The Lakers and the Celtics dominated the NBA in the 1980s, deciding the championship between them in all but two seasons during that decade. In 1986-87, it was Boston’s turn to defend the title after L.A. suffered an upset in the previous postseason, losing to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.

The Purple and Gold ended the regular season with their second-best record of all time, winning 65 games. Magic Johnson took charge of the team’s offense, leading L.A. in points (23.9 per game) and assists (12.2) to claim his first NBA MVP award. No one in the league averaged more dimes than Johnson that year.

Also, the 1986-87 campaign brought in the first — and to this day, only — Defensive Player of the Year award scooped by a Laker in Michael Cooper.

But no individual achievement could have possibly mattered more than beating the Celtics in the Finals once more — having finally done so for the first time two years earlier, following eight straight Finals losses against the C’s.

Danny Ainge went off in Game 5, drilling five 3s on six attempts to lead the Celtics to a 123-108 win and reduced their series deficit to 3-2. The 40-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arrived for Game 6 with a shaved head, signaling his determination to end the Finals that day.

After a shaky first quarter, the Lakers went back to the locker room facing a 56-51 deficit at halftime. But Johnson and James Worthy quickly regained the lead for L.A. after the break, hurting Boston in transition.

The Purple and Gold outscored the Celtics 30-12 in the third quarter, practically sealing their Finals victory. Abdul-Jabbar ended up with a team-high 32 points while Johnson dished out 19 assists.

After the game, Larry Bird memorably called Johnson the best player he had ever seen. Also, the Lakers guard claimed his third and last NBA Finals MVP award.

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James made a layup in the third quarter of the Jan. 25, 2020 game against the Philadelphia 76ers, cutting the hosts’ lead down to 20. It didn’t mean much for the outcome of the clash, as L.A. would suffer a double-digit defeat at Wells Fargo Center.

But in the grand scheme of things, the bucket couldn’t have been more momentous.

James’ deuce sent him up to third on the all-time scoring list, beating Bryant’s 36,381 career points. The All-Star forward did it in a jersey the retired Lakers’ legend wore for 20 years. He did it in Philadelphia, where Bryant was born — and where he learned the intricacies of the game of basketball at Lower Marion High School.

As competitive as Bryant always was, he didn’t hold it against James.

Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020

Bryant reportedly called James after the game; his teammates listened to the call with the Black Mamba, the leader of two remarkable Lakers teams that produced five NBA championships for the franchise.

They didn’t know they would never hear his voice again.

Roughly 12 hours later, Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also carried his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people. James admitted to crying while trying to come up with words for his tribute Instagram post. In it, the forward promised he would continue Bryant’s legacy.

He delivered on his promise.

That same year, the Lakers memorably won the title in the Orlando bubble. James said he felt Bryant’s presence as he, Anthony Davis, and other members of that 2019-20 group cruised toward the Purple and Gold’s 17th title.

The triumph officially ended the worst decade in the Lakers’ history — in the same year a major part of that history tragically died.

As James said after passing Bryant on the all-time scoring list, things happen organically and it’s not supposed to make sense.

But it just happens.

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Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in January this year, became the 11th member of the Lakers organization to receive the honor. He joined the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, among others.

But the five-time NBA champion is the only ever player to have had two jerseys retired, as there simply was no picking from his famous Nos. 8 and 24.

During the halftime ceremony of L.A.’s game against the Golden State Warriors, Bryant touched on topics close to his heart: legacy and inspiring future generations.

“It’s hard to put into words. Growing up and watching all these great players play and learning so much from them, to now be apart of that wall, means everything to me,” he said. “I think legacy is really important in the sense of what we’ve done is awesome.

“But I think what’s more important for a legacy is how that affects the next generation to come. The jerseys that are hanging in the rafters now, the impact that they had on me, which led to us being here in this moment now, that’s the true mark of a legacy is how well it impacts the next generation.”

Bryant played 10 seasons wearing each jersey, scoring nearly the same number of points in each of them. He won three NBA titles donning the No. 8 uniform and two championships with the No. 24 on his back, alongside two Finals MVP Awards.

