The 2019âÂÂ20 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 72nd season, its 71st season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 60th in Los Angeles. The Lakers were coached by Frank Vogel in his first year as team head coach. The team played its home games at Staples Center as members of the Western Conference's Pacific Division.
The team dedicated the season to retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. On March 6, 2020, the Lakers clinched their first playoff berth since the 2012âÂÂ13 season. Five days later, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was suspended. On July 5, the NBA announced a return of the season in the NBA Bubble, with 22 teams playing eight seeding games followed by a full postseason. Play resumed on July 30, with all games being played in Orlando, Florida. On August 3, the Lakers clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2009âÂÂ10 season.
The Lakers finished the shortened season 52âÂÂ19, with a winning percentage roughly equivalent to 60 wins in a full season. They defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets to advance to the NBA Finals. There, they defeated the Miami Heat (LeBron James' former team) in six games to earn the franchise's 17th NBA championship. The Lakers also became the first and only team in NBA history to be undefeated in a season when leading entering the fourth quarter, going a combined 57âÂÂ0 record in the regular season and playoffs.
In the 2018âÂÂ19 season the Lakers amassed a record of 37âÂÂ45. The team finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. The season marked the first time since 2005 that Lakers star LeBron James did not appear in the playoffs and first time since 2010 that he missed the Finals.
On April 9, 2019, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations. Three days after that, coach Luke Walton and the team agreed to part ways. On May 13, the team hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach and Jason Kidd was named an assistant coach.
The Lakers held one first-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Lakers initially held the rights to two second-round picks in the 2019 draft as well, but later traded those picks to the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. On the night of the NBA draft lottery, the Lakers received the fourth overall pick in the draft; the team had been projected to receive the 11th overall pick. The Lakers used the fourth overall draft pick to select De'Andre Hunter; the team later sent the rights to Hunter to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.
On June 15, 2019, the Lakers agreed to acquire six-time NBA All-Star power forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. (The deal did not take full effect until July 6). In exchange for Davis, the Lakers gave up forward Brandon Ingram, guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, and three first-round picks (including De'Andre Hunter, the No. 4 draft overall selection in 2019). On June 27, the Washington Wizards joined the trade, obtaining Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones, and a 2022 second-round pick from the Lakers in exchange for cash considerations.
During the offseason, the Lakers re-signed guard Rajon Rondo, guard Alex Caruso, guard/forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and center JaVale McGee. The Lakers also signed several veteran free agents to complement James and Davis; those veteran free agents included guard/forward Danny Green, guard Avery Bradley, and center Dwight Howard.
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 5 | @ Golden State | | Anthony Davis (22) | JaVale McGee (13) | LeBron James (8) | Chase Center <br /> 18,064 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | October 10 | Brooklyn | | LeBron James (20) | JaVale McGee (10) | Alex Caruso (8) | Mercedes-Benz Arena<br />15,992 | 1âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | October 12 | Brooklyn | | Avery Bradley (14) | Howard, Caldwell-Pope (6) | Alex Caruso (5) | Universiade Sports Center<br />17,396 | 1âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 14 | Golden State | | Zach Norvell Jr. (22) | Dwight Howard (13) | David Stockton (7) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 2âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | October 16 | Golden State | | James, Bradley (18) | Anthony Davis (10) | LeBron James (11) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 3âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | October 18 | @ Golden State | | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (25) | Devontae Cacok (10) | Demetrius Jackson (9) | Chase Center<br />18,064 | 3âÂÂ3
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | October 22 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Danny Green (28) | Anthony Davis (10) | LeBron James (8) | Staples Center<br />19,068 | 0âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | October 25 | Utah | | LeBron James (32) | James, Davis, Howard (7) | LeBron James (10) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 1âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | October 27 | Charlotte | | Anthony Davis (29) | Anthony Davis (14) | LeBron James (12) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 29 | Memphis | | Anthony Davis (40) | Anthony Davis (20) | LeBron James (8) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 3âÂÂ1
