10 greatest Lakers teams that didn’t win the NBA championship: No. 9
The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the NBA’s most storied franchise by virtue of their 17 world championships. They’ve been so successful over the decades that even when they haven’t won it all, they have had some impressive squads that were memorable, not to mention talented, star-studded and very competitive.
After three and a half years of purgatory in the mid-2000s, the Lakers reached the NBA Finals three straight seasons starting in 2008, winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 title came against their bitter rivals, the Boston Celtics, and it cemented the legacy of the late great Kobe Bryant.
The following season, Los Angeles went after a second three-peat in recent years after securing one in the early 2000s behind Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. It was the legendary Phil Jackson’s last season as head coach, and Bryant and crew wanted to send him into retirement with yet another ring.
It wasn't quite meant to be
After starting the 2010-11 campaign 8-0, the Lakers started to suffer from a strange malady that had them winning several games in a row, only to subsequently drop two, three or even four contests in a row. They had dealt with this problem of complacency in the past during seasons in which they were the defending champs, and they had usually gotten through those years in one piece. But this time around, something truly seemed off.
After the All-Star break, it seemed like they were figuring things out. L.A. won 17 of its next 18 games, and although it wasn’t playing very well offensively, it was shutting teams down on the other end and winning rather easily. As usual, it looked like it was rounding into shape for the playoffs.
But then — the wheels fell off.
The Lakers went on a mysterious five-game losing streak near the end of the regular season and need some heroics from Bryant in their final game of the schedule to finish second in the Western Conference. They struggled to get past the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, then they faced the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.
Many figured the Lakers would handle Dallas without too much difficulty. After all, the Mavs were a bridesmaid franchise. But in reality, the Lakers were losing steam. Bryant was playing hurt, and Pau Gasol was seriously underperforming.
The team ended up getting swept by the Mavs in a sad series that was punctuated by a dispirited 122-86 defeat in Game 4.
It would turn out to be the last real gasp for the Lakers during the Bryant era.
Season stats
Record: 57-25, second in the Western Conference
Scoring: 101.5 points per game — ninth in the NBA
Offensive rating: 109.6 — seventh in the NBA
Defensive rating: 103.3 — sixth in the NBA
