Most Playoff Appearances in NBA History

Lore & Background

The Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of August 2024, the Lakers are second in the NBA's all-time records for wins (3,550) and winning percentage (.591), and hold the all-time record for most NBA Finals appearances (32). They are second in NBA championship wins with 17, just behind the Boston Celtics with 18 NBA titles, and with nine more Finals appearances than the Celtics, their biggest rival. Their team has had many NBA legends, including George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Clyde Lovellette, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

In Their Own Story

The air inside The Forum was always heavy with a specific kind of magic—a mixture of popcorn, floor wax, and the electric hum of expectation that only existed when the Lakers played. When the final buzzer sounded on another regular-season victory, the celebration wasn't loud; it was a quiet, collective exhale. Another ticket punched. Another year secured. In the locker room, the transfer of knowledge happened without words: veterans nodded to rookies, passing down an unspoken lineage that whispered, 'We belong here.' There were no panic meetings, no existential crises about missing the dance. For this franchise, the postseason wasn't a hope or a possibility; it was a guarantee written in gold ink. The history books felt heavy in their hands, yet adding another chapter to the saga of endless runs felt as natural as breathing.

Reader's Guide

The franchise was founded in 1946 as the Detroit Gems, led by founder/owner C. King Boring and his business partner Maurice Winston, and played in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1946–47 season. The team was sold to Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota for $15,000 in June 1947. They relocated the team to Minneapolis, re-christened the 'Lakers' in reference to Minnesota's nickname, 'The Land of 10,000 Lakes'. The Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season, then switched to the BAA and won that championship, and then won the inaugural NBA championship. The Lakers moved to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season, becoming the NBA's first West Coast team.

Did You Know?

• The Lakers have always been in the Western Conference since moving to Los Angeles in 1960.
• The Lakers won six NBL/BAA/NBA championships in seven years from 1947 to 1954, becoming the NBA's first dynasty.
• The Lakers participated in the lowest-scoring game in NBA history on November 22, 1950, losing 19–18 to the Fort Wayne Pistons.