2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season

2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season

The 2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 72nd season, its 71st season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 60th in Los Angeles. The Lakers were coached by Frank Vogel in his first year as team head coach. The team played its home games at Staples Center as members of the Western Conference's Pacific Division.

The team dedicated the season to retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. On March 6, 2020, the Lakers clinched their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season. Five days later, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was suspended. On July 5, the NBA announced a return of the season in the NBA Bubble, with 22 teams playing eight seeding games followed by a full postseason. Play resumed on July 30, with all games being played in Orlando, Florida. On August 3, the Lakers clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2009–10 season.

The Lakers finished the shortened season 52–19, with a winning percentage roughly equivalent to 60 wins in a full season. They defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets to advance to the NBA Finals. There, they defeated the Miami Heat (LeBron James' former team) in six games to earn the franchise's 17th NBA championship. The Lakers also became the first and only team in NBA history to be undefeated in a season when leading entering the fourth quarter, going a combined 57–0 record in the regular season and playoffs.

Previous season

2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season

In the 2018–19 season the Lakers amassed a record of 37–45. The team finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. The season marked the first time since (/wiki/2005NBAplayoffs) that Lakers star LeBron James did not appear in the playoffs and first time since (/wiki/2010NBAFinals) that he missed the Finals.

Offseason

Front office and coaching changes

On April 9, 2019, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations. Three days after that, coach Luke Walton and the team agreed to part ways. On May 13, the team hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach and Jason Kidd was named an assistant coach.

Draft

<table><thead><tr><th>Round</th><th>Pick</th><th>Player</th><th>Position</th><th>Nationality</th><th>School / Club team</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>4</td><td>De'Andre Hunter</td><td>SF</td><td>American</td><td>Virginia</td></tr></tbody></table>

The Lakers held one first-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Lakers initially held the rights to two second-round picks in the 2019 draft as well, but later traded those picks to the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. On the night of the NBA draft lottery, the Lakers received the fourth overall pick in the draft; the team had been projected to receive the 11th overall pick. The Lakers used the fourth overall draft pick to select De'Andre Hunter; the team later sent the rights to Hunter to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.

Trades

On June 15, 2019, the Lakers agreed to acquire six-time NBA All-Star power forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. (The deal did not take full effect until July 6). In exchange for Davis, the Lakers gave up forward Brandon Ingram, guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, and three first-round picks (including De'Andre Hunter, the No. 4 draft overall selection in 2019). On June 27, the Washington Wizards joined the trade, obtaining Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones, and a 2022 second-round pick from the Lakers in exchange for cash considerations.

Free agents

During the offseason, the Lakers re-signed guard Rajon Rondo, guard Alex Caruso, guard/forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and center JaVale McGee. The Lakers also signed several veteran free agents to complement James and Davis; those veteran free agents included guard/forward Danny Green, guard Avery Bradley, and center Dwight Howard.

Preseason

Game log

2019 preseason game log Total: 3–3 (Home: 2–2; Road: 1–1)
Preseason: 3–3 (home: 2–2; road: 1–1)
Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
1	October 5	@ Golden State	W 123–101	Anthony Davis (22)	JaVale McGee (13)	LeBron James (8)	Chase Center 18,064	1–0
2	October 10	Brooklyn	L 111–114	LeBron James (20)	JaVale McGee (10)	Alex Caruso (8)	Mercedes-Benz Arena 15,992	1–1
3	October 12	Brooklyn	L 77–91	Avery Bradley (14)	Howard, Caldwell-Pope (6)	Alex Caruso (5)	Universiade Sports Center 17,396	1–2
4	October 14	Golden State	W 104–98	Zach Norvell Jr. (22)	Dwight Howard (13)	David Stockton (7)	Staples Center 18,997	2–2
5	October 16	Golden State	W 126–93	James, Bradley (18)	Anthony Davis (10)	LeBron James (11)	Staples Center 18,997	3–2
6	October 18	@ Golden State	L 103–124	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (25)	Devontae Cacok (10)	Demetrius Jackson (9)	Chase Center 18,064	3–3
2019–20 season schedule

Regular season

Division

Pacific Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div	GP
c – Los Angeles Lakers	52	19	.732	–	25‍–‍10	27‍–‍9	10–3	71
x – Los Angeles Clippers	49	23	.681	3.5	27‍–‍9	22‍–‍14	8–6	72
Phoenix Suns	34	39	.466	19.0	17‍–‍22	17‍–‍17	6–9	73
Sacramento Kings	31	41	.431	21.5	16‍–‍19	15‍–‍22	8–5	72
Golden State Warriors	15	50	.231	34.0	8‍–‍26	7‍–‍24	2–11	65

