2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season explained

Team:	Los Angeles Lakers
Divisionwin:	yes
Conferencewin:	yes
Championshipwin:	yes
End Year:	2020
Wins:	52
Losses:	19
Division:	Pacific
Division Place:	1
Conf Place:	1
Coach:	Frank Vogel
Gm:	Rob Pelinka
President:	Jeanie Buss
Owners:	Jerry Buss family trust (primary owner being Jeanie Buss since March 27, 2017)
Arena:	Staples Center
Playoffs:	NBA Champions (Defeated Heat 4–2)
Bbr Team:	LAL
Television:	Spectrum SportsNet
Radio:	ESPN LA 710 (English) 1020 Radio AM (Spanish)

The 2019–20 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 2012–13 season. Five days later, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was suspended.^[1] 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.^[2] Play resumed on July 30, with all games being played in Orlando, Florida.^[3] On August 3, the Lakers clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2009–10 season.^[4]

The Lakers finished the shortened season 52–19, 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 57–0 record in the regular season and playoffs.

Previous season

In the 2018–19 season the Lakers amassed a record of 37–45. 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.

Offseason

Front office and coaching changes

On April 9, 2019, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations.^[5] Three days after that, coach Luke Walton and the team agreed to part ways.^[6] On May 13, the team hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach^[7] and Jason Kidd was named an assistant coach.^[8]

Draft

See main article: 2019 NBA draft.

The Lakers held one first-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.^{[9] [10]} 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.^{[11] [12]} 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.^[13] 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.^[14]

Trades

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).^{[15] [14]} 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).^[14] 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.^[16]

Free agents

During the offseason, the Lakers re-signed guard Rajon Rondo,^[17] guard Alex Caruso,^[18] guard/forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope,^[19] 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,^[20] guard Avery Bradley,^[21] and center Dwight Howard.^[22]

Preseason

Game log

|- style="background:#cfc;"| 1| October 5| @ Golden State| | Anthony Davis (22)| JaVale McGee (13)| LeBron James (8)| Chase Center
18,064| 1–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 2| October 10| Brooklyn| | LeBron James (20)| JaVale McGee (10)| Alex Caruso (8)| Mercedes-Benz Arena
15,992| 1–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 3| October 12| Brooklyn| | Avery Bradley (14)| Howard, Caldwell-Pope (6)| Alex Caruso (5)| Universiade Sports Center
17,396| 1–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| October 14| Golden State| | Zach Norvell Jr. (22)| Dwight Howard (13)| David Stockton (7)| Staples Center
18,997| 2–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 5| October 16| Golden State| | James, Bradley (18)| Anthony Davis (10)| LeBron James (11)| Staples Center
18,997| 3–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 6| October 18| @ Golden State| | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (25)| Devontae Cacok (10)| Demetrius Jackson (9)| Chase Center
18,064| 3–3^[23]

