If you look at the rafters in Crypto.com Arena, you see a lot of gold. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. But behind those 17 NBA championship banners—soon to be 18 if the 2026 trajectory holds—is a wild, messy, and sometimes heartbreaking timeline. The los angeles lakers record year by year isn’t just a list of wins and losses; it’s a blueprint of how a sports dynasty survives for nearly 80 years.
People think the Lakers have always been great. They haven't. There were years in the mid-2010s where they were basically the punching bag of the Western Conference. We’re talking 17 wins in a season. Seventeen! But then you have the 1971-72 squad that forgot how to lose for 33 straight games. It’s a franchise of extremes.
The Minneapolis Blueprint and the 1950s Dominance
Before they were the Hollywood Lakers, they were the Minneapolis Lakers. They played in the land of 10,000 lakes, which is why the name actually makes sense. From 1948 to 1960, George Mikan—the first real "big man" in basketball—turned the team into a machine.
In their inaugural BAA/NBA season (1948-49), they went 44-16 and took the title. They didn't stop there. By 1954, they had five rings. They were the NBA's first dynasty, but the record shows things cooled off fast. By 1957-58, they bottomed out with a 19-53 record. Moving to LA in 1960 changed the vibe, but it didn't immediately fix the "Celtics problem."
The Heartbreak Decades: 1960s to 1970s
The 1960s were weirdly successful yet devastating. If you check the los angeles lakers record year by year during this era, you’ll see constant 50-win seasons. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor were icons. But they kept running into Bill Russell’s Celtics.
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- 1961-62: 54-26 (Lost Finals)
- 1964-65: 49-31 (Lost Finals)
- 1968-69: 55-27 (Lost Finals)
It wasn't until 1971-72, under coach Bill Sharman, that they finally broke through. That team went 69-13. To this day, that 33-game winning streak remains one of the most absurd statistical anomalies in professional sports history. You don’t just win 33 games in a row by accident.
Showtime and the Statistical Peak of the 1980s
The 1980s was when the Lakers became a global brand. Dr. Jerry Buss bought the team, drafted Magic Johnson, and the "Showtime" era was born. This is the gold standard for any los angeles lakers record year by year analysis.
Between 1979 and 1991, they never won fewer than 53 games. Think about that. For over a decade, they were essentially guaranteed a deep playoff run. In 1986-87, they hit a peak of 65-17. Magic was the conductor, Kareem was the anchor, and Pat Riley was the guy in the expensive suits making sure nobody got complacent. They won five titles in that span, finally exorcising the Celtics demons in '85 and '87.
The Shaq-Kobe Era and the Three-Peat
After a "lean" period in the early 90s (where they actually missed the playoffs in '94 with a 33-49 record), the Lakers swung big. They signed Shaquille O'Neal and traded for a skinny teenager named Kobe Bryant.
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The 1999-2000 season was a masterclass. They went 67-15. Phil Jackson brought the "Triangle Offense" and a lot of sage, and it worked. They won three titles in a row. Their 15-1 playoff run in 2001 is arguably the most dominant post-season performance in history. They didn't just beat teams; they erased them.
The Post-Kobe Slump and the LeBron Resurrection
The most shocking part of the los angeles lakers record year by year data is the 2013-2018 stretch. It was brutal.
- 2013-14: 27-55
- 2014-15: 21-61
- 2015-16: 17-65
- 2016-17: 26-56
That four-year stretch was the worst in franchise history. It felt like the Lakers had lost their "magic." Then LeBron James showed up in 2018. While his first year was a wash due to injuries (37-45), the 2019-20 season brought the 17th championship in the "Bubble" after a 52-19 regular season.
Recent Years and the Luka Era Shift
Since 2020, the record has been a rollercoaster. They struggled with the play-in tournament in 2021 and 2023. However, the biggest shift in the los angeles lakers record year by year narrative happened recently. Following the 2024-25 season where they finished 50-32, the front office made the blockbuster move to acquire Luka Dončić.
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As of early 2026, the Lakers are sitting at 24-15. JJ Redick has managed to balance the veteran presence of LeBron with Luka’s high-usage brilliance. They are currently 1st in the Pacific Division, looking to prove that even in 2026, the Lakers' "all-in" strategy still works.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
Looking at the full history, a few things become clear if you’re tracking the los angeles lakers record year by year:
- Avoid the "Championship or Bust" Fallacy: Even great Laker teams have bad decades. The 60s were great but ringless; the 2010s were just bad.
- The 50-Win Benchmark: Historically, whenever the Lakers hit 50+ wins, they have a 68% chance of reaching the Conference Finals.
- Home Court Matters: The record at home (whether the Forum or Crypto.com) is consistently 10-15% better than on the road, more so than other NBA franchises.
If you want to understand where the Lakers are going, you have to look at the gaps in the banners. The team is currently in a "win-now" window that looks remarkably similar to the 2008-2010 Pau Gasol/Kobe era. The goal for the rest of 2026 is simple: stay above the .600 win percentage mark to secure a top-3 seed, as no Laker team in history has won a title from below the 4th seed.
To get the most out of following the Lakers' progress, track their record against other Western Conference contenders like the Thunder and Spurs. In 2026, the strength of schedule in the Pacific Division is at an all-time high, making every mid-week January game more critical for tie-breaker scenarios than in previous decades. Keep an eye on the defensive rating; historically, Lakers championship teams are top-5 in defense, regardless of how many points LeBron or Luka put up.