Conference

Western Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	GP
1	c – Los Angeles Lakers	52	19	.732	–	71
2	x – Los Angeles Clippers	49	23	.681	3.5	72
3	y – Denver Nuggets	46	27	.630	7.0	73
4	y – Houston Rockets	44	28	.611	8.5	72
5	x – Oklahoma City Thunder	44	28	.611	8.5	72
6	x – Utah Jazz	44	28	.611	8.5	72
7	x – Dallas Mavericks	43	32	.573	11.0	75
8	x – Portland Trail Blazers	35	39	.473	18.5	74
9	pi – Memphis Grizzlies	34	39	.466	19.0	73
10	Phoenix Suns	34	39	.466	19.0	73
11	San Antonio Spurs	32	39	.451	20.0	71
12	Sacramento Kings	31	41	.431	21.5	72
13	New Orleans Pelicans	30	42	.417	22.5	72
14	Minnesota Timberwolves	19	45	.297	29.5	64
15	Golden State Warriors	15	50	.231	34.0	65

Game log

<table><thead><tr><th>2019–20 game log Total: 52–19 (Home: 25–10; Road: 27–9)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>October: 3–1 (home: 3–0; road: 0–1)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>October 22</td><td>@ L. A. Clippers</td><td>L 102–112</td><td>Danny Green (28)</td><td>Anthony Davis (10)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Staples Center 19,068</td><td>0–1</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>October 25</td><td>Utah</td><td>W 95–86</td><td>LeBron James (32)</td><td>James, Davis, Howard (7)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>1–1</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>October 27</td><td>Charlotte</td><td>W 120–101</td><td>Anthony Davis (29)</td><td>Anthony Davis (14)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>2–1</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>October 29</td><td>Memphis</td><td>W 120–91</td><td>Anthony Davis (40)</td><td>Anthony Davis (20)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>3–1</td></tr><tr><td>November: 14–1 (home: 6–1; road: 8–0)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>November 1</td><td>@ Dallas</td><td>W 119–110 (OT)</td><td>LeBron James (39)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>LeBron James (16)</td><td>American Airlines Center 20,358</td><td>4–1</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>November 3</td><td>@ San Antonio</td><td>W 103–96</td><td>Anthony Davis (25)</td><td>Dwight Howard (13)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>AT&T Center 18,610</td><td>5–1</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>November 5</td><td>@ Chicago</td><td>W 118–112</td><td>LeBron James (30)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>United Center 21,193</td><td>6–1</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>November 8</td><td>Miami</td><td>W 95–80</td><td>Anthony Davis (26)</td><td>JaVale McGee (10)</td><td>Anthony Davis (7)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>7–1</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>November 10</td><td>Toronto</td><td>L 104–113</td><td>Anthony Davis (27)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>LeBron James (15)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>7–2</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>November 12</td><td>@ Phoenix</td><td>W 123–115</td><td>Anthony Davis (24)</td><td>Anthony Davis (12)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Talking Stick Resort Arena 18,055</td><td>8–2</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>November 13</td><td>Golden State</td><td>W 120–94</td><td>LeBron James (23)</td><td>JaVale McGee (17)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>9–2</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>November 15</td><td>Sacramento</td><td>W 99–97</td><td>LeBron James (29)</td><td>Howard, McGee (7)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>10–2</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>November 17</td><td>Atlanta</td><td>W 122–101</td><td>LeBron James (33)</td><td>Dwight Howard (9)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>11–2</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>November 19</td><td>Oklahoma City</td><td>W 112–107</td><td>Anthony Davis (34)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>James, Rondo (10)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>12–2</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>November 22</td><td>@ Oklahoma City</td><td>W 130–127</td><td>Anthony Davis (33)</td><td>Anthony Davis (11)</td><td>LeBron James (14)</td><td>Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203</td><td>13–2</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>November 23</td><td>@ Memphis</td><td>W 109–108</td><td>LeBron James (30)</td><td>Dwight Howard (9)</td><td>Rajon Rondo (6)</td><td>FedExForum 17,794</td><td>14–2</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>November 25</td><td>@ San Antonio</td><td>W 114–104</td><td>LeBron James (33)</td><td>Anthony Davis (12)</td><td>LeBron James (14)</td><td>AT&T Center 18,498</td><td>15–2</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>November 27</td><td>@ New Orleans</td><td>W 114–110</td><td>Anthony Davis (41)</td><td>Anthony Davis (9)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Smoothie King Center 18,626</td><td>16–2</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>November 29</td><td>Washington</td><td>W 125–103</td><td>Anthony Davis (26)</td><td>Anthony Davis (13)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>17–2</td></tr><tr><td>December: 9–5 (home: 2–3; road: 7–2)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>December 1</td><td>Dallas</td><td>L 100–114</td><td>Anthony Davis (27)</td><td>Davis, McGee (10)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>17–3</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>December 3</td><td>@ Denver</td><td>W 105–96</td><td>Davis, James (25)</td><td>Anthony Davis (10)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Pepsi Center 19,658</td><td>18–3</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>December 4</td><td>@ Utah</td><td>W 121–96</td><td>Anthony Davis (26)</td><td>Howard, Rondo (9)</td><td>James, Rondo (12)</td><td>Vivint Smart Home Arena 18,306</td><td>19–3</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>December 6</td><td>@ Portland</td><td>W 136–113</td><td>Anthony Davis (39)</td><td>Dwight Howard (10)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Moda Center 19,912</td><td>20–3</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>December 8</td><td>Minnesota</td><td>W 142–125</td><td>Anthony Davis (50)</td><td>Danny Green (8)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>21–3</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>December 