Regular season

Standings

Conference

Game log

|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| October 22| @ L. A. Clippers| | Danny Green (28)| Anthony Davis (10)| LeBron James (8)| Staples Center
19,068| 0–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| October 25| Utah| | LeBron James (32)| James, Davis, Howard (7)| LeBron James (10)| Staples Center
18,997| 1–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 3| October 27| Charlotte| | Anthony Davis (29)| Anthony Davis (14)| LeBron James (12)| Staples Center
18,997| 2–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| October 29| Memphis| | Anthony Davis (40)| Anthony Davis (20)| LeBron James (8)| Staples Center
18,997| 3–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 5| November 1| @ Dallas| | LeBron James (39)| LeBron James (12)| LeBron James (16)| American Airlines Center
20,358| 4–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 6| November 3| @ San Antonio| | Anthony Davis (25)| Dwight Howard (13)| LeBron James (13)| AT&T Center
18,610| 5–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 7| November 5| @ Chicago| | LeBron James (30)| LeBron James (10)| LeBron James (11)| United Center
21,193| 6–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 8| November 8| Miami| | Anthony Davis (26)| JaVale McGee (10)| Anthony Davis (7)| Staples Center
18,997| 7–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 9| November 10| Toronto| | Anthony Davis (27)| LeBron James (13)| LeBron James (15)| Staples Center
18,997| 7–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 10| November 12| @ Phoenix| | Anthony Davis (24)| Anthony Davis (12)| LeBron James (11)| Talking Stick Resort Arena
18,055| 8–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 11| November 13| Golden State| | LeBron James (23)| JaVale McGee (17)| LeBron James (12)| Staples Center
18,997| 9–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 12| November 15| Sacramento| | LeBron James (29)| Howard, McGee (7)| LeBron James (11)| Staples Center
18,997| 10–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 13| November 17| Atlanta| | LeBron James (33)| Dwight Howard (9)| LeBron James (12)| Staples Center
18,997| 11–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 14| November 19| Oklahoma City| | Anthony Davis (34)| LeBron James (11)| James, Rondo (10)| Staples Center
18,997| 12–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 15| November 22| @ Oklahoma City| | Anthony Davis (33)| Anthony Davis (11)| LeBron James (14)| Chesapeake Energy Arena
18,203| 13–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 16| November 23| @ Memphis| | LeBron James (30)| Dwight Howard (9)| Rajon Rondo (6)| FedExForum
17,794| 14–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 17| November 25| @ San Antonio| | LeBron James (33)| Anthony Davis (12)| LeBron James (14)| AT&T Center
18,498| 15–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 18| November 27| @ New Orleans| | Anthony Davis (41)| Anthony Davis (9)| LeBron James (11)| Smoothie King Center
18,626| 16–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 19| November 29| Washington| | Anthony Davis (26)| Anthony Davis (13)| LeBron James (11)| Staples Center
18,997| 17–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 20| December 1| Dallas| | Anthony Davis (27)| Davis, McGee (10)| LeBron James (8)| Staples Center
18,997| 17–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 21| December 3| @ Denver| | Davis, James (25)| Anthony Davis (10)| LeBron James (9)| Pepsi Center
19,658| 18–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 22| December 4| @ Utah| | Anthony Davis (26)| Howard, Rondo (9)| James, Rondo (12)| Vivint Smart Home Arena
18,306| 19–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 23| December 6| @ Portland| | Anthony Davis (39)| Dwight Howard (10)| LeBron James (8)| Moda Center
19,912| 20–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 24| December 8| Minnesota| | Anthony Davis (50)| Danny Green (8)| LeBron James (13)| Staples Center
18,997| 21–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 25| December 11| @ Orlando| | LeBron James (25)| Anthony Davis (12)| LeBron James (10)| Amway Center
18,846| 22–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 26| December 13| @ Miami| | Anthony Davis (33)| Davis, McGee (10)| LeBron James (12)| American Airlines Arena
20,013| 23–3|- style="background:#cfc;"| 27| December 15| @ Atlanta| | LeBron James (32)| Davis, James (13)| LeBron James (7)| State Farm Arena
16,962| 24–3|- style="background:#fcc;"| 28| December 17| @ Indiana| | Howard, James (20)| LeBron James (9)| LeBron James (9)| Bankers Life Fieldhouse
17,923| 24–4|- style="background:#fcc;"| 29| December 19| @ Milwaukee| | Anthony Davis (36)| LeBron James (12)| LeBron James (11)| Fiserv Forum
18,051| 24–5|- style="background:#fcc;"| 30| December 22| Denver| | Anthony Davis (32)| Anthony Davis (11)| Rajon Rondo (8)| Staples Center
18,997| 24–6|- style="background:#fcc;"| 31| December 25| L. A. Clippers| | Kyle Kuzma (25)| Howard, James (9)| LeBron James (10)| Staples Center
18,997| 24–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 32| December 28| @ Portland| | Kyle Kuzma (24)| Anthony Davis (9)| LeBron James (16)| Moda Center
19,960| 25–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 33| December 29| Dallas| | Anthony Davis (23)| Anthony Davis (9)| LeBron James (13)| Staples Center
18,997| 26–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 34| January 1| Phoenix| | LeBron James (31)| LeBron James (13)| LeBron James (12)| Staples Center
18,997| 27–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 35| January 3| New Orleans| | Anthony Davis (46)| Anthony Davis (13)| LeBron James (15)| Staples Center
