Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup and reached the playoffs for a second consecutive year before falling to the Nuggets in the first round.

The 2023–24 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 77th season of the franchise, its 76th season in the NBA, its 64th season in Los Angeles, and its 25th season playing home games at Crypto.com Arena. This was the Lakers' second and final season with Darvin Ham as head coach. The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup by defeating the Indiana Pacers on December 9, 2023, finishing the tournament with a perfect 7–0 record. They finished the regular season 47–35, securing the 8th seed in the Western Conference and qualifying for the Play-In Tournament for the second straight year. After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 110–106 in the Play-In, they faced the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, losing the series 4–1. On May 3, 2024, the Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham and assistant coach Phil Handy.

Quick Facts

Conference: Western
Division: Pacific
Founded: 1946
Arena: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, California
Sponsor: Albert
President: Rob Pelinka
Vice-presidents: Yao Williams II

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The 2023–24 season marked a year of dramatic swings for the Lakers. Before the season, LeBron James announced he would switch his jersey number back to #23 after wearing #6 the previous two seasons. On August 24, 2023, the Lakers announced a statue of Kobe Bryant would be unveiled in front of Crypto.com Arena on February 8, 2024. The team dominated the inaugural In-Season Tournament, going 7–0 and winning the NBA Cup on December 9 by defeating the Indiana Pacers. They improved to the 4th seed in the Western Conference with a 14–9 record after the tournament run. However, they struggled immediately after, falling to 17–19 in January and the 9th seed. Despite this, the Lakers finished the season 47–35, with a record of 23–10 since February 1. They moved up to the 8th seed, qualified for the Play-In Tournament for the second consecutive year, and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110–106 to reach the playoffs for a second straight year. The Lakers played the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round, a rematch of the previous year's Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets won the series 4–1, which included two Jamal Murray game-winning shots in Games 2 and 5. This was the first time the Lakers lost in the first round since 2021 and the second time James lost in the first round in his career. On May 3, 2024, the Lakers fired their entire coaching staff, including head coach Darvin Ham and assistant coach Phil Handy.

Reader's Guide

The Lakers drew an average home attendance of 18,903 in 42 home games in the 2023-24 NBA season. The team held the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, along with the 47th pick. On draft day, in a four-team trade, they traded their 47th pick and cash considerations to the Indiana Pacers for the 40th pick. During the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 122–119, then beat the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz by at least 12 points each. They advanced into the knockout rounds with the best point differential of the entire event at +74 in the Western Conference. They then faced the Suns again at home before going to Las Vegas for a semifinal against the New Orleans Pelicans and the championship match against the Indiana Pacers. The team held a perfect 7–0 record in the tournament and won the inaugural NBA Cup on December 9.