11</td><td>@ Orlando</td><td>W 96–87</td><td>LeBron James (25)</td><td>Anthony Davis (12)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>Amway Center 18,846</td><td>22–3</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>December 13</td><td>@ Miami</td><td>W 113–110</td><td>Anthony Davis (33)</td><td>Davis, McGee (10)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>American Airlines Arena 20,013</td><td>23–3</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>December 15</td><td>@ Atlanta</td><td>W 101–96</td><td>LeBron James (32)</td><td>Davis, James (13)</td><td>LeBron James (7)</td><td>State Farm Arena 16,962</td><td>24–3</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>December 17</td><td>@ Indiana</td><td>L 102–105</td><td>Howard, James (20)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,923</td><td>24–4</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>December 19</td><td>@ Milwaukee</td><td>L 104–111</td><td>Anthony Davis (36)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Fiserv Forum 18,051</td><td>24–5</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>December 22</td><td>Denver</td><td>L 104–128</td><td>Anthony Davis (32)</td><td>Anthony Davis (11)</td><td>Rajon Rondo (8)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>24–6</td></tr><tr><td>31</td><td>December 25</td><td>L. A. Clippers</td><td>L 106–111</td><td>Kyle Kuzma (25)</td><td>Howard, James (9)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>24–7</td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>December 28</td><td>@ Portland</td><td>W 128–120</td><td>Kyle Kuzma (24)</td><td>Anthony Davis (9)</td><td>LeBron James (16)</td><td>Moda Center 19,960</td><td>25–7</td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>December 29</td><td>Dallas</td><td>W 108–95</td><td>Anthony Davis (23)</td><td>Anthony Davis (9)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>26–7</td></tr><tr><td>January: 10–4 (home: 5–2; road: 5–2)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>34</td><td>January 1</td><td>Phoenix</td><td>W 117–107</td><td>LeBron James (31)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>27–7</td></tr><tr><td>35</td><td>January 3</td><td>New Orleans</td><td>W 123–113</td><td>Anthony Davis (46)</td><td>Anthony Davis (13)</td><td>LeBron James (15)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>28–7</td></tr><tr><td>36</td><td>January 5</td><td>Detroit</td><td>W 106–99</td><td>Anthony Davis (24)</td><td>LeBron James (14)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>29–7</td></tr><tr><td>37</td><td>January 7</td><td>New York</td><td>W 117–87</td><td>LeBron James (31)</td><td>Dwight Howard (13)</td><td>Rajon Rondo (10)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>30–7</td></tr><tr><td>38</td><td>January 10</td><td>@ Dallas</td><td>W 129–114</td><td>LeBron James (35)</td><td>LeBron James (16)</td><td>LeBron James (7)</td><td>American Airlines Center 20,542</td><td>31–7</td></tr><tr><td>39</td><td>January 11</td><td>@ Oklahoma City</td><td>W 125–110</td><td>Kyle Kuzma (36)</td><td>Dwight Howard (14)</td><td>Rajon Rondo (8)</td><td>Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203</td><td>32–7</td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>January 13</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>W 128–99</td><td>LeBron James (31)</td><td>Dwight Howard (15)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>33–7</td></tr><tr><td>41</td><td>January 15</td><td>Orlando</td><td>L 118–119</td><td>Quinn Cook (22)</td><td>Dwight Howard (16)</td><td>LeBron James (19)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>33–8</td></tr><tr><td>42</td><td>January 18</td><td>@ Houston</td><td>W 124–115</td><td>LeBron James (31)</td><td>Dwight Howard (10)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>Toyota Center 18,502</td><td>34–8</td></tr><tr><td>43</td><td>January 20</td><td>@ Boston</td><td>L 107–139</td><td>JaVale McGee (18)</td><td>Dwight Howard (10)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>TD Garden 19,156</td><td>34–9</td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>January 22</td><td>@ New York</td><td>W 100–92</td><td>Anthony Davis (28)</td><td>Dwight Howard (12)</td><td>Davis, James (5)</td><td>Madison Square Garden 19,812</td><td>35–9</td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>January 23</td><td>@ Brooklyn</td><td>W 128–113</td><td>LeBron James (27)</td><td>Howard, James (12)</td><td>James, Rondo (10)</td><td>Barclays Center 17,732</td><td>36–9</td></tr><tr><td>46</td><td>January 25</td><td>@ Philadelphia</td><td>L 91–108</td><td>Anthony Davis (31)</td><td>Davis, James (7)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Wells Fargo Center 21,109</td><td>36–10</td></tr><tr><td>—</td><td>January 28</td><td>LA Clippers</td><td>Postponed due to the 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant. Makeup date July 30 (originally April 9).</td></tr><tr><td>47</td><td>January 31</td><td>Portland</td><td>L 119–127</td><td>Anthony Davis (37)</td><td>Davis, Kuzma (15)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>36–11</td></tr><tr><td>February: 9–2 (home: 5–1; road: 4–1)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>48</td><td>February 1</td><td>@ Sacramento</td><td>W 129–113</td><td>Anthony Davis (21)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Golden 1 Center 17,583</td><td>37–11</td></tr><tr><td>49</td><td>February 4</td><td>San Antonio</td><td>W 129–102</td><td>LeBron James (36)</td><td>Kyle Kuzma (12)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>38–11</td></tr><tr><td>50</td><td>February 6</td><td>Houston</td><td>L 111–121</td><td>Anthony Davis (32)</td><td>Anthony Davis (13)</td><td>LeBron James (15)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>38–12</td></tr><tr><td>51</td><td>February 8</td><td>@ Golden State</td><td>W 125–120</td><td>Anthony Davis (27)</td><td>Anthony Davis (10)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Chase Center 18,064</td><td>39–12</td></tr><tr><td>52</td><td>February 10</td><td>Phoenix</td><td>W 125–100</td><td>Anthony Davis (25)</td><td>Dwight Howard (15)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>40–12</td></tr><tr><td>53</td><td>February 12</td><td>@ Denver</td><td>W 120–116 (OT)</td><td>Anthony Davis (33)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>LeBron James (14)</td><td>Pepsi Center 19,860</td><td>41–12</td></tr><tr><td>54</td><td>February 21</td><td>Memphis</td><td>W 