18,997| 28–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 36| January 5| Detroit| | Anthony Davis (24)| LeBron James (14)| LeBron James (11)| Staples Center
18,997| 29–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 37| January 7| New York| | LeBron James (31)| Dwight Howard (13)| Rajon Rondo (10)| Staples Center
18,997| 30–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 38| January 10| @ Dallas| | LeBron James (35)| LeBron James (16)| LeBron James (7)| American Airlines Center
20,542| 31–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 39| January 11| @ Oklahoma City| | Kyle Kuzma (36)| Dwight Howard (14)| Rajon Rondo (8)| Chesapeake Energy Arena
18,203| 32–7|- style="background:#cfc;"| 40| January 13| Cleveland| | LeBron James (31)| Dwight Howard (15)| LeBron James (8)| Staples Center
18,997| 33–7|- style="background:#fcc;"| 41| January 15| Orlando| | Quinn Cook (22)| Dwight Howard (16)| LeBron James (19)| Staples Center
18,997| 33–8|- style="background:#cfc;"| 42| January 18| @ Houston| | LeBron James (31)| Dwight Howard (10)| LeBron James (12)| Toyota Center
18,502| 34–8|- style="background:#fcc;"| 43| January 20| @ Boston| | JaVale McGee (18)| Dwight Howard (10)| LeBron James (13)| TD Garden
19,156| 34–9|- style="background:#cfc;"| 44| January 22| @ New York| | Anthony Davis (28)| Dwight Howard (12)| Davis, James (5)| Madison Square Garden
19,812| 35–9|- style="background:#cfc;"| 45| January 23| @ Brooklyn| | LeBron James (27)| Howard, James (12)| James, Rondo (10)| Barclays Center
17,732| 36–9|- style="background:#fcc;"| 46| January 25| @ Philadelphia| | Anthony Davis (31)| Davis, James (7)| LeBron James (8)| Wells Fargo Center
21,109| 36–10|- style="background:#bbb;"| —| 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).^{[24] [25]} |- style="background:#fcc;"| 47| January 31| Portland| | Anthony Davis (37)| Davis, Kuzma (15)| LeBron James (10)| Staples Center
18,997| 36–11|- style="background:#cfc;"| 48| February 1| @ Sacramento| | Anthony Davis (21)| LeBron James (10)| LeBron James (11)| Golden 1 Center
17,583| 37–11|- style="background:#cfc;"| 49| February 4| San Antonio| | LeBron James (36)| Kyle Kuzma (12)| LeBron James (9)| Staples Center
18,997| 38–11|- style="background:#fcc;"| 50| February 6| Houston| | Anthony Davis (32)| Anthony Davis (13)| LeBron James (15)| Staples Center
18,997| 38–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 51| February 8| @ Golden State| | Anthony Davis (27)| Anthony Davis (10)| LeBron James (11)| Chase Center
18,064| 39–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 52| February 10| Phoenix| | Anthony Davis (25)| Dwight Howard (15)| LeBron James (9)| Staples Center
18,997| 40–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 53| February 12| @ Denver| | Anthony Davis (33)| LeBron James (12)| LeBron James (14)| Pepsi Center
19,860| 41–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 54| February 21| Memphis| | LeBron James (32)| Anthony Davis (13)| LeBron James (7)| Staples Center
18,997| 42–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 55| February 23| Boston| | Anthony Davis (32)| Anthony Davis (13)| LeBron James (9)| Staples Center
18,997| 43–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 56| February 25| New Orleans| | LeBron James (40)| Anthony Davis (14)| Alex Caruso (8)| Staples Center
18,997| 44–12|- style="background:#cfc;"| 57| February 27| @ Golden State| | Anthony Davis (23)| Dwight Howard (9)| Rajon Rondo (6)| Chase Center
18,064| 45–12|- style="background:#fcc;"| 58| February 29| @ Memphis| | LeBron James (19)| Anthony Davis (9)| LeBron James (10)| FedExForum
17,794| 45–13|- style="background:#cfc;"| 59| March 1| @ New Orleans| | LeBron James (34)| LeBron James (12)| LeBron James (13)| Smoothie King Center
18,547| 46–13|- style="background:#cfc;"| 60| March 3| Philadelphia| | Anthony Davis (37)| Anthony Davis (13)| LeBron James (14)| Staples Center
18,997| 47–13|- style="background:#cfc;"| 61| March 6| Milwaukee| | LeBron James (37)| JaVale McGee (11)| LeBron James (8)| Staples Center
18,997| 48–13|- style="background:#cfc;"| 62| March 8| @ L. A. Clippers| | Anthony Davis (30)| Kyle Kuzma (10)| LeBron James (9)| Staples Center
19,068| 49–13|- style="background:#fcc;"| 63| March 10| Brooklyn| | LeBron James (29)| LeBron James (12)| LeBron James (9)| Staples Center
18,997| 49–14|- style="background:#cfc;"| 64| July 30| L. A. Clippers| | Anthony Davis (34)| LeBron James (11)| LeBron James (7)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 50–14|- style="background:#fcc;"| 65| August 1| @ Toronto| | LeBron James (20)| LeBron James (10)| LeBron James (5)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 50–15|- style="background:#cfc;"| 66| August 3| @ Utah| | Anthony Davis (42)| Anthony Davis (12)| LeBron James (9)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 51–15|- style="background:#fcc;"| 67| August 5| Oklahoma City| | LeBron James (19)| LeBron James (11)| Anthony Davis (5)| HP Field House
No In-Person Attendance| 51–16|- style="background:#fcc;"| 68| August 6| @ Houston| | Kyle Kuzma (21)| Dwight Howard (15)| Quinn Cook (4)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 51–17|- style="background:#fcc;"| 69| August 8| @ Indiana| | LeBron James (31)| Dwight Howard (12)| LeBron James (7)| HP Field House
No In-Person Attendance| 51–18|- style="background:#cfc;"| 70| August 10| Denver| | LeBron James (29)| Markieff Morris (7)| LeBron James (12)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 52–18|- style="background:#fcc;"| 71| August 13| Sacramento| | Dion Waiters (19)| JaVale McGee (9)| Dudley, Waiters (5)| HP Field House
No In-Person Attendance| 52–19|- 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|

