Lakers only scored 15 points in the second quarter and were down 86-84 in after three quarters. The Lakers were able to take the lead 90-89 with 8:47 to play, but the Suns rallied back to win 118-109. After battling each other in game 4 and slugging out a 23-23 first quarter, the Suns erupted for a 41 points in the second quarter, shooting 74%. Early in the 4th quarter the Lakers led 87-85. However, the Suns reserve players (who outscored the Lakers reserves 54-20) produced and 18-3 run in the 4th which the Lakers never recovered from despite Bryant's 38 points and 10 assists. In game 5, the Lakers surged to a 16 point lead in the first half including a 21-4 run and led by 18 points by half time. Steve Nash, who had 29 points and 11 assists in the game, led the Suns to a 16-4 rally in the third quarter to trim the lead to six by the end of the period and one with 2:52 left in the game. Jason Richardson
Jason Richardson
Jason Anthoney "J-Rich" Richardson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association.A 6'6", 225 lb...
made a three pointer with 3.5 seconds left in the game to tie the score 101-101.On the next possession, Bryant, who had 30 points and 11 assists in the game, missed a shot, but Artest got the offensive rebound and made the game winning layup as time expired. In game 6 in Phoenix, the Lakers had the lead for most of the game. Los Angeles outscored the Suns 23-10 over the last eight minutes of the second quarter to lead 65-53 at the break and were up by 17 entering the fourth. However the Suns went on a 16-4 run and cut the Lakers lead to 95-90 with 6:09 remaining in the game. Artest scored 25 in the game and Bryant had a 37 point performance including nine points in the final two minutes to win the game 111-103 and clinch the series 4-2.
Pre-season
| 2009 Pre-season Game Log: 6–2 (Home: 6–2; Road: 0–0) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Attendance | Record | Recap | ||
| 1 | October 7 (in Anaheim, CA) | 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... |
101–118 | 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... |
13,156 | 1–0 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091007/GSWLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 2 | October 9 (in Inglewood, CA The Forum (Inglewood, California) The Forum is an indoor arena, in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2010, it was owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which occasionally used it for church services, while also leasing the building for sporting events, concerts and other events.Along with Madison... ) |
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... |
110–91 | Los Angeles Lakers | 17,505 | 1–1 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091009/GSWLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 3 | October 15 (in Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center The Thomas & Mack Center is an arena, located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For ring events, the capacity is 19,522, for basketball, the capacity is 18,776.-History:... ) |
Sacramento Kings Sacramento Kings The 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... |
92–98 | Los Angeles Lakers | 14,741 | 2–1 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091015/SACLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 4 | October 17 (in Los Angeles, CA Staples Center Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles... ) |
Charlotte 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... |
87–91 | Los Angeles Lakers | 18,422 | 3–1 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091017/CHALAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 5 | October 18 (in Los Angeles, CA Staples Center Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles... ) |
Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
108–114 | Los Angeles Lakers | 17,932 | 4–1 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091018/LACLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 6 | October 20 (in Ontario, CA) | 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... |
107–113 | Los Angeles Lakers | 10,410 | 5–1 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091020/GSWLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 7 | October 22 (in Anaheim, CA) | Denver 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... |
89–106 | Los Angeles Lakers | 15,206 | 6–1 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091022/DENLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
| 8 | October 23 (in San Diego, CA) | Denver 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... |
119–105 | Los Angeles Lakers | 13,586 | 6–2 | http://www.nba.com/games/20091023/DENLAL/gameinfo.html | |||
Season
|-|
| 77 || 77 || 33.8 || .414 || .355 || .688 || 4.3 || 3.0 || 1.4 || 0.3 || 11.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 7 || 20.7 || .427 || .328 || .818 || 2.2 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 8.1
|-
|
| 73 || 73 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 38.8 || .456 || .329 || .811 || 5.4 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 5.0 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.6 || 0.3 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 27.0
|-
|
| 65 || 65 || 30.4 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .570 || .000 || .739 || 8.3 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 1.4 || 15.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 0 || 18.0 || .435 || .376 || .671 || 1.6 || 1.5 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 7.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 27.2 || .380 || .348 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .856 || 2.1 || 2.5 || 1.1 || 0.1 || 7.5
|-
|
| 65 || 65 || 37.0 || .536 || .000 || .790 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 11.3 || 3.4 || .6 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.7 || 18.3
|-
|
| 49 || 2 || 7.2 || .466 || .000 || .474 || 1.8 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 0.6 || 2.1
|-
|
| 31 || 0 || 7.8 || .376 || .238 || .625 || 1.0 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 2.4
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 82 || 38 || 31.5 || .463 || .319 || .693 || 9.8 || 3.3 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 10.8
|-
|
| 63 || 0 || 9.2 || .366 ||style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .438 || .645 || 1.8 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 2.7
|-
|
| 67 || 1 || 8.6 || .402 || .309 || .848 || 1.2 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 2.8
|-
|
| 29 || 0 || 9.4 || .357 || .412 || .500 || 1.3 || 1.4 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 2.4
|}
Playoffs
|-|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 36.5 || .398 || .291 || .579 || 4.0 || 2.1 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.5 || .5 || 11.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 0 || 14.1 || .393 || .281 || .714 || 1.3 || .9 || .4 || .3 || 4.9
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 40.1 || .458 || .374 || .842 || 6.0 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 5.5 || 1.4 || .7 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 29.2
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 24.4 || .537 || .000 || .679 || 6.9 || .5 || .3 || 1.6 || 8.6
