2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season

This 15-game turnaround from the prior season has been attributed to the progress of the team's bench players and the mid-season trade for Pau Gasol.

[2] Chris Mihm also signed a new contract for two years despite missing the entire previous season after having surgery on his right ankle.

[3] Fisher was released from the Utah Jazz at his request during the offseason so his family could move to a city that has better treatment for his daughter, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma.

The Lakers signed him in order to add stability at the point and they needed a player who was well versed in the triangle offense.

The most notable departure was last year's starting point guard Smush Parker to the Miami Heat.

After spending one year with the Lakers, Shammond Williams left via free agency to play for Pamesa Valencia of the ACB.

[5] After Andrew Bynum was injured for the rest of the season, the Lakers needed help in the front court before they risked falling out of contention in the playoff race.

[9] With their first-round pick, the Lakers selected Georgia Tech freshman point guard Javaris Crittenton.

Management decided to re-sign Derek Fisher, a past hero, but the Lakers would enter the season frustrated and with question marks.

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.

On February 1, the Lakers dealt the unpopular Kwame Brown (who was booed viciously by the fans for his many turnovers in recent games [12]), 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.

[13] With the Lakers now having a center and power forward who are both 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, analysts have referred to Gasol and Bynum as "the twin towers",[14] similar to the duo of Tim Duncan and David Robinson in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

With Kobe Bryant leading the charge with his MVP-caliber season, the month of April was successful for the Lakers, who quickly surged to the top of Western Conference.

Aided by Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom's play as second and third options respectively, 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.

[15] 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.

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.

[18] 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.

[19] 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.