117–105</td><td>LeBron James (32)</td><td>Anthony Davis (13)</td><td>LeBron James (7)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>42–12</td></tr><tr><td>55</td><td>February 23</td><td>Boston</td><td>W 114–112</td><td>Anthony Davis (32)</td><td>Anthony Davis (13)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>43–12</td></tr><tr><td>56</td><td>February 25</td><td>New Orleans</td><td>W 118–109</td><td>LeBron James (40)</td><td>Anthony Davis (14)</td><td>Alex Caruso (8)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>44–12</td></tr><tr><td>57</td><td>February 27</td><td>@ Golden State</td><td>W 116–86</td><td>Anthony Davis (23)</td><td>Dwight Howard (9)</td><td>Rajon Rondo (6)</td><td>Chase Center 18,064</td><td>45–12</td></tr><tr><td>58</td><td>February 29</td><td>@ Memphis</td><td>L 88–105</td><td>LeBron James (19)</td><td>Anthony Davis (9)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>FedExForum 17,794</td><td>45–13</td></tr><tr><td>March: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>59</td><td>March 1</td><td>@ New Orleans</td><td>W 122–114</td><td>LeBron James (34)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>LeBron James (13)</td><td>Smoothie King Center 18,547</td><td>46–13</td></tr><tr><td>60</td><td>March 3</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>W 120–107</td><td>Anthony Davis (37)</td><td>Anthony Davis (13)</td><td>LeBron James (14)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>47–13</td></tr><tr><td>61</td><td>March 6</td><td>Milwaukee</td><td>W 113–103</td><td>LeBron James (37)</td><td>JaVale McGee (11)</td><td>LeBron James (8)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>48–13</td></tr><tr><td>62</td><td>March 8</td><td>@ L. A. Clippers</td><td>W 112–103</td><td>Anthony Davis (30)</td><td>Kyle Kuzma (10)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Staples Center 19,068</td><td>49–13</td></tr><tr><td>63</td><td>March 10</td><td>Brooklyn</td><td>L 102–104</td><td>LeBron James (29)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>Staples Center 18,997</td><td>49–14</td></tr><tr><td>Seeding games: 3–5 (home: 2–2; road: 1–3)</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>64</td><td>July 30</td><td>L. A. Clippers</td><td>W 103–101</td><td>Anthony Davis (34)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>LeBron James (7)</td><td>The Arena No In-Person Attendance</td><td>50–14</td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>August 1</td><td>@ Toronto</td><td>L 92–107</td><td>LeBron James (20)</td><td>LeBron James (10)</td><td>LeBron James (5)</td><td>The Arena No In-Person Attendance</td><td>50–15</td></tr><tr><td>66</td><td>August 3</td><td>@ Utah</td><td>W 116–108</td><td>Anthony Davis (42)</td><td>Anthony Davis (12)</td><td>LeBron James (9)</td><td>The Arena No In-Person Attendance</td><td>51–15</td></tr><tr><td>67</td><td>August 5</td><td>Oklahoma City</td><td>L 86–105</td><td>LeBron James (19)</td><td>LeBron James (11)</td><td>Anthony Davis (5)</td><td>HP Field House No In-Person Attendance</td><td>51–16</td></tr><tr><td>68</td><td>August 6</td><td>@ Houston</td><td>L 97–113</td><td>Kyle Kuzma (21)</td><td>Dwight Howard (15)</td><td>Quinn Cook (4)</td><td>The Arena No In-Person Attendance</td><td>51–17</td></tr><tr><td>69</td><td>August 8</td><td>@ Indiana</td><td>L 111–116</td><td>LeBron James (31)</td><td>Dwight Howard (12)</td><td>LeBron James (7)</td><td>HP Field House No In-Person Attendance</td><td>51–18</td></tr><tr><td>70</td><td>August 10</td><td>Denver</td><td>W 124–121</td><td>LeBron James (29)</td><td>Markieff Morris (7)</td><td>LeBron James (12)</td><td>The Arena No In-Person Attendance</td><td>52–18</td></tr><tr><td>71</td><td>August 13</td><td>Sacramento</td><td>L 122–136</td><td>Dion Waiters (19)</td><td>JaVale McGee (9)</td><td>Dudley, Waiters (5)</td><td>HP Field House No In-Person Attendance</td><td>52–19</td></tr><tr><td>Cancelled games</td></tr><tr><td>Game</td><td>Date</td><td>Team</td><td>Score</td><td>High points</td><td>High rebounds</td><td>High assists</td><td>Location Attendance</td><td>Record</td></tr><tr><td>64</td><td>March 12</td><td>Houston</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>March 15</td><td>Denver</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>66</td><td>March 16</td><td>@ Utah</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Vivint Smart Home Arena</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>67</td><td>March 18</td><td>Utah</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>68</td><td>March 21</td><td>@ Charlotte</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Spectrum Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>69</td><td>March 22</td><td>@ Detroit</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Little Caesars Arena</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>70</td><td>March 24</td><td>@ Toronto</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Scotiabank Arena</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>71</td><td>March 26</td><td>@ Cleveland</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>72</td><td>March 28</td><td>@ Washington</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Capital One Arena</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>73</td><td>March 30</td><td>@ Minnesota</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Target Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>74</td><td>April 1</td><td>Indiana</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>75</td><td>April 4</td><td>@ Sacramento</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Golden 1 Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>76</td><td>April 5</td><td>Oklahoma City</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>77</td><td>April 7</td><td>Golden State</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>78</td><td>April 8</td><td>Chicago</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>79</td><td>April 9</td><td>LA Clippers</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>80</td><td>April 12</td><td>Minnesota</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>81</td><td>April 14</td><td>Sacramento</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Staples Center</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>82</td><td>April 15</td><td>@ Phoenix</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Talking Stick Resort Arena</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2019–20 season schedule</td></tr></tbody></table>

