• {{player||USA|Phil Jackson}} ({{college|North Dakota}})

• {{player||USA|Frank Hamblen}} ({{college|Syracuse}})
• {{player||USA|Kurt Rambis}} ({{college|Santa Clara}})
• {{player||USA|Brian Shaw}} ({{college|UC-Santa Barbara}})
• {{player||USA|Kareem Abdul-Jabbar}} ({{college|UCLA}})
• {{player||USA|Craig Hodges}} ({{college|Long Beach State}})
• {{player||USA|Jim Cleamons}} ({{college|Ohio State}})

Season summary

Following the 2006–07 NBA season the future of Kobe Bryant's career as a Laker fell into doubt, when he demanded to be traded.^[9] For a week he tiraded and the situation escalated when a videotape about him was released. The video recorded him saying that the Lakers should have traded Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. Bryant insulted Bynum and was critical of General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Management decided to re-sign Derek Fisher, a past hero, but the Lakers would enter the season frustrated and with question marks.

The Lakers started the 2007–08 NBA season surprisingly well. Fueled by the emergence of Andrew Bynum as a main option at center and the return of Derek Fisher, the Lakers would even enjoy being the number one team in the Western Conference for three days. Capped by an early-season trade for Trevor Ariza, rumors of Bryant wanting to leave Los Angeles were finally beginning to die. However, before the Lakers could savor their new success, Bynum would go down with a knee injury that would take him out for the remainder of the season. Suddenly, the contending Lakers lost three straight games. The remainder of the season looked bleak for the Lakers, who were struggling to win games. It seemed that injuries, once again, would cripple another Laker season.

On February 1, the Lakers dealt the unpopular Kwame Brown (who was booed viciously by the fans for his many turnovers in recent games), rookie Javaris Crittenton, veteran Aaron McKie, the draft rights to his brother Marc Gasol, and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 for Spaniard all-star forward Pau Gasol and a second-round draft choice in 2010. With the Lakers now having a center and power forward who are both {{convert|7|ft|m}} tall, analysts have referred to Gasol and Bynum as "the twin towers", similar to the duo of Tim Duncan and David Robinson in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even while waiting for Bynum's return, the Lakers were playing very well and got a second taste of being best in the Western Conference.

With Kobe Bryant leading the charge with his MVP-caliber season, the month of April was very triumphant for the Lakers, who quickly surged to the top of Western Conference. Aided by Pau Gasol's versatile abilities and Lamar Odom's stellar play as a third option, the Lakers clinched their playoff berth for the 55th time in their 60 years with the league, won the Pacific Division from the Phoenix Suns (their first since Shaq left in 2004), and clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1999–2000 NBA season. Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker.^[10] During the second round against the Utah Jazz, Byrant was officially named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player award, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June", that he was "very proud to represent [the] organization, to represent [the] city" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award."^[11]

Furthermore, the team had bonded during training camp last October in Honolulu when Lamar Odom hired a chef to cook for the team. "I won't take the credit", Odom said, "but in training camp we became tighter. I made sure we had a chef. We ate dinner, lunch and breakfast together every day at training camp. I think that was special. I think that's when the bond started." Additionally, Byrant's behavior towards his teammates changed as well. "It's the little things, taking guys out to dinner, talking to guys more about things", Luke Walton said. "He's such a great player, I think sometimes it gets frustrating if we don't understand something. But he's taking the time to explain what guys are doing out there a little more. I think before he used to be a little more negative towards his teammates, as opposed to now, when he's pulling people to the side, talking to them, finding out ways to figure it out together instead of just coming down hard on them. He's definitely more patient. He's having more fun. I think he's enjoying it more, especially with the team going like this."^[12]

Playoffs

Denver Nuggets

In Pau Gasol's playoff debut with the Lakers, he scored 36 points, with 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocked shots, as the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Game 1. After Game 1, Kobe Bryant publicly announced his desire to remain as a Laker.^[13] Kobe Bryant gave the fans a vintage performance in Game 2 by scoring 49 points and adding 10 assists in a blowout at Staples Center. Game 2 against the Nuggets would mark a playoff first in which Lakers rookie guard Coby Karl became the first player to go against his coaching father, George Karl, in an NBA playoff game.^[14] The Nuggets were routed at home in Game 3, with Carmelo Anthony stating the team quit in the second half. Game 4 was closer, but Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points in the last five and a half minutes to close out the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Lakers were the only team in 2008 to sweep an opponent in the playoffs.

