Laker Girls

Lore & Background

Jerry Buss commissioned the Laker Girls in 1979 after he had purchased the Lakers. He believed a basketball game should be entertaining, and he was a big fan of college basketball. While the Seattle SuperSonics had formed a cheerleading squad a year earlier in 1978, Buss ordered the formation of the Laker Girls—a team of top female dancers who were as talented as they were sexy—as part of his vision for Showtime. 'I thought the game itself was fantastic, but the ambiance was really kind of dead. It was quiet and boring, and so I thought what I'd like to do is spice it up with having some dancers,' he explained. The Laker Girls are a semi-professional squad and members hold regular day jobs ranging from professional dancers to waitresses and university professors. The squad typically performs about 30 routines over the course of the season. They are also local ambassadors for the Lakers organization and local advocates for female empowerment in the Los Angeles area. The Laker Girls hold auditions in July of every year. Each current member of the squad must also audition to keep her place on the team. Each woman auditioning must come with a resume of her previous jobs. Each candidate must come prepared with her own routine and is taught two routines to perform for the current Laker Girls and other judges. Dance skills are the main criterion on which they are judged, but personality, style, and teamwork are also important.

In Their Own Story

Every July, the Laker Girls hold auditions where every current member must also try out again to keep her place on the team. The process is rigorous: each candidate arrives with a resume of previous jobs and must come prepared with their own routine. Additionally, they are taught two new routines to perform for the judges and existing squad members. While dance skills serve as the main criterion for selection, personality, style, and teamwork are equally vital factors in determining who joins the ranks. This high bar ensures that the women on the court represent the highest standard of talent and professionalism, continuing a tradition established by Buss's original vision to bring elite dancers to the NBA.

Reader's Guide

A television movie named Laker Girls, starring Tina Yothers (from TV's Family Ties) and Alexandra Paul (Baywatch) aired in 1990, detailing the fictional tribulations of a trio of acolytes trying out to become members of the cheer leading troupe.

Did You Know?

• Laker Girl Paula Abdul, after establishing herself as a choreographer, was hired by The Jacksons to choreograph the music video for the song 'Torture' and later the band's Victory Tour, launching her into superstardom.
• Many former Laker Girl cheerleaders have gone on to achieve success in entertainment and other notable occupations, including Paula Abdul, Taylour Paige, Robyn Semien, Shelby Rabara, Vanessa Curry, Moon Bloodgood, Lisa J