Season notes

The Lakers got off to a fast start to the season, amassing a franchise best 17–2 record by the end of November. Four months later, they were able to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season with a 113–103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 6, 2020.

Five days after the Lakers clinched their playoff berth, the NBA season was abruptly suspended by league officials after it was reported that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19. Two unidentified players of the Lakers would later test positive for COVID-19 on March 19. When the season resumed, Avery Bradley declined to play because his oldest child had a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses. The Lakers replaced Bradley on the roster with J. R. Smith, who was James' teammate on the NBA championship-winning (/wiki/2016NBAFinals) Cleveland Cavaliers.

Death of Kobe Bryant

On January 26, 2020, tragedy struck the Lakers organization when retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant and seven other passengers. Bryant was 41 at the time of his death, and Gigi was 13. Bryant's death prompted the Lakers to dedicate the rest of their season to his memory.

The previous evening on January 25, LeBron James passed Bryant for third place on the NBA's all-time scoring list during a road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Bryant's hometown. James would eventually surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to stand alone as the NBA's all-time leading scorer three years later on February 7, 2023. The team learned of Bryant's death while flying back to Los Angeles from Philadelphia one day following their loss to the 76ers, leaving everyone on board the flight in absolute shock and their January 28 meeting with the crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers would be postponed the following day. This marked the first time an NBA game was postponed for any reason since nearly seven years earlier when the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing led to the postponement of a Celtics game.