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The Lakers have spent over two decades playing at Staples Center, claiming six NBA titles. The Purple and Gold celebrated their move from The Forum in 1999 by winning the famous three-peat between 2000-2002.

It served as the Lakers’ home when the late Kobe Bryant won his fourth and fifth rings alongside Paul Gasol — and later when L.A. endured the worst period in franchise history, ending with LeBron James’ arrival.

Surprise Buyout

Initially, Staples Center was to remain Staples Center for as long as the sports complex existed. However, in an exciting business transaction, it turns out the arena’s owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), bought back the naming rights from Staples two years ago, via L.A. reporter Arash Markazi:

Via @axios: AEG “quietly bought back the naming rights from Staples, owned by 2019 by private equity firm Sycamore Partners… Staples originally paid $120 million for a 20-year naming rights deal in 1999.” Crypto-com will pay $700 million for a 20-year deal for Crypto-com Arena. pic.twitter.com/mGpTg6rlt0

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) November 17, 2021

Crypto.com has become the Lakers and L.A. Kings’ official cryptocurrency platform partner as part of the deal and will seek to capitalize on the alternative currency craze that includes exchanges, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), bitcoin casino games, and the blockchain.

The Lakers also agreed to remain in downtown Los Angeles, extending the lease until at least 2041.

Major Renovations Planned

Staples Center is set to go through a significant transition as, in addition to the name change, the arena’s owners are planning a massive renovation of the sports complex, including a complete overhaul of hospitality and enhancements to the venue, entry, and plaza areas.

Just before the regular season began, it was announced that the first stage of renovations to Crypto.com Arena was completed. These first phase changes include re-imagined arena locations such as an expanded Chairman’s Club that will provide select season ticket members and VIP guests new benefits and experiences at Crypto.com Arena’s most private and sought-after location before, during, and after events.

Commenting on the first phase of renovations, Michele Kajiwara, SVP of Sales said:

“At Crypto.com Arena, premium memberships are ‘more than a seat.’ They go above and beyond the games and events that are the foundation of standard sports and entertainment memberships. We pride ourselves in offering our members money can’t buy experiences and exclusive events.”

Crypto.com Arena’s overhaul is expected to cost $1 billion and include changes from the concourse to the seats. AEG announced the comprehensive slate of renovations is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2024.

After a standout rookie season in 2017-18, Kuzma failed to turn into the Lakers’ third star as many expected. The Utah product couldn’t find his place on the team after LeBron James and Anthony Davis joined L.A. with his role changing from season to season.

Still, Kuzma averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists before leaving the Purple and Gold after four years together. And he proved himself to be a valuable role player as the Lakers cruised toward the 2020 NBA championship, earning himself a $39 million contract extension that further boosted his NBA stature.

In an interview with The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Kuzma expressed appreciation for vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka for rewarding him with the new deal:

“The sky’s the limit,” Kuzma said. “In my first deal, I definitely did the Lakers a little favor to have the hometown discount. I always appreciate (Lakers vice president of basketball operations) Rob Pelinka for the deal that he gave me, because it gave me security and it gave me a player option. I was one of the few players in NBA history without being a lottery pick to have a player option in an extension. Everything has worked out in my favor from signing that deal to my progression as a player to this summer too.”

With the experience he gained in L.A., Kuzma has made the most of the opportunity to become one of the Wizards’ leaders. After establishing as one of Washington’s starters last season, the forward is averaging 20.6 points per game on 45.9% from the field, both career-high numbers.

Kuzma can hit free agency as soon as next summer if he declines his player option — with Charania claiming the forward’s new deal could earn him between $20-$25 million per year, nearly double the $13 million he currently earns.

Kuzma thinks Lakers would have defended NBA championship had they stayed healthy in 2020-21

After the championship-winning 2019-20 season, the Lakers struggled with injuries in 2020-21, ending their title defense with a first-round playoff exit. L.A.’s misfortunes had profound consequences as later that summer, the front office decided to trade for Russell Westbrook in a deal that sent Kuzma to D.C.

Many wondered how far would the Lakers have gone during the 2020 postseason if they had stayed healthy. Kuzma recently offered his take on the issue at hand, tweeting the Purple and Gold “would have repeated” with better health.

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