Season notes

The Lakers got off to a fast start to the season, amassing a franchise best 17–2 record by the end of November.^[26] Four months later, they were able to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season with a 113–103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 6, 2020.^[27]

Five days after the Lakers clinched their playoff berth, the NBA season was abruptly suspended by league officials ^[28] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19.^[29] Two unidentified players of the Lakers would later test positive for COVID-19 on March 19.^[30] When the season resumed, Avery Bradley declined to play because his oldest child had a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses.^[31] The Lakers replaced Bradley on the roster with J. R. Smith, who was James' teammate on the NBA championship-winning 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.^[32]

Death of Kobe Bryant

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.^[33] 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.^{[34] [35] [36] [37]}

Playoffs

Game log

|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| August 18| Portland| | Anthony Davis (28)| LeBron James (17)| LeBron James (16)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 0–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| August 20| Portland| | Anthony Davis (31)| Anthony Davis (11)| LeBron James (7)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 1–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 3| August 22| @ Portland| | LeBron James (38)| LeBron James (12)| Davis, James (8)| AdventHealth Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 2–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| August 24| @ Portland| | LeBron James (30)| Howard, McGee (8)| LeBron James (10)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 3–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 5| August 29†| Portland| | Anthony Davis (43)| LeBron James (10)| LeBron James (10)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 4–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| September 4| Houston| | Anthony Davis (25)| Anthony Davis (14)| LeBron James (7)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 0–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| September 6| Houston| | Anthony Davis (34)| LeBron James (11)| James, Rondo (9)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 1–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 3| September 8| @ Houston| | LeBron James (36)| Anthony Davis (15)| Rajon Rondo (9)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 2–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| September 10| @ Houston| | Anthony Davis (29)| LeBron James (15)| LeBron James (9)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 3–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 5| September 12| Houston| | LeBron James (29)| Davis, James (11)| LeBron James (7)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 4–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 1| September 18| Denver| | Anthony Davis (37)| Anthony Davis (10)| LeBron James (12)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 1–0|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| September 20| Denver| | Anthony Davis (31)| LeBron James (11)| Rajon Rondo (9)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 2–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 3| September 22| @ Denver| | LeBron James (30)| LeBron James (10)| LeBron James (11)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 2–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| September 24| @ Denver| | Anthony Davis (34)| Dwight Howard (11)| LeBron James (8)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 3–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 5| September 26| Denver| | LeBron James (38)| LeBron James (16)| LeBron James (10)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 4–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 1| September 30| Miami| | Anthony Davis (34)| LeBron James (13)| LeBron James (9)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 1–0|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| October 2| Miami| | LeBron James (33)| Anthony Davis (14)| Rajon Rondo (10)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 2–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 3| October 4| @ Miami| | LeBron James (25)| LeBron James (10)| LeBron James (8)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 2–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| October 6| @ Miami| | LeBron James (28)| LeBron James (12)| LeBron James (8)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 3–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 5| October 9| Miami| | LeBron James (40)| LeBron James (13)| LeBron James (7)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 3–2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 6| October 11| @ Miami| | LeBron James (28)| Anthony Davis (15)| LeBron James (10)| The Arena
No In-Person Attendance| 4–2
† Originally scheduled for August 26. Game 5 was rescheduled due to a boycott from NBA players after a police officer shot Jacob Blake.^[38]

Playoff notes

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 2007–08 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.^{[39] [40]} 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.^[41] Lakers president Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.^{[42] [43]}

Player statistics

Regular season

|- | 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;"|^†| 41 || 0 || 11.1 || .392 || .357 || .625 || 1.1 || .3 || .2 || .1 || 4.2|- | style="text-align:left;"|^†| 14 || 1 || 14.2 || .406 || .333 || .833 || 3.2 || .6 || .4 || .4 || 5.3|- | style="text-align:left;"|^†| 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;"|^†| 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|}

Playoffs

|- | 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|}

Transactions

See main article: List of 2019–20 NBA season transactions.

Overview

Players Added Trade Anthony Davis Free agency Troy Daniels Jared Dudley Quinn Cook DeMarcus Cousins (never played for the team due to injury) Danny Green Avery Bradley Talen Horton-Tucker Dwight Howard Markieff Morris Dion Waiters J.R. Smith Two-way contract Zach Norvell Jr. Kostas Antetokounmpo Devontae Cacok

Players Lost Trade Lonzo Ball Brandon Ingram Josh Hart Isaac Bonga Jemerrio Jones Moritz Wagner Free agency Mike Muscala Reggie Bullock Tyson Chandler Lance Stephenson Zach Norvell Jr. Waived DeMarcus Cousins Troy Daniels

Trades

Three-team trade		^[44] ^[45]
To Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis (from New Orleans)	To New Orleans Pelicans Lonzo Ball (from LA Lakers) Josh Hart (from LA Lakers) Brandon Ingram (from LA Lakers) Draft rights to De'Andre Hunter (#4) (from LA Lakers) 2021 LAL protected first-round pick (from LA Lakers) Right to swap first-round picks in 2023 (from LA Lakers) 2024 LAL first-round pick (from LA Lakers) Cash considerations (from LA Lakers) Cash considerations (from Washington)
To Washington Wizards Isaac Bonga (from LA Lakers) Jemerrio Jones (from LA Lakers) Moritz Wagner (from LA Lakers) 2022 second-round pick (from LA Lakers)

Free agency

Re-signed

Player	Signed
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope^[46]	2-year contract worth $16.5 million
JaVale McGee	2-year contract worth $8.2 million
Alex Caruso^[47]	2-year contract worth $5.5 million
Rajon Rondo	2-year contract worth $5.1 million

Additions

Player	Signed	Former Team
Zach Norvell Jr.^[48]	Two-way contract	Gonzaga Bulldogs
Troy Daniels^[49]	1-year contract worth $2 million	Phoenix Suns
Jared Dudley	1-year contract worth $2.5 million	Brooklyn Nets
Quinn Cook^[50]	2-year contract worth $6 million	Golden State Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins	1-year contract worth $3.5 million	Golden State Warriors
Danny Green	2-year contract worth $30 million	Toronto Raptors
Avery Bradley	2-year contract worth $9.7 million	Memphis Grizzlies
Talen Horton-Tucker^[51]	2-year contract worth $2.4 million	Iowa State Cyclones
Kostas Antetokounmpo^[52]	Two-way contract	Dallas Mavericks
Dwight Howard^[53]	1-year contract worth $2.6 million	Memphis Grizzlies
Devontae Cacok^[54]	Two-way contract	South Bay Lakers
Markieff Morris^[55]	1-year contract worth $1.7 million	Detroit Pistons
Dion Waiters^[56]	1-year contract worth $503,656	Memphis Grizzlies
J.R. Smith^[57]	Season Restart contract, worth unknown	Cleveland Cavaliers

Subtractions

Player	Reason left	New Team
Mike Muscala^[58]	1-year contract worth $1.6 million	Oklahoma City Thunder
Reggie Bullock^[59]	2-year contract worth $8.2 million	New York Knicks
Tyson Chandler^[60]	1-year contract worth $2.5 million	Houston Rockets
Zach Norvell Jr.^[61]	10-day contract worth $50,752	Golden State Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins	Waived	Houston Rockets
Troy Daniels^[62]	Waived	Denver Nuggets