The Lakers did not play a game in the wake of Bryant's death until January 31 when they hosted the Portland Trail Blazers on ESPN. Prior to the commencement of the game, the Lakers conducted a 24-minute long, heavily detailed tribute to Bryant, his daughter and the seven other victims. This tribute began with Usher performing "Amazing Grace" and was capped off by a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner by Boyz II Men before being concluded with a speech from James, who initially had a monologue prepared, but quickly tossed his index card onto the hardwood after saying "Laker Nation man, I would be selling y'all short if I read off this shit, so I'm going to go straight from the heart", as he proceeded to address a sorrowful Staples Center crowd with an emotional, improvised oration, ending his speech with "...so in the words of Kobe Bryant: 'Mamba out', but in the words of us: 'not forgotten', live on brother". Following the eulogy, each member of the Lakers' starting five would be introduced with Bryant's credentials. Portland won 127–119, in what turned out to be the second most watched NBA broadcast ever in ESPN's history, averaging 4.41 million viewers. The first ever head-to-head meeting between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming in 2003 was the only one with more viewers.

Beginning with the January 31 game against Portland, the Lakers added a black logo featuring Bryant’s initials to the baseline of their home floor, and a matching commemorative patch to their jerseys. The team also added a number 8 decal to the immediate left of the scorer's table and a number 24 decal to the right of it. The on-court logos remained in place for home games at Staples Center for about six weeks, until the COVID-19 suspension on March 11. The jersey patch continued to be worn for the rest of the season, including through the Orlando bubble with the 2020 NBA playoffs and Finals.

Playoffs

Game log

2020 playoff game log Total: 16–5 (Home: 9–3; Road: 7–2)
First Round: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	August 18	Portland	L 93–100	Anthony Davis (28)	LeBron James (17)	LeBron James (16)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	0–1
2	August 20	Portland	W 111–88	Anthony Davis (31)	Anthony Davis (11)	LeBron James (7)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	1–1
3	August 22	@ Portland	W 116–108	LeBron James (38)	LeBron James (12)	Davis, James (8)	AdventHealth Arena No In-Person Attendance	2–1
4	August 24	@ Portland	W 135–115	LeBron James (30)	Howard, McGee (8)	LeBron James (10)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	3–1
5	August 29†	Portland	W 131–122	Anthony Davis (43)	LeBron James (10)	LeBron James (10)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	4–1
Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	September 4	Houston	L 97–112	Anthony Davis (25)	Anthony Davis (14)	LeBron James (7)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	0–1
2	September 6	Houston	W 117–109	Anthony Davis (34)	LeBron James (11)	James, Rondo (9)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	1–1
3	September 8	@ Houston	W 112–102	LeBron James (36)	Anthony Davis (15)	Rajon Rondo (9)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	2–1
4	September 10	@ Houston	W 110–100	Anthony Davis (29)	LeBron James (15)	LeBron James (9)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	3–1
5	September 12	Houston	W 119–96	LeBron James (29)	Davis, James (11)	LeBron James (7)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	4–1
Conference Finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	September 18	Denver	W 126–114	Anthony Davis (37)	Anthony Davis (10)	LeBron James (12)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	1–0
2	September 20	Denver	W 105–103	Anthony Davis (31)	LeBron James (11)	Rajon Rondo (9)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	2–0
3	September 22	@ Denver	L 106–114	LeBron James (30)	LeBron James (10)	LeBron James (11)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	2–1
4	September 24	@ Denver	W 114–108	Anthony Davis (34)	Dwight Howard (11)	LeBron James (8)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	3–1
5	September 26	Denver	W 117–107	LeBron James (38)	LeBron James (16)	LeBron James (10)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	4–1
NBA Finals: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	September 30	Miami	W 116–98	Anthony Davis (34)	LeBron James (13)	LeBron James (9)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	1–0
2	October 2	Miami	W 124–114	LeBron James (33)	Anthony Davis (14)	Rajon Rondo (10)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	2–0
3	October 4	@ Miami	L 104–115	LeBron James (25)	LeBron James (10)	LeBron James (8)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	2–1
4	October 6	@ Miami	W 102–96	LeBron James (28)	LeBron James (12)	LeBron James (8)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	3–1
5	October 9	Miami	L 108–111	LeBron James (40)	LeBron James (13)	LeBron James (7)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	3–2
6	October 11	@ Miami	W 106–93	LeBron James (28)	Anthony Davis (15)	LeBron James (10)	The Arena No In-Person Attendance	4–2
2020 playoff schedule

† Originally scheduled for August 26. Game 5 was rescheduled due to a boycott from NBA players after a police officer shot Jacob Blake.

Playoff notes

In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the eight-seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and won the series in five games. In the Western Conference Semifinals, they faced the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets, again winning in five games. The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since (/wiki/2010NBAplayoffs), where they defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games.

