That is why I hate the Los Angeles Lakers.
They can never stay down to the level of mediocrity for so long. Must have something to do with the front office, the destination which is Hollywood as well as franchise prestige.
The Lakers' history alone tells of their time and time again, rise to the NBA's elite. When
George Mikan came over from the Chicago American Gears to the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1949 merger of the BAA and NBL, the Lakers became a Dynasty, winning five championships.
When Mikan retired, the Lakers fell on hard times for a couple of seasons, but on the arrival of
Elgin Baylor and later on
Jerry West, both catapulted the Lakers as contenders again, though it seems for many years, the Lakers would suffer at the hands of the Boston Celtics on the NBA Finals.
It was in 1972 when the Lakers where the NBA Champions after years of drought lead by
Jerry West and
Wilt Chamberlain.
After West and Chamberlain retired, Lakers fell on hard times but seven years of misery ended when the Lakers acquired center
Kareem Abdul Jabbar and drafted a tall point guard,
Magic Johnson, in which we all know lead the Lakers to five championships on the 80's and would make the last hurrah on 1991 against the Chicago Bulls.
After Johnson retired, the Lakers once again languished as a non-playoff team until they signed free agent center
Shaquille O'Neal in 1996 as well as drafting a player from high school named
Kobe Bryant that catapulted the Lakers as playoff contenders.
Eventually on 2000, the Lakers hired
Phil Jackson and the pieces where in place for a Dynasty as the Lakers won three consecutive championships from 2000-2002. In 2003, the Lakers were ousted in the semi-finals by the San Antonio Spurs.
In 2004, the Lakers would be back in the NBA Finals, with the addition of two future hall of famers:
Karl Malone and
Gary Payton; but was man handled by the Detroit Pistons. Thus the Shaq era was over and the following season, the Lakers would trade Shaq to Miami in exchange for
Lamar Odom,
Caron Butler and
Brian Grant.
In 2005, the Lakers missed the playoffs and the two years that followed would see the Lakers on first round ousters on the western conference playoffs. But in early 2008, the Lakers acquired
Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies and that catapulted them once again to an NBA contender; despite falling to the Boston Celtics in six games during the 2008 NBA finals.
2009, the Lakers won. 2010, the Lakers won. 2011 could also be the year of the Lakers and their second three peat. Championship or not, after this season,
Phil Jackson could retire and I am interested on how the Lakers will do without the Zen Master.
As well as looking forward to the future, it would be quite a subject to ponder on how the Lakers will be once the Bryant era is over.
LOL
I just wonder how Lakers will do after Kobe. There will be some time when they will suck, and then will rise again. I don't know why, but i feel that Lakers' management do better work than most of the teams in a long run. Hmm it just popped to me that this is very interesting topic. I will now create one 