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | November 1 | @ Dallas | | LeBron James (39) | LeBron James (12) | LeBron James (16) | American Airlines Center<br />20,358 | 4âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | November 3 | @ San Antonio | | Anthony Davis (25) | Dwight Howard (13) | LeBron James (13) | AT&T Center<br />18,610 | 5âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | November 5 | @ Chicago | | LeBron James (30) | LeBron James (10) | LeBron James (11) | United Center<br />21,193 | 6âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 8 | November 8 | Miami | | Anthony Davis (26) | JaVale McGee (10) | Anthony Davis (7) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 7âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 9 | November 10 | Toronto | | Anthony Davis (27) | LeBron James (13) | LeBron James (15) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 7âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 10 | November 12 | @ Phoenix | | Anthony Davis (24) | Anthony Davis (12) | LeBron James (11) | Talking Stick Resort Arena<br />18,055 | 8âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 11 | November 13 | Golden State | | LeBron James (23) | JaVale McGee (17) | LeBron James (12) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 9âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 | November 15 | Sacramento | | LeBron James (29) | Howard, McGee (7) | LeBron James (11) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 10âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | November 17 | Atlanta | | LeBron James (33) | Dwight Howard (9) | LeBron James (12) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 11âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 14 | November 19 | Oklahoma City | | Anthony Davis (34) | LeBron James (11) | James, Rondo (10) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 12âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | November 22 | @ Oklahoma City | | Anthony Davis (33) | Anthony Davis (11) | LeBron James (14) | Chesapeake Energy Arena<br />18,203 | 13âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 16 | November 23 | @ Memphis | | LeBron James (30) | Dwight Howard (9) | Rajon Rondo (6) | FedExForum<br />17,794 | 14âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | November 25 | @ San Antonio | | LeBron James (33) | Anthony Davis (12) | LeBron James (14) | AT&T Center<br />18,498 | 15âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 18 | November 27 | @ New Orleans | | Anthony Davis (41) | Anthony Davis (9) | LeBron James (11) | Smoothie King Center<br />18,626 | 16âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 19 | November 29 | Washington | | Anthony Davis (26) | Anthony Davis (13) | LeBron James (11) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 17âÂÂ2
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | December 1 | Dallas | | Anthony Davis (27) | Davis, McGee (10) | LeBron James (8) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 17âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 21 | December 3 | @ Denver | | Davis, James (25) | Anthony Davis (10) | LeBron James (9) | Pepsi Center<br />19,658 | 18âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 22 | December 4 | @ Utah | | Anthony Davis (26) | Howard, Rondo (9) | James, Rondo (12) | Vivint Smart Home Arena<br />18,306 | 19âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 23 | December 6 | @ Portland | | Anthony Davis (39) | Dwight Howard (10) | LeBron James (8) | Moda Center<br />19,912 | 20âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 24 | December 8 | Minnesota | | Anthony Davis (50) | Danny Green (8) | LeBron James (13) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 21âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 25 | December 11 | @ Orlando | | LeBron James (25) | Anthony Davis (12) | LeBron James (10) | Amway Center<br />18,846 | 22âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 26 | December 13 | @ Miami | | Anthony Davis (33) | Davis, McGee (10) | LeBron James (12) | American Airlines Arena<br />20,013 | 23âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | December 15 | @ Atlanta | | LeBron James (32) | Davis, James (13) | LeBron James (7) | State Farm Arena<br />16,962 | 24âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 28 | December 17 | @ Indiana | | Howard, James (20) | LeBron James (9) | LeBron James (9) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse<br />17,923 | 24âÂÂ4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 29 | December 19 | @ Milwaukee | | Anthony Davis (36) | LeBron James (12) | LeBron James (11) | Fiserv Forum<br />18,051 | 24âÂÂ5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 30 | December 22 | Denver | | Anthony Davis (32) | Anthony Davis (11) | Rajon Rondo (8) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 24âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 31 | December 25 | L. A. Clippers | | Kyle Kuzma (25) | Howard, James (9) | LeBron James (10) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 24âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | December 28 | @ Portland | | Kyle Kuzma (24) | Anthony Davis (9) | LeBron James (16) | Moda Center<br />19,960 | 25âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 33 | December 29 | Dallas | | Anthony Davis (23) | Anthony Davis (9) | LeBron James (13) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 26âÂÂ7