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 0 || 13.1 || .404 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .400 || .692 || 1.2 || 1.4 || .7 || .0 || 4.6
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 32.5 || .448 || .360 || .821 || 2.5 || 2.8 || 1.2 || .0 || 10.3
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 39.7 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .539 || .000 || .759 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 11.1 || 3.5 || .4 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 2.1 || 19.6
|-
|
| 3 || 0 || 4.0 || .333 || .000 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 1.000 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 1.7
|-
|
| 2 || 0 || 6.5 || .444 || .000 || .000 || 2.5 || .5 || .0 || .0 || 4.0
|-
|
| style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| 23 || 0 || 29.0 || .469 || .244 || .600 || 8.6 || 2.0 || .6 || .9 || 9.7
|-
|
| 13 || 0 || 3.1 || .375 || .000 || .750 || .5 || .1 || .0 || .0 || .7
|-
|
| 10 || 0 || 7.6 || .435 || style="background:#ffcd35;color:#6137ad;"| .400 || .833 || .8 || .5 || .2 || .0 || 3.1
|-
|
| 16 || 0 || 6.0 || .304 || .222 || .500 || .5 || .9 || .1 || .1 || 1.1
|}
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 to the All-NBA 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... - Pau GasolPau GasolPau 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...
was named to the All-NBA Third 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 First 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... - The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2010 NBA Championship.
- 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 2010 NBA Finals MVP.
All-Star
- 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 voted to his 12th consecutive NBA All-Star Game as a starter. - Pau GasolPau GasolPau 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...
was selected to his third NBA All-Star Game.
Weekly/Monthly
- 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 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 from November 16th through November 22nd. - 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 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 from December 14 to December 20. - 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 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 from December 21 to December 27. - 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 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 December. - Pau GasolPau GasolPau 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...
was named 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 from March 15 to March 21.
Records
- On November 6, 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...
moved past Allen IversonAllen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
into 16th place on the NBA's career scoring list. - On November 6, 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 player (31 years, 75 days) in NBA history to score 24,000 points. - On November 19, 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...
passed Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
(24,276) for second place on the Lakers' career scoring list. - On December 1, the Lakers tied the NBA record for most consecutive games (7) scoring at least 100 points and holding their opponent below 100, matching the mark set by the Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in January 2001. - On January 5, 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...
moved past Patrick EwingPatrick EwingPatrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
into 15 place on the NBA's career scoring list. - On January 13, the Lakers became the first franchise in NBA history to win 3,000 games.
- On January 21, 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 player in NBA history to score 25,000 points. - On February 1, 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...
moved past Jerry WestJerry WestJerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
into 14th place on the NBA's career scoring list. He also surpassed West to become the Lakers franchise scoring leader. - On February 23, 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 player at 31 years and 184 days to play 1,000 games. - On February 24, 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...
moved passed Reggie MillerReggie MillerReginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
into 13th place on the NBA's career scoring list. - On March 25, 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...
moved passed Alex EnglishAlex EnglishAlexander English is a retired American basketball player and former assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association who played at the forward position...
into 12th place on the NBA's career scoring list. - On May 2, 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;...
won his 103rd playoff game with the Lakers, passing Pat Riley for the franchise lead. - On May 29, 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...
, with his 10th 30 point performance in his last 11 postseason games, moved ahead of Jerry West and into a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second-most 30-point playoff games at 75. - On May 29, 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...
extended his NBA record to eight straight 30 point closeout games on the road. - On May 29, the Los Angeles Lakers extended their NBA record of most finals appearances to 31.
- On June 7, the Lakers set an NBA Finals record by blocking 14 shots in a game. Andrew BynumAndrew BynumAndrew 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...
had seven blocks and Pau GasolPau GasolPau 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...
had six as they became the first teammates in Finals history to each have five or more blocks in a game. - 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 first player to score 600 points in three consecutive playoff seasons.
Transactions
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... |
Players Added Via Draft
Via Free Agency
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Players Lost Via Trade
Via Free Agency
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External links
- Lakers 2009-10 Season Review at Lakers.com
- 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season at ESPN
- 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season at Sports Illustrated
- 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season at Basketball Reference
- Obama Welcomes Los Angeles Lakers at Whitehouse.govWhitehouse.govWhitehouse.gov is the official website of the White House and is owned by the United States government. Launched in October 1994, it contains general American history information, as well as current news pertaining to the President, press briefings, proclamations, executive orders, and any speeches...
- Lakers Give Back at Whitehouse.govWhitehouse.govWhitehouse.gov is the official website of the White House and is owned by the United States government. Launched in October 1994, it contains general American history information, as well as current news pertaining to the President, press briefings, proclamations, executive orders, and any speeches...