Postseason result: Eliminated 4-0 Western Conference Semi-Finals
After winning a second consecutive NBA championship the summer prior, the Lakers began their quest for a three peat with a mediocre preseason showing. The Lakers broke even in the exhibition games and it was a precursor to what fans were to expect from in the regular season as they went 57-25.
Although the Lakers ended up being the third seed in the Western Conference, there was little chance they would end up winning a championship. The Lakers were not as strong as they were before and the talent level around them got much better.
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Preseason 2009-2010: Lakers record: 6-2
Postseason result: Won NBA Championship
The Los Angeles Lakers’ most recent NBA championship came in June of 2010, in one of the best finals series of recent memory. The seven game battle with the Boston Celtics was extremely exciting and the Lakers finally beat their rivals on the NBA’s biggest stage. Los Angeles got revenge for their loss in the 2008 Finals and they did so in front of their fans at Staples Center.
Prior to the season, the Lakers made one major change to their roster as they essentially swapped Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) for Trevor Ariza. There was much debate as to whether or not Artest could fill in the void left by Ariza, and the preseason was the first chance he had to prove that he can. Not many people expected the Lakers to repeat as champions with Artest now on the team, but he silenced some of his critics during the preseason.
It did not appear as though the Lakers lost a step and the 75 percent winning percentage may not have translated into the regular season, but the 57-25 record was not bad at all. The Lakers were one of the best teams in the preseason, and that foreshadowed the ultimate success they experienced at the end of the season.
Next Page: 2008-2009 Preseason