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 34 | January 1 | Phoenix | | LeBron James (31) | LeBron James (13) | LeBron James (12) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 27âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 35 | January 3 | New Orleans | | Anthony Davis (46) | Anthony Davis (13) | LeBron James (15) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 28âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 36 | January 5 | Detroit | | Anthony Davis (24) | LeBron James (14) | LeBron James (11) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 29âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | January 7 | New York | | LeBron James (31) | Dwight Howard (13) | Rajon Rondo (10) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 30âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 38 | January 10 | @ Dallas | | LeBron James (35) | LeBron James (16) | LeBron James (7) | American Airlines Center<br />20,542 | 31âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 39 | January 11 | @ Oklahoma City | | Kyle Kuzma (36) | Dwight Howard (14) | Rajon Rondo (8) | Chesapeake Energy Arena<br />18,203 | 32âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 40 | January 13 | Cleveland | | LeBron James (31) | Dwight Howard (15) | LeBron James (8) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 33âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 41 | January 15 | Orlando | | Quinn Cook (22) | Dwight Howard (16) | LeBron James (19) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 33âÂÂ8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | January 18 | @ Houston | | LeBron James (31) | Dwight Howard (10) | LeBron James (12) | Toyota Center<br />18,502 | 34âÂÂ8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 43 | January 20 | @ Boston | | JaVale McGee (18) | Dwight Howard (10) | LeBron James (13) | TD Garden<br />19,156 | 34âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 44 | January 22 | @ New York | | Anthony Davis (28) | Dwight Howard (12) | Davis, James (5) | Madison Square Garden<br />19,812 | 35âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 45 | January 23 | @ Brooklyn | | LeBron James (27) | Howard, James (12) | James, Rondo (10) | Barclays Center<br />17,732 | 36âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 46 | January 25 | @ Philadelphia | | Anthony Davis (31) | Davis, James (7) | LeBron James (8) | Wells Fargo Center<br />21,109 | 36âÂÂ10 |- style="background:#bbb;" | â | January 28 | LA Clippers | colspan="6" | Postponed due to the 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant. Makeup date July 30 (originally April 9). |- style="background:#fcc;" | 47 | January 31 | Portland | | Anthony Davis (37) | Davis, Kuzma (15) | LeBron James (10) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 36âÂÂ11
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 48 | February 1 | @ Sacramento | | Anthony Davis (21) | LeBron James (10) | LeBron James (11) | Golden 1 Center<br />17,583 | 37âÂÂ11 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 49 | February 4 | San Antonio | | LeBron James (36) | Kyle Kuzma (12) | LeBron James (9) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 38âÂÂ11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 50 | February 6 | Houston | | Anthony Davis (32) | Anthony Davis (13) | LeBron James (15) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 38âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 51 | February 8 | @ Golden State | | Anthony Davis (27) | Anthony Davis (10) | LeBron James (11) | Chase Center<br />18,064 | 39âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 52 | February 10 | Phoenix | | Anthony Davis (25) | Dwight Howard (15) | LeBron James (9) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 40âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 53 | February 12 | @ Denver | | Anthony Davis (33) | LeBron James (12) | LeBron James (14) | Pepsi Center<br />19,860 | 41âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 54 | February 21 | Memphis | | LeBron James (32) | Anthony Davis (13) | LeBron James (7) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 42âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 55 | February 23 | Boston | | Anthony Davis (32) | Anthony Davis (13) | LeBron James (9) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 43âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 56 | February 25 | New Orleans | | LeBron James (40) | Anthony Davis (14) | Alex Caruso (8) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 44âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 57 | February 27 | @ Golden State | | Anthony Davis (23) | Dwight Howard (9) | Rajon Rondo (6) | Chase Center<br />18,064 | 45âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 58 | February 29 | @ Memphis | | LeBron James (19) | Anthony Davis (9) | LeBron James (10) | FedExForum<br />17,794 | 45âÂÂ13
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 59 | March 1 | @ New Orleans | | LeBron James (34) | LeBron James (12) | LeBron James (13) | Smoothie King Center<br />18,547 | 46âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 60 | March 3 | Philadelphia | | Anthony Davis (37) | Anthony Davis (13) | LeBron James (14) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 47âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 61 | March 6 | Milwaukee | | LeBron James (37) | JaVale McGee (11) | LeBron James (8) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 48âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 62 | March 8 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Anthony Davis (30) | Kyle Kuzma (10) | LeBron James (9) | Staples Center<br />19,068 | 49âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 63 | March 10 | Brooklyn | | LeBron James (29) | LeBron James (12) | LeBron James (9) | Staples Center<br />18,997 | 49âÂÂ14
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 64 | July 30 | L. A. Clippers | | Anthony Davis (34) | LeBron James (11) | LeBron James (7) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 50âÂÂ14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 65 | August 1 | @ Toronto | | LeBron James (20) | LeBron James (10) | LeBron James (5) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 50âÂÂ15 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 66 | August 3 | @ Utah | | Anthony Davis (42) | Anthony Davis (12) | LeBron James (9) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 51âÂÂ15 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 67 | August 5 | Oklahoma City | | LeBron James (19) | LeBron James (11) | Anthony Davis (5) | HP Field House<br />No In-Person Attendance | 51âÂÂ16 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 68 | August 6 | @ Houston | | Kyle Kuzma (21) | Dwight Howard (15) | Quinn Cook (4) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 51âÂÂ17 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 69 | August 8 | @ Indiana | | LeBron James (31) | Dwight Howard (12) | LeBron James (7) | HP Field House<br />No In-Person Attendance | 51âÂÂ18 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 70 | August 10 | Denver | | LeBron James (29) | Markieff Morris (7) | LeBron James (12) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 52âÂÂ18 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 71 | August 13 | Sacramento | | Dion Waiters (19) | JaVale McGee (9) | Dudley, Waiters (5) | HP Field House<br />No In-Person Attendance | 52âÂÂ19
|- style="background:#;" | 64 | March 12 | Houston | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 65 | March 15 | Denver | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 66 | March 16 | @ Utah | | | | | Vivint Smart Home Arena | |- style="background:#;" | 67 | March 18 | Utah | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 68 | March 21 | @ Charlotte | | | | | Spectrum Center | |- style="background:#;" | 69 | March 22 | @ Detroit | | | | | Little Caesars Arena | |- style="background:#;" | 70 | March 24 | @ Toronto | | | | | Scotiabank Arena | |- style="background:#;" | 71 | March 26 | @ Cleveland | | | | | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | |- style="background:#;" | 72 | March 28 | @ Washington | | | | | Capital One Arena | |- style="background:#;" | 73 | March 30 | @ Minnesota | | | | | Target Center | |- style="background:#;" | 74 | April 1 | Indiana | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 75 | April 4 | @ Sacramento | | | | | Golden 1 Center | |- style="background:#;" | 76 | April 5 | Oklahoma City | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 77 | April 7 | Golden State | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 78 | April 8 | Chicago | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 79 | April 9 | LA Clippers | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 80 | April 12 | Minnesota | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 81 | April 14 | Sacramento | | | | | Staples Center | |- style="background:#;" | 82 | April 15 | @ Phoenix | | | | | Talking Stick Resort Arena |
The Lakers got off to a fast start to the season, amassing a franchise best 17âÂÂ2 record by the end of November. Four months later, they were able to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2012âÂÂ13 season with a 113âÂÂ103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 6, 2020.
Five days after the Lakers clinched their playoff berth, the NBA season was abruptly suspended by league officials after it was reported that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19. Two unidentified players of the Lakers would later test positive for COVID-19 on March 19. When the season resumed, Avery Bradley declined to play because his oldest child had a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses. The Lakers replaced Bradley on the roster with J. R. Smith, who was James' teammate on the NBA championship-winning 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.
On January 26, 2020, tragedy struck the Lakers organization when retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant and seven other passengers. Bryant was 41 at the time of his death, and Gigi was 13. Bryant's death prompted the Lakers to dedicate the rest of their season to his memory.
The previous evening on January 25, LeBron James passed Bryant for third place on the NBA's all-time scoring list during a road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Bryant's hometown. James would eventually surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to stand alone as the NBA's all-time leading scorer three years later on February 7, 2023. The team learned of Bryant's death while flying back to Los Angeles from Philadelphia one day following their loss to the 76ers, leaving everyone on board the flight in absolute shock and their January 28 meeting with the crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers would be postponed the following day. This marked the first time an NBA game was postponed for any reason since nearly seven years earlier when the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing led to the postponement of a Celtics game.
The Lakers did not play a game in the wake of Bryant's death until January 31 when they hosted the Portland Trail Blazers on ESPN. Prior to the commencement of the game, the Lakers conducted a 24-minute long, heavily detailed tribute to Bryant, his daughter and the seven other victims. This tribute began with Usher performing "Amazing Grace" and was capped off by a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner by Boyz II Men before being concluded with a speech from James, who initially had a monologue prepared, but quickly tossed his index card onto the hardwood after saying "Laker Nation man, I would be selling y'all short if I read off this shit, so I'm going to go straight from the heart", as he proceeded to address a sorrowful Staples Center crowd with an emotional, improvised oration, ending his speech with "...so in the words of Kobe Bryant: 'Mamba out', but in the words of us: 'not forgotten', live on brother". Following the eulogy, each member of the Lakers' starting five would be introduced with Bryant's credentials. Portland won 127âÂÂ119, in what turned out to be the second most watched NBA broadcast ever in ESPN's history, averaging 4.41 million viewers. The first ever head-to-head meeting between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming in 2003 was the only one with more viewers.
Beginning with the January 31 game against Portland, the Lakers added a black logo featuring BryantâÂÂs initials to the baseline of their home floor, and a matching commemorative patch to their jerseys. The team also added a number 8 decal to the immediate left of the scorer's table and a number 24 decal to the right of it. The on-court logos remained in place for home games at Staples Center for about six weeks, until the COVID-19 suspension on March 11. The jersey patch continued to be worn for the rest of the season, including through the Orlando bubble with the 2020 NBA playoffs and Finals.
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | August 18 | Portland | | Anthony Davis (28) | LeBron James (17) | LeBron James (16) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 0âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | August 20 | Portland | | Anthony Davis (31) | Anthony Davis (11) | LeBron James (7) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 1âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | August 22 | @ Portland | | LeBron James (38) | LeBron James (12) | Davis, James (8) | AdventHealth Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | August 24 | @ Portland | | LeBron James (30) | Howard, McGee (8) | LeBron James (10) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 3âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | August 29â | Portland | | Anthony Davis (43) | LeBron James (10) | LeBron James (10) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 4âÂÂ1
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | September 4 | Houston | | Anthony Davis (25) | Anthony Davis (14) | LeBron James (7) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 0âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | September 6 | Houston | | Anthony Davis (34) | LeBron James (11) | James, Rondo (9) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 1âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | September 8 | @ Houston | | LeBron James (36) | Anthony Davis (15) | Rajon Rondo (9) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | September 10 | @ Houston | | Anthony Davis (29) | LeBron James (15) | LeBron James (9) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 3âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | September 12 | Houston | | LeBron James (29) | Davis, James (11) | LeBron James (7) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 4âÂÂ1
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | September 18 | Denver | | Anthony Davis (37) | Anthony Davis (10) | LeBron James (12) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | September 20 | Denver | | Anthony Davis (31) | LeBron James (11) | Rajon Rondo (9) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 2âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | September 22 | @ Denver | | LeBron James (30) | LeBron James (10) | LeBron James (11) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | September 24 | @ Denver | | Anthony Davis (34) | Dwight Howard (11) | LeBron James (8) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 3âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | September 26 | Denver | | LeBron James (38) | LeBron James (16) | LeBron James (10) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 4âÂÂ1
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | September 30 | Miami | | Anthony Davis (34) | LeBron James (13) | LeBron James (9) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | October 2 | Miami | | LeBron James (33) | Anthony Davis (14) | Rajon Rondo (10) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 2âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | October 4 | @ Miami | | LeBron James (25) | LeBron James (10) | LeBron James (8) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 6 | @ Miami | | LeBron James (28) | LeBron James (12) | LeBron James (8) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 3âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | October 9 | Miami | | LeBron James (40) | LeBron James (13) | LeBron James (7) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 3âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | October 11 | @ Miami | | LeBron James (28) | Anthony Davis (15) | LeBron James (10) | The Arena<br />No In-Person Attendance | 4âÂÂ2
<br />â Originally scheduled for August 26. Game 5 was rescheduled due to a boycott from NBA players after a police officer shot Jacob Blake.