The Lakers reached the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. In the Finals, the Lakers competed against the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat; this was the first time that the two teams had met in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won the series in six games, winning the championship for the first time since the 2010 season. They became the first team since the 2007–08 Boston Celtics to miss the playoffs one season and win a championship the following season. The Lakers also tied the Celtics for the highest-ever number of NBA championship wins with 17. The Lakers' LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first player in league history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises (twice with the Heat, once with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and once with the Lakers). James and Danny Green became the third and fourth players, respectively, to win NBA championships with three different teams. Lakers president Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.

Roster

2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season

<table><thead><tr><th>Players</th><th>Coaches</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Head coach Assistant(s) Legend Roster Updated: 2020–07–13</td></tr><tr><td>Pos.</td><td>No.</td><td>Player</td><td>Height</td><td>Weight</td><td>DOB</td><td>From</td></tr><tr><td>F</td><td>37</td><td>Kostas Antetokounmpo (TW)</td><td>6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)</td><td>200 lb (91 kg)</td><td>1997–11–20</td><td>Dayton</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>11</td><td>Avery Bradley</td><td>6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)</td><td>180 lb (82 kg)</td><td>1990–11–26</td><td>Texas</td></tr><tr><td>F</td><td>12</td><td>Devontae Cacok (TW)</td><td>6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)</td><td>240 lb (109 kg)</td><td>1996–10–08</td><td>UNC Wilmington</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>1</td><td>Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</td><td>6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)</td><td>204 lb (93 kg)</td><td>1993–02–18</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>4</td><td>Alex Caruso</td><td>6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)</td><td>186 lb (84 kg)</td><td>1994–02–28</td><td>Texas A&M</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>28</td><td>Quinn Cook</td><td>6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)</td><td>180 lb (82 kg)</td><td>1993–03–23</td><td>Duke</td></tr><tr><td>F/C</td><td>3</td><td>Anthony Davis</td><td>6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)</td><td>253 lb (115 kg)</td><td>1993–03–11</td><td>Kentucky</td></tr><tr><td>F</td><td>10</td><td>Jared Dudley</td><td>6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)</td><td>237 lb (108 kg)</td><td>1985–07–10</td><td>Boston College</td></tr><tr><td>G/F</td><td>14</td><td>Danny Green</td><td>6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)</td><td>215 lb (98 kg)</td><td>1987–06–22</td><td>North Carolina</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>5</td><td>Talen Horton-Tucker</td><td>6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)</td><td>234 lb (106 kg)</td><td>2000–11–25</td><td>Iowa State</td></tr><tr><td>C</td><td>39</td><td>Dwight Howard</td><td>6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)</td><td>265 lb (120 kg)</td><td>1985–12–08</td><td>SW Atlanta Academy (GA)</td></tr><tr><td>F</td><td>23</td><td>LeBron James</td><td>6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)</td><td>250 lb (113 kg)</td><td>1984–12–30</td><td>St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)</td></tr><tr><td>F</td><td>0</td><td>Kyle Kuzma</td><td>6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)</td><td>221 lb (100 kg)</td><td>1995–07–24</td><td>Utah</td></tr><tr><td>C</td><td>7</td><td>JaVale McGee</td><td>7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)</td><td>270 lb (122 kg)</td><td>1988–01–19</td><td>Nevada</td></tr><tr><td>F</td><td>88</td><td>Markieff Morris</td><td>6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)</td><td>245 lb (111 kg)</td><td>1989–09–02</td><td>Kansas</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>9</td><td>Rajon Rondo</td><td>6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)</td><td>180 lb (82 kg)</td><td>1986–02–22</td><td>Kentucky</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>21</td><td>J. R. Smith</td><td>6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)</td><td>225 lb (102 kg)</td><td>1985–09–09</td><td>Saint Benedict's Prep (NJ)</td></tr><tr><td>G</td><td>18</td><td>Dion Waiters</td><td>6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)</td><td>210 lb (95 kg)</td><td>1991–12–10</td><td>Syracuse</td></tr></tbody></table>

