Are you a fan of all the different LA sports teams? If you are, then you’ve no doubt been blessed by at least a few fantastic years throughout the course of your life.
The LA Lakers alone have won 17 NBA championships over time. And they’re just one of the LA professional sports teams that have enjoyed a massive amount of success.
All of this success has led to some really memorable years in LA sports history. Today, we’re going to run through a few of the most special years provided by the LA professional teams inside of the various LA sports venues.
Continue reading to find out more about the best years for LA sports teams. Whether you’re an LA fan or not, it’ll provide you with a real appreciation for everything that LA sports teams have been able to accomplish.
1965 (and 1966!)
Most of today’s LA sports fans probably don’t remember what it was like watching LA sports teams back in the mid-1960s. But it was, in a word, magical. There was so much going on with the LA Dodgers and the LA Lakers, specifically during that time period.
In 1965 and 1966, both the Dodgers and Lakers made it all the way to the World Series and the NBA Finals, respectively. Those runs capped off a five-year period in the early to mid-1960s when the Dodgers made it to the World Series three times and the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals four times.
Furthermore, there were two LA legends who solidified their legacies in the 1960s. Sandy Koufax was one of the leaders for the Dodgers at that time, while Jerry West led the Lakers to so much success.
You could say that the 1960s as a whole really helped to solidify LA as one of the best sports towns in the entire country.
1981
After the incredible runs that the Dodgers and Lakers had in the 1960s, LA sports fans were a little spoiled. But that didn’t stop the same two LA sports teams from spoiling them again!
After adding Earvin “Magic” Johnson to the mix, he and a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were able to lead the Lakers to an NBA title in 1981. That same year, the Dodgers also won a World Series with legendary manager Tommy Lasorda at the helm.
And believe it or not, the Lakers and Dodgers weren’t done! They would continue to make history throughout the rest of the ’80s.
1988
You could make the argument that 1988 was the single-greatest year in LA sports history. So many amazing things happened for LA sports fans that year.
First, the Lakers upended the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals in seven games. Then, the Dodgers won the World Series in improbable fashion thanks to Kirk Gibson’s historic home run in Game 1 of the series.
And to add to all of that, the LA Kings send shockwaves throughout the NHL when they pulled off a trade for Wayne Gretzky. It would turn the Kings from a pretender to a contender pretty much overnight. For each of these reasons, 1988 was a very special year for LA sports teams. It was the type of year that LA sports fans still talk about to this day.
2020
Throughout the 2000s, Kobe Bryant kept LA Lakers fans on the edges of their seats early and often. Kobe teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal to win three NBA titles before eventually winning two more on his own. It helped cement Kobe’s legacy as one of the best Lakers players of all time.
But the Lakers had a lot of down years between 2010 and 2020. And it appeared as though that trend might continue until LeBron James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time to join the Lakers.
LeBron’s first couple of seasons in LA didn’t really go as anticipated. But he eventually teamed up with Anthony Davis to lead the Lakers to the team’s first title in a decade.
That same year, the Dodgers also helped to get pitcher Clayton Kershaw “off the schneid” by finally winning the World Series after getting so close to doing it in the seasons preceding the 2020 one. These two events turned Tinseltown into the place to be for sports fans once again. It had been a while since LA sports fans had something to celebrate.
2022
Even though 2022 isn’t over yet, it has already been a banner year for LA sports teams. And it’s been great despite the fact that the Lakers missed the playoffs.
In February, the LA Rams, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, won the team’s first Super Bowl ever while playing in LA (the Rams won a Super Bowl while still in St. Louis back in 2000). That win put the Rams back on the map and gave LA sports fans yet another reason to celebrate.
And the celebrating might not be over! The Dodgers are once again poised to make a run to the World Series this MLB season, and the Lakers are spending their offseason retooling in the hopes of giving LeBron the help he’ll need to make it back to the NBA Finals.
Click here to scoop up tickets to see LeBron & Co. in action later this year.
LA Teams Always Give Fans Things to Celebrate
The LA teams don’t win championships every single year. But at least one LA sports team is usually in the mix for one on an annual basis. This has made life great for all the LA sports fans out there. They always have something to cheer for, even when they’re not adding to their LA sports championships.
Check out some more articles about sports by browsing through everything else our blog has to offer.