When Was the Last Time the Lakers Won a Title?

Know when the Los Angeles Lakers last won a title, and does this Lakers team have what it takes to end the drought?

LeBron James | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most decorated franchises in NBA history, with 17 championships split between their Minneapolis and Los Angeles eras. But the last time they actually won it all was 2020. That's six years without a ring, and right now, the road back looks anything but clear.

That 2020 run came inside the NBA's bubble in Orlando, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the charge. Around them, role players like Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and Danny Green filled every gap the team needed filled.

They beat the Miami Heat in six games, claiming championship No. 17, which briefly tied them with the Boston Celtics for the most titles in league history. The Celtics have since moved ahead, winning their 18th in 2024.

Before the bubble, Los Angeles had gone a full decade without a ring.

Their previous titles came in 2009 and 2010, both with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. After that core broke up and Phil Jackson stepped away, the franchise spent years rebuilding before LeBron arrived in 2018 and eventually delivered.

The Lakers did add some hardware in the years that followed. In December 2023, they won the inaugural NBA Cup, beating the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas. James was named tournament MVP, and it was a genuinely fun run. But the NBA Cup is not a championship, and that distinction matters to this fanbase. The real drought, the one for a title, is now six years and counting.

The Los Angeles Lakers celebrate with the champions trophy after the in-season tournament championship | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Can the Lakers End the Drought in 2026?

Los Angeles finished the regular season 53-29 and locked in the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Their first-round opponent is the No. 5 Houston Rockets, with Game 1 set for April 18. The problem is, they are going shorthanded.

Luka Doncic is out with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and traveled to Europe for specialized treatment. His return timeline for the playoffs remains unclear. Austin Reaves is also sidelined with a Grade 2 oblique strain and is expected to miss at least the opening games of the series.

Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) react during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Together, those two were the engine of this team all season. Without them, the load falls almost entirely on LeBron James, who is 41 years old and still the Lakers' best option when things get tight.

Houston is not a pushover, either. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun give the Rockets real firepower, and this will be the first time James and Durant meet in the playoffs since the 2018 NBA Finals.

If Doncic or Reaves returns mid-series, it helps, but coming back from a Grade 2 injury in the middle of a playoff run is not the same as being fully healthy. There are no guarantees either player will be at full strength even if they do suit up.

The Lakers have bigger dreams than a first-round exit, but with this roster, surviving Houston is the first step.

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