The Lakers have been one of the league's crown jewel franchises since their inception in 1947. Five NBA championships in Minneapolis, 12 in the City of Angels, the team has shown its ability to win at the highest levels year in and year out. With each memorable moment, there comes a story. Fifty years ago, the 1971-72 Lakers accomplished a feat that remains unbroken. 33 games, 33 wins. The greatest win streak in NBA history.
Following the move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960 and with a roster led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain joined the Lakers after asking for a trade from Philadelphia before the 1968-69 season, setting up a lineup of unstoppable forces.
The Lake Show would make the NBA Finals seven times over the decade but wound up losing in every matchup (six times to Boston Celtics, once to the New York Knicks).
After losing in the 1971 Western Conference Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks, Bill Sharman was brought in to replace Joe Mullaney as head coach. With Sharman at the helm, the team was introduced to morning shootaround and doing calisthenics on gamedays in the team locker room – two concepts of the game that are now routine in the NBA.
