The Los Angeles Lakers have been blessed with being one of the most successful teams in NBA History. They have won 17 League championships dating back to their 1948 NBL title. They are second only to the Boston Celtics in winning percentage and championships won. They have fielded some of the best players in the history of the NBA in Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Shaquile O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, James Worthy, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and George Mikan. They have fielded many different title teams littered with hall of famers. There have been so many amazing teams in Lakers' history, that it is extremely hard to narrow it down to just one team as the best ever. However, I believe there is one Laker team that stands above the rest as the greatest of all time.
With so many great teams throughout the Lakers storied history, one could not be mistaken in choosing George Mikan's Lakers as the one that started it all, or Wilt Chamberlain's team with his singular dominance, or Kareem Abdul Jabbar's consistency and team success, or Shaquille O'Neal's dominance and amazing peak or Kobe's back to back championships in the new millennium. However, there is one team assembled in the 80's that could truly be seen as the greatest Lakers team in team history.
The 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers team is the greatest Lakers team of all time. This was the year where the "Showtime Lakers" were in full swing and they featured a team that had Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Bob Mcadoo, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, and Kurt Rambis. Head coach Pat Riley had them playing an entertaining offense and solid competitve defense. They finished the season with a record of 62-20, finished with 20 more wins than that of the Portland Trail Blazers in their division. They also set team records for field-goal percentage at.545 and assists with 2,575.
The Los Angeles Lakers would dominate in the first three rounds against the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, and Denver Nuggets. They would only have two losses en route to a showdown against their bitter rival Boston Celtics. Although they would start the Finals with a lopsided loss to the Celtics, losing 148-114 in what would be famously dubbed as the "Memorial Day Massacre". They wouldn't let that loss stop them from reaching their goal. Los Angeles would go on to win the NBA Finals in six games, behind the dominant play of 37-year-old Kareem Abdul Jabbar. They would clinch the championship in the Boston Garden in what would be one of the greatest triumphs in team history. The Lakers gained their first ever Finals victory over the Celtics, and would be the first to ever clinch the Finals inside the Boston Garden.
The 1984-85 Lakers boasted a fun and exciting team that also laid claim to being the only team that defeated the Boston Celtics on their home floor to get the championship. While a number of other teams could make their case for being the greatest Lakers team of all time, they all fall short of the 1984-85 Lakers.