Notes and References

1. Web site: Aschburner. Steve. Coronavirus pandemic causes NBA to suspend season after player tests positive. 2020-07-15. NBA.com. en.
2. Web site: 2020-06-05. What we know and don't know about the NBA's return to play. 2020-07-15. ESPN.com. en.
3. Web site: Blumenthal. Eli. NBA restart: Everything you need to know about basketball's 2020 return. 2020-07-15. CNET. en.
4. Web site: Lakers Clinch No. 1 Seed in Western Conference Playoffs for 1st Time Since 2010. Rob. Goldberg. Bleacher Report. August 3, 2020.
5. Web site: Magic Johnson steps down as Lakers' president of basketball operations. .
6. Web site: April 12, 2019. Los Angeles Lakers and Luke Walton Mutually Agree to Part Ways. April 13, 2019. NBA.com.
7. Web site: May 13, 2019. Lakers Announce Hiring of Frank Vogel as Head Coach. May 13, 2019. NBA.com.
8. Web site: Frank Vogel reaches deal to be Lakers' new head coach, Jason Kidd joins staff. USA Today.
9. Web site: 2019 NBA Draft Lottery odds: Knicks, Cavaliers, Suns clinch league's worst records, lock up top lottery-draw positions. CBSSports.com. April 11, 2019. May 16, 2019.
10. Web site: Full 2019 NBA Draft Order. tankathon.com. 2019-05-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20190515005010/http://www.tankathon.com/full_draft. May 15, 2019. dead.
11. Web site: Lakers Acquire Isaac Bonga in Trade with Philadelphia. NBA.com. July 6, 2018. May 14, 2019.
12. Web site: Cavaliers Complete Trade with Atlanta . October 14, 2017. NBA.com. May 15, 2019.
13. Web site: Don't Be a Fool: Tanking Is Not Dead. Mitch. Goldich. SI.com. May 15, 2019. May 18, 2019.
14. Web site: Pelicans complete three-team trade with Lakers, Wizards. www.nba.com. July 6, 2019.
15. Web site: Sources: Lakers reach deal for Pelicans' Davis. November 13, 2019.
16. Web site: As Lakers Clear Cap Space, Wizards Receive Wagner, Bonga, Jones in Trade. Forbes. June 27, 2019.
17. Web site: Lakers Re-Sign Rajon Rondo. NBA.com/lakers. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019.
18. Web site: The Longtime Come-up of the Lakers' Alex Caruso. Paolo. Uggetti. September 13, 2019. The Ringer.
19. Web site: Agent: Lakers give Caldwell-Pope a 3-year deal. November 22, 2020. ESPN.com.
20. Danny Green, Lakers agree to two-year deal. Alaa. Abdeldaiem. July 6, 2019. Sports Illustrated.
21. Web site: Lakers Sign Avery Bradley. NBA.com/lakers. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019.
22. Web site: Dwight Howard's deal with Lakers now official. August 26, 2019. ESPN.com.
23. Web site: Lakers Announce 2019–20 Preseason Schedule Presented by Delta Air Lines. NBA.com/Lakers. June 19, 2019. May 30, 2019.
24. Web site: NBA reschedules postponed Lakers, Clippers game for April 9 at Staples Center. February 22, 2020 .
25. Web site: Lakers vs. Clippers game postponed . NBA.com . NBA Media Ventures, LLC . January 27, 2020 . January 27, 2020.
26. Web site: Lakers' streak hits 10 as 17–2 ties franchise best. November 30, 2019. ESPN.com. Youngmisuk . Ohm.
27. Web site: Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Lakers Mar 6, 2020 Game Summary. www.nba.com. January 3, 2024.
28. Web site: March 11, 2020. NBA to suspend season following Wednesday's games. March 12, 2020. NBA.com.
29. Web site: Reynolds. Tim. March 11, 2020. Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert test positive for coronavirus. March 12, 2020. NBA.com.
30. Web site: March 19, 2020. Statement From the Los Angeles Lakers. March 20, 2020. NBA.com.
31. News: Adrian. Wojnarowski. Lakers' Avery Bradley opts out of NBA restart, cites family concerns. July 24, 2020. ESPN.com. October 12, 2020.
