2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season

The Lakers marked the end of an era for head coach Phil Jackson, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2011.

Entering the offseason, Derek Fisher, Adam Morrison, D. J. Mbenga and Josh Powell were all unrestricted free agents.

[7][8] Fisher was the Lakers' main priority to re-sign in the offseason, but there was disagreement over the amount of the contract's worth, with both sides arguing between 2.5 and 5 million dollars per season.

[8] Fisher eventually agreed to a three-year contract worth $10.5 million with a player option on the final year.

[9] On July 2, the Lakers agreed to terms with Los Angeles Clippers free agent Steve Blake on a four-year contract worth $16 million using most of the team's mid-level exception.

[13] Backