Los Angeles Lakers Team Profile

The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles , California . The Lakers are one of seven teams in the Pacific Los Angles LakersDivision of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Lakers play at the Staples Center in Los Angeles , California and wear uniforms of royal purple and gold. The franchise are notable for having, at the end of the 2004-05 season, the most wins that is 2,621, the highest winning percentage 61.9%, and the most finals appearances 28. The team also has the most championships, fourteen titles, behind the Boston Celtics who have 16. The Lakers were already a power in a professional basketball when they became charter members of the newly formed NBA in 1949. Their ongoing success has made them one of the most celebrated franchises in professional sports. In 1971-72 season the Lakers' 33-game winning streak set a professional sports record for consecutive wins. The Lakers have boasted such superstars as George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James-Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League, and relocated it to Minneapolis .

In 1947 dispersal draft the Lakers had the first pick, and they selected George Mikan, later to become arguably, the greatest center of his time. The Minneapolis Lakers were one of the dominant teams of the fledgling NBA. With Hall Los Angles Lakersof Famers George Mikan, Vern Mikkelse, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin and Clyde Lovellette, they were NBA's first dynasty winning six years 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954.In 1960 the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, the team featured Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich and Wilt Chamberlain, but during this period they were repeatedly foiled by the Boston Celtics, losing the championship to them six times in eight years. Before the 1999-2000 season the Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson to lead the team. In his first year as coach he guided the Lakers to the NBA title, defeating the Indiana Pacers in the championships series in six games. As of 2005-2006 season, Phil Jackson has returned as coach to the Lakers, now the fans has the reasons to be optimistic as the Lakers currently hold possession of the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers Team Roster

NO.	PLAYER	POS.	HT.	WT.	BORN	COLLEGE	'07 SALARY
54	Kwame Brown	FC	6-11	270	03/10/82		$8,287,500
24	Kobe Bryant	SG	6-6	220	08/23/78		$17,718,750
17	Andrew Bynum	C	7-0	275	10/27/87		$2,030,280
43	Brian Cook	PF	6-9	258	12/04/80	Illinois	$1,817,141
0	Javaris Crittenton	G	6-5	198	12/31/87	Georgia Tech
6	Maurice Evans	GF	6-5	220	11/08/78	Texas	$1,620,000
5	Jordan Farmar	G	6-2	180	11/30/86	UCLA	$939,120
2	Derek Fisher	PG	6-1	205	08/09/74	Arkansas-Little Rock	$5,883,600
33	Marc Gasol	C	7-0	280	01/29/85
2	Coby Karl	G	6-5	204	null	Boise State
31	Chris Mihm	FC	7-0	265	07/16/79	Texas	$4,214,241
7	Lamar Odom	F	6-10	230	11/06/79	Rhode Island	$12,348,596
10	Vladimir Radmanovic	PF	6-10	234	11/19/80		$5,215,000
21	Ronny Turiaf	F	6-10	249	01/13/83	Gonzaga	$664,209
44	Larry Turner	C	6-11	240	12/29/82	Tennessee State
18	Sasha Vujacic	G	6-7	195	03/08/84		$973,920
4	Luke Walton	SF	6-8	232	03/28/80	Arizona	$1,375,000
12	Sun Yue	F	6-7	205	11/06/85