Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Los Angeles made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, but lost each series to the Celtics, beginning their long and storied rivalry.

Magic Johnson not only set a franchise record with 989 assists in 1990-91, he holds the top nine spots on the Lakers' single-season assist list.

After a frustrating junior year of college, Chamberlain wanted to forego his senior year and become a professional player, but the NBA did not accept players until after their college graduating class had been completed, so he decided to spend a year playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. In later years, Chamberlain frequently joined the Globetrotters during the off-season and fondly recalled his time there. On March 9, 2000, his number 13 was retired by the Globetrotters.

During his 20-year career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won a record six NBA Most Valuable Player Awards (three with the Lakers and three with the Milwaukee Bucks).

Marc Gasol was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 48th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. On 1 February 2008, his draft rights were traded by the Lakers to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a trade package that included his older brother, Pau, who was sent from the Grizzlies to the Lakers.

One of the NBA's first power forwards, Vern Mikkelsen was known for his tenacious defense and still holds the record for career disqualifications with 127.

When Jerry West first arrived in the league, he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates called him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek", for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia.

The Los Angeles Lakers are just one of the four teams in the NBA without a mascot. The other three teams are the Brooklyn Nets, the Golden State Warriors, and the New York Knicks.

Kermit Washington is best remembered for punching Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. Tomjanovich, who had only meant to break up the fight, was left with a concussion, a fractured face, and worst of all, his brain was leaking spinal fluid into his mouth. Although he would eventually make a full recovery, Tomjanovich missed the remainder of the season. Washington was suspended for 60 days and subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics.

The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League. The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers.