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This Day in Lakers History: Los Angeles Claims 15th NBA Title

Relive the 2009 title!

Matt Levine

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14 years ago today was a special one for Laker fans. It was a crowning day for the franchise as they defeated the Orlando Magic in game five of the 2009 NBA Finals by a score of 99-86 to capture their 15th NBA championship. It was the teams' first since 2002 and it saw Kobe Bryant get his fourth ring. This championship run also showed that Bryant could win without Shaquille O'Neal and it helped define his legacy.

Just a season prior, the Lakers lost in the NBA Finals at the hands of the Boston Celtics and they were determined to get back to the biggest stage and get the job done. 

A dedicated and motivated Lakers team captured the best record in the Western Conference in 2009 by 11 games. They held the second best record in the league, only behind LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The team faced off against the Utah Jazz in the first round, vanquishing them with ease in five games. They then had a small scare in the second round with the scrappy Houston Rockets, taking them down in seven.

Arguably the hardest series came in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets. Led by Carmelo Anthony, Denver was solid and held the second seed in the West. Denver stole home court from LA by winning game two but the Lakers responded and took game three in Mile High. Tied up at two gams apiece, the two teams headed back to Los Angeles for a pivotal game five.

Los Angeles would hold serve at home and finally close out the Nuggets in game six. But getting back to the NBA Finals wasn't the goal and they knew they would be in for a challenge against the young Orlando Magic, led by superstar center Dwight Howard.

It was in this series that we got the famous quote from Bryant after the Lakers went up 2-0 in the series.

Bryant was one of a kind and this historic sound bit lives on today. But the Lakers would go on to win two of the next three on the road and cement themselves as champions forever. 

The 2009 version of the Lakers is seen as a favorite by fans. It was a fun squad full of talent such as Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum and more. It was a special time for the Lakers and the fun didn't stop as they went on to win the title again in 2010. 

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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