In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the eight-seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and won the series in five games. In the Western Conference Semifinals, they faced the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets, again winning in five games. The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010, where they defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. In the Finals, the Lakers competed against the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat; this was the first time that the two teams had met in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won the series in six games, winning the championship for the first time since the 2010 season. They became the first team since the 2007âÂÂ08 Boston Celtics to miss the playoffs one season and win a championship the following season. The Lakers also tied the Celtics for the highest-ever number of NBA championship wins with 17. The Lakers' LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first player in league history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises (twice with the Heat, once with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and once with the Lakers). James and Danny Green became the third and fourth players, respectively, to win NBA championships with three different teams. Lakers president Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | 69 || 26 || 25.5 || .467 || .385 || .775 || 2.1 || 1.6 || .8 || .2 || 9.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 69 || 2 || 18.9 || .729 || .600 || .514 || 7.3 || .7 || .4 || 1.1 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 68 || 68 || 24.8 || .416 || .367 || .688 || 3.3 || 1.3 || 1.3 || .5 || 8.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 68 || 68 || 16.6 || .637 || .500 || .646 || 5.7 || .5 || .5 || 1.4 || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 67 || 67 || 34.6 || .493 || .348 || .693 || 7.8 || 10.2 || 1.2 || .5 || 25.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 64 || 2 || 18.4 || .412 || .333 || .734 || 1.9 || 1.9 || 1.1 || .3 || 5.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 62 || 62 || 34.4 || .503 || .330 || .846 || 9.3 || 3.2 || 1.5 || 2.3 || 26.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 61 || 9 || 25.0 || .436 || .316 || .735 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .5 || .4 || 12.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 49 || 44 || 24.2 || .444 || .364 || .833 || 2.3 || 1.3 || .9 || .1 || 8.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 48 || 3 || 20.5 || .418 || .328 || .659 || 3.0 || 5.0 || .8 || .0 || 7.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 45 || 1 || 8.1 || .400 || .429 || 1.000 || 1.2 || .6 || .3 || .1 || 1.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 44 || 1 || 11.5 || .425 || .365 || .786 || 1.2 || 1.1 || .3 || .0 || 5.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>â </sup> | 41 || 0 || 11.1 || .392 || .357 || .625 || 1.1 || .3 || .2 || .1 || 4.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>â </sup> | 14 || 1 || 14.2 || .406 || .333 || .833 || 3.2 || .6 || .4 || .4 || 5.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>â </sup> | 7 || 0 || 23.6 || .425 || .233 || .875 || 1.9 || 2.4 || .6 || .6 || 11.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 6 || 1 || 13.5 || .467 || .308 || .500 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 1.3 || .2 || 5.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 6 || 0 || 13.2 || .318 || .091 || 1.000 || .8 || .5 || .2 || .0 || 2.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 5 || 0 || 4.0 || 1.000 || || .500 || .6 || .4 || .0 || .0 || 1.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|<sup>â </sup> | 2 || 0 || 2.5 || .000 || || || .5 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 1 || 0 || 9.0 || .500 || || || 5.0 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || 6.0
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 21 || 36.6 || .571 || .383 || .832 || 9.7 || 3.5 || 1.2 || 1.4 || 27.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 21 || 36.3 || .560 || .370 || .720 || 10.8 || 8.8 || 1.2 || .9 || 27.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 21 || 29.0 || .418 || .378 || .815 || 2.1 || 1.3 || 1.0 || .2 || 10.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 21 || 25.0 || .347 || .339 || .667 || 3.1 || 1.2 || 1.0 || .8 || 8.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 2 || 18.3 || .449 || .420 || .778 || 3.0 || 1.0 || .3 || .1 || 5.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 1 || 24.3 || .425 || .279 || .800 || 2.3 || 2.8 || 1.1 || .6 || 6.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 21 || 0 || 23.0 || .430 || .313 || .784 || 3.1 || .8 || .3 || .3 || 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 18 || 7 || 15.7 || .684 || .500 || .556 || 4.6 || .5 || .4 || .4 || 5.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 16 || 0 || 24.7 || .455 || .400 || .684 || 4.3 || 6.6 || 1.4 || .1 || 8.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 14 || 11 || 9.6 || .625 || .000 || .500 || 3.1 || .5 || .1 || .7 || 2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 0 || 7.5 || .269 || .273 || || .3 || .3 || .2 || .0 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 9 || 0 || 3.4 || .000 || .000 || || .2 || .0 || .4 || .1 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 6 || 0 || 4.0 || .500 || .500 || 1.000 || .2 || .8 || .0 || .0 || 2.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 5 || 0 || 7.6 || .333 || .000 || 1.000 || .4 || .4 || .2 || .2 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | 2 || 0 || 8.5 || .500 || .400 || || 2.5 || .0 || 1.0 || .0 || 7.0