LA Lakers: Picking the Best Team from Each Decade in Team History

The Los Angeles Lakers have won 11 world championships since moving to Los Angeles in 1960. Since then, the team has made an appearance in the NBA Finals every decade, winning championships in the 70s, 80s, 00s and our present decade.

But which Lakers teams were the best of their respective decades?

In the following slides you will see my selection for the best Lakers teams from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00’s. I have decided to exclude the current decade, seeing as it’s not even two years old.

1990s: 1997-1998

The 1997-98 Los Angeles Lakers won 61 games, eventually losing to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals. The 97-98 season was Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s second full season with the team.  Both players made the Western Conference All-Star Team that season, in addition to Shaq being named to the All-NBA First Team.

You could make an argument the 1990-91 team was better than the 97-98 version, considering they made a run to the NBA Finals, led by an aging Magic Johnson and James Worthy.

But I would take a young Kobe and Shaq over an aging Magic and Worthy, when push comes to shove.

1960s: 1968-1969

After finishing the regular season with 55 victories and defeating the San Francisco Warriors and Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs, the team lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The loss to the Celtics marked the sixth time in the1960s the team came up short in the Finals.

Despite playing on the losing team, Jerry West was named Finals MVP, averaging 30 points, seven assists and three rebounds throughout the course of the postseason.

3. 2000s: 2000-2001

For much of the 2000-2001 season, the Los Angeles Lakers failed to look like the dominating team that won a championship the previous season.

The team lost their 15th game of the season at the end of January. They only lost 15 games the entire 99-00 season.

But when the playoffs arrived, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal showed everyone how dominating the team truly was. The team went 15-1 in the postseason, capped off by winning their second consecutive championship.

The 15-1 playoff record is the best postseason winning percentage in league history.

2. 1980s: 1986-1987

The 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers posted a 65-17 regular record, winning their fourth championship of the decade. Considering the team won five total championships in the 1980s, being selected as the best of the decade truly says something about the 86-87 Lakers.

The team finally seized control in their rivalry with the Boston Celtics, beating them for the second time in three years in the NBA Finals. Magic Johnson took home both the regular season and Finals MVP awards.

The 1986-87 season was the pinnacle of the “Showtime” Lakers dynasty.

1. 1970s: 1971-1972

Not only are the 1971-1972 Lakers the best Lakers team of the 1970s, they are arguably the best team in franchise and league history.

The Lakers captured the franchise’s first championship since moving to Los Angeles winning a still- record 33 games in the process. The team finished with 69 wins that season, which is the second most in league history.

Led by Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, the team beat the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.