Player statistics

2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	69	26	25.5	.467	.385	.775	2.1	1.6	.8	.2	9.3
Dwight Howard	69	2	18.9	.729	.600	.514	7.3	.7	.4	1.1	7.5
Danny Green	68	68	24.8	.416	.367	.688	3.3	1.3	1.3	.5	8.0
JaVale McGee	68	68	16.6	.637	.500	.646	5.7	.5	.5	1.4	6.6
LeBron James	67	67	34.6	.493	.348	.693	7.8	10.2	1.2	.5	25.3
Alex Caruso	64	2	18.4	.412	.333	.734	1.9	1.9	1.1	.3	5.5
Anthony Davis	62	62	34.4	.503	.330	.846	9.3	3.2	1.5	2.3	26.1
Kyle Kuzma	61	9	25.0	.436	.316	.735	4.5	1.3	.5	.4	12.8
Avery Bradley	49	44	24.2	.444	.364	.833	2.3	1.3	.9	.1	8.6
Rajon Rondo	48	3	20.5	.418	.328	.659	3.0	5.0	.8	.0	7.1
Jared Dudley	45	1	8.1	.400	.429	1.000	1.2	.6	.3	.1	1.5
Quinn Cook	44	1	11.5	.425	.365	.786	1.2	1.1	.3	.0	5.1
Troy Daniels†	41	0	11.1	.392	.357	.625	1.1	.3	.2	.1	4.2
Markieff Morris†	14	1	14.2	.406	.333	.833	3.2	.6	.4	.4	5.3
Dion Waiters†	7	0	23.6	.425	.233	.875	1.9	2.4	.6	.6	11.9
Talen Horton-Tucker	6	1	13.5	.467	.308	.500	1.2	1.0	1.3	.2	5.7
J. R. Smith	6	0	13.2	.318	.091	1.000	.8	.5	.2	.0	2.8
Kostas Antetokounmpo	5	0	4.0	1.000		.500	.6	.4	.0	.0	1.4
Zach Norvell Jr.†	2	0	2.5	.000			.5	.0	.0	.0	.0
Devontae Cacok	1	0	9.0	.500			5.0	1.0	.0	.0	6.0

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Anthony Davis	21	21	36.6	.571	.383	.832	9.7	3.5	1.2	1.4	27.7
LeBron James	21	21	36.3	.560	.370	.720	10.8	8.8	1.2	.9	27.6
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	21	21	29.0	.418	.378	.815	2.1	1.3	1.0	.2	10.7
Danny Green	21	21	25.0	.347	.339	.667	3.1	1.2	1.0	.8	8.0
Markieff Morris	21	2	18.3	.449	.420	.778	3.0	1.0	.3	.1	5.9
Alex Caruso	21	1	24.3	.425	.279	.800	2.3	2.8	1.1	.6	6.5
Kyle Kuzma	21	0	23.0	.430	.313	.784	3.1	.8	.3	.3	10.0
Dwight Howard	18	7	15.7	.684	.500	.556	4.6	.5	.4	.4	5.8
Rajon Rondo	16	0	24.7	.455	.400	.684	4.3	6.6	1.4	.1	8.9
JaVale McGee	14	11	9.6	.625	.000	.500	3.1	.5	.1	.7	2.9
J. R. Smith	10	0	7.5	.269	.273		.3	.3	.2	.0	2.0
Jared Dudley	9	0	3.4	.000	.000		.2	.0	.4	.1	.0
Quinn Cook	6	0	4.0	.500	.500	1.000	.2	.8	.0	.0	2.2
Dion Waiters	5	0	7.6	.333	.000	1.000	.4	.4	.2	.2	2.0
Talen Horton-Tucker	2	0	8.5	.500	.400		2.5	.0	1.0	.0	7.0

Transactions

Trades

Three-team trade
To Los Angeles Lakers	To New Orleans Pelicans
To Washington Wizards

Re-signed

Player	Signed
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	2-year contract worth $16.5 million
JaVale McGee	2-year contract worth $8.2 million
Alex Caruso	2-year contract worth $5.5 million
Rajon Rondo	2-year contract worth $5.1 million

Additions

Player	Signed	Former Team
Zach Norvell Jr.	Two-way contract	Gonzaga Bulldogs
Troy Daniels	1-year contract worth $2 million	Phoenix Suns
Jared Dudley	1-year contract worth $2.5 million	Brooklyn Nets
Quinn Cook	2-year contract worth $6 million	Golden State Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins	1-year contract worth $3.5 million	Golden State Warriors
Danny Green	2-year contract worth $30 million	Toronto Raptors
Avery Bradley	2-year contract worth $9.7 million	Memphis Grizzlies
Talen Horton-Tucker	2-year contract worth $2.4 million	Iowa State Cyclones
Kostas Antetokounmpo	Two-way contract	Dallas Mavericks
Dwight Howard	1-year contract worth $2.6 million	Memphis Grizzlies
Devontae Cacok	Two-way contract	South Bay Lakers
Markieff Morris	1-year contract worth $1.7 million	Detroit Pistons
Dion Waiters	1-year contract worth $503,656	Memphis Grizzlies
J.R. Smith	Season Restart contract, worth unknown	Cleveland Cavaliers

Subtractions

Player	Reason left	New Team
Mike Muscala	1-year contract worth $1.6 million	Oklahoma City Thunder
Reggie Bullock	2-year contract worth $8.2 million	New York Knicks
Tyson Chandler	1-year contract worth $2.5 million	Houston Rockets
Zach Norvell Jr.	10-day contract worth $50,752	Golden State Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins	Waived	Houston Rockets
Troy Daniels	Waived	Denver Nuggets