[1] This season was mostly remembered for the Lakers signing free agent All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal,[2][3][4][5][6] and acquiring high school basketball star Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets,[7][8][9][10][11] who selected him with the thirteenth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft during the off-season.
[23] In January, they traded Cedric Ceballos back to his former team, the Phoenix Suns, in exchange for Robert Horry, who won two championships with the Houston Rockets.
[47][48][49][50] However, in the Western Conference Semi-finals, they lost in five games to regular season MVP Karl Malone, John Stockton and the Utah Jazz.
[65] One notable highlight of the season was the Lakers holding the Dallas Mavericks to just two points in the third quarter, in an 87–80 home win on April 6, 1997.
[71] Roster Last transaction: February 24, 1997 During his first season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel.