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NBA Finals Facts and Figures: Los Angeles Lakers Edition

By Jamaal Artis

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 06: Fans gather outside of Staples Center before Game Two of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers on June 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 06: Fans gather outside of Staples Center before Game Two of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers on June 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

The table is set for the 2018 NBA Finals and no team in basketball is more familiar with the Finals than the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA Finals are upon us once again and for the fourth consecutive year, it will be the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the Golden State Warriors. While some might be complaining because there is an overwhelming sense that the Warriors will quickly dispatch the Cavaliers again, I believe as with all sports anything can happen.

While we gear up for game one, it would be fun to look back on some of the Los Angeles Lakers’ history with the NBA’s championship series.

Matchups

While social media gets all worked up about the Cavs and Warriors facing each other for the fourth year in a row, the Lakers have played some teams more times than that. Going back to their Minneapolis days the Lakers have played for the NBA championship 31 times, ten more than the closest team the Boston Celtics. These are the most common matchups for the Lakers.

Lakers-Celtics, nine matchups: The premier rivalry in NBA history their first Finals series goes all the way back to 1959 when Elgin Baylor was a rookie. Their latest series in 2010 kicked off this decade, meaning the Lakers-Celtics is the bridge between the NBA’s first decade to today.

Lakers-76ers, six matchups: The Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers go back to the old National Basketball League of the 1940’s a precursor to the NBA. Once both teams were in the NBA they faced off twice in the 1950’s.

In more recent times the teams started out the 1980’s facing off three times ushering in the modern NBA in matchups that included Magic Johnson against Julius Erving.

Lakers-Knicks, five matchups: In another matchup that goes back to the early NBA, the Lakers and New York Knicks played twice in the 1950’s. By the time the 1970’s rolled around the Knicks were in their ascendancy and the Lakers were still seeking their first title in Los Angeles. They would play three times between 1970 and 1973. Unfortunately for the NBA, the teams from the two largest media markets have yet to meet since then.

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