32. News: Tania. Ganguli. Broderick. Turner. Lakers sign J.R. Smith to replace Avery Bradley. July 1, 2020. Los Angeles Times. October 12, 2020.
33. News: Kobe Bryant helicopter crash post-mortem released. May 16, 2020. www.bbc.com.
34. News: A sweet Lakers championship in the most bitter of years. October 12, 2020. Los Angeles Times. October 14, 2020.
35. Web site: Allen Kim and Saba Hamedy. Today is Kobe Bryant Day. Here's how people are remembering the Lakers legend. 2020-10-12. CNN. August 24, 2020 .
36. Web site: Jackson. Jon. 2020-10-08. Lakers look to win championship in Kobe uniforms that are sold out—for now. 2020-10-12. Newsweek. en.
37. Web site: Harris. Beth. Beacham. Greg. February 1, 2020. Lakers commemorate Kobe Bryant before losing 127–119 to Blazers. 2020-10-12. Orlando Sentinel.
38. Web site: Three Game 5s set for Wednesday postponed after Bucks' decision to not take floor. ESPN.com. August 27, 2020. August 30, 2020.
39. News: Wimbish. Jasmyn. October 12, 2020. Lakers tie Celtics for NBA record 17th championship after closing out Heat in Game 6 of Finals. CBS Sports. October 12, 2020.
40. News: McMenamin. Dave. October 11, 2020. Los Angeles Lakers lean on defense in dominant Game 6 win vs. Miami Heat, claim first NBA title in a decade. ESPN.com. October 12, 2020.
41. News: October 12, 2020. LeBron James Becomes 4th Player To Win NBA Championship With 3 Different Teams. NPR. October 28, 2020.
42. News: Negley. Cassandra. October 12, 2020. Lakers' Jeanie Buss becomes first female controlling owner to win championship. Yahoo Sports. October 28, 2020.
43. News: Plaschke. Bill. October 11, 2020. Kobe Bryant's spirit is present in Lakers' NBA championship triumph. Los Angeles Times. October 28, 2020.
44. Web site: Lakers Acquire Anthony Davis. NBA.com. July 6, 2019. July 6, 2019.
45. Web site: Wizards acquire Wagner, Jones and Bonga from Lakers. NBA.com. July 6, 2019. July 6, 2019.
46. Web site: Lakers Re-Sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee. NBA.com/lakers. July 6, 2019. July 6, 2019.
47. Web site: Lakers Re-sign Alex Caruso. NBA.com/lakers. July 7, 2019. July 7, 2019.
48. Web site: Lakers Sign Zach Norvell Jr. to Two-Way Contract. NBA.com/lakers. July 1, 2019. July 1, 2019.
49. Web site: Lakers Sign Troy Daniels and Jared Dudley. NBA.com/lakers. July 7, 2019. July 7, 2019.
50. Web site: Lakers Sign Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, and Danny Green. NBA.com/lakers. July 6, 2019. July 6, 2019.
51. Web site: Lakers Sign Talen Horton-Tucker. NBA.com/lakers. July 13, 2019. July 13, 2019.
52. Web site: Lakers Awarded Kostas Antetokounmpo on Waiver Claim. July 22, 2019. NBA.com/lakers. July 22, 2019.
53. Web site: Lakers Sign Dwight Howard. August 26, 2019. NBA.com/lakers. August 27, 2019.
54. Web site: Lakers Sign Devontae Cacok to Two-Way Contract. December 11, 2019. NBA.com/lakers. December 11, 2019.
55. Web site: Lakers Sign Markieff Morris. February 23, 2020. NBA.com/lakers. February 23, 2020.
56. Web site: Lakers Sign Dion Waiters. March 6, 2020. NBA.com/lakers. March 6, 2020.
57. News: Wojnarowski . Adrian . JR Smith signs with Lakers for rest of season . 5 July 2020 . ESPN . Disney Publishing Worldwide . July 1, 2020.
58. Web site: Thunder Signs Mike Muscala. NBA.com/thunder. July 10, 2019. July 10, 2019.
59. Web site: New York Knicks Sign Reggie Bullock and Marcus Morris. NBA.com/knicks. July 16, 2019. July 16, 2019.
60. Web site: Rockets Sign Free Agent Tyson Chandler. NBA.com/rockets. July 19, 2019. July 19, 2019.
61. Web site: Warriors Sign Guards Zach Norvell Jr. and Jeremy Pargo to 10-Day Contracts. NBA.com/warriors. February 8, 2020. February 8, 2020.
62. Web site: Lakers Waive Troy Daniels. NBA.com/lakers. March 1, 2020. March 1, 2020.