Utah Jazz

The Lakers faced the Utah Jazz in the second round of the playoffs which began on May 4 at Staples Center. It was the first time the two franchises had competed in a post-season series since the 1998 Western Conference Finals. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and Utah Head Coach Jerry Sloan and Assistant Coach Phil Johnson, were the only individuals present from the 1998 series that were in this series. Conversely, it was also the first play-off series meeting between Coach Sloan and Lakers' Head Coach Phil Jackson since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Jazz in the NBA Finals that same year. The Lakers took game 1 at Staples Center, winning by 11 against the Jazz. During Game 2 against the Utah Jazz, Bryant was officially named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player award, to which he promised the fans that the team would "play until June", that he was "very proud to represent [the] organization, to represent [the] city" and thanked his teammates for helping him win the MVP award for the first time in his 12-season career. He said, "the special thing about this award is that we have done it together. I can't stress it enough. This is not an individual award."^[11] After being presented the trophy Bryant led his team to their second victory with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Having a 6–0 record in the playoffs, the Lakers traveled to Utah to play the third and fourth games of the series. However their streak would come to a sudden halt. The Jazz won both Games 3 and 4 to even up the series with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who bounced back after having two terrible games at L.A., leading the team. Game 4 went to overtime which the Lakers lost for the first time this season. The series would head back to Los Angeles tied 2–2. The Lakers came back with authority as they took Game 5 with Bryant, Gasol, and Odom scoring 20-plus points each. The Jazz looked to force a Game 7 but the Lakers closed out the series in Game 6 in Utah to end the series 4–2. Their victory on the road against the Jazz marked not only an impressive road win against a team with the best home record in the league, but also the second victory a road team had notched against a home team^[15] in the entire 2007–2008 playoff Conference Semifinals, as home teams had won at a 22–2 pace.

San Antonio Spurs

The Lakers went on to face the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals. The two teams combined to win seven of the last nine NBA Championships. The Lakers were able to overcome a 20-point deficit in game 1 and win behind Kobe Bryant's 27 points, with 25 being scored in the second half. Game 2 was a cruise for the Lakers as they made a 9–0 run before halftime and built the lead to 30. For the third straight series the Lakers started off 2–0. This also marked Ariza playing for the first time since breaking a bone in his right foot in January.^[16] The Spurs easily took game 3 in San Antonio with Manu Ginóbili carrying the Spurs after two terrible games in L.A. The Lakers barely escaped Game 4 with a narrow win after Brent Barry missed a last second three-pointer due to a "missed foul call" on Derek Fisher, even though Bryant, Gregg Popovich, and Phil Jackson all agreed that it was not a foul. The NBA head office, however, admitted the next day that a foul should have been called, which would have given one of the league's top free throw shooters a chance to tie the game. Heading home up 3–1 in the series, the Lakers trailed in the first quarter by 17 but were able to cut the lead to six by halftime. Again, Bryant stepped up by scoring 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers surged ahead to take a 100–92 victory behind their home crowd for a chance to win championship no. 15. They also improved to 4–0 against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals.

Boston Celtics

The Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals again as the no. 1 seed. The last time this happened to the team was during 2000, where they beat the Indiana Pacers 4–2. The Lakers looked to renew their rivalry with the Boston Celtics as the two matched up for the 11th time in the NBA Finals. The Celtics own an 8–2 record all-time against the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but were defeated by Los Angeles the last two times they met in 1985 and 1987. Entering the finals, the Celtics and the Lakers held the record for most Finals appearances (Celtics 19, Lakers 28) including the 2008 Finals, and most championships (Celtics 16, Lakers 14). The Celtics went on to win the Finals 4–2 for their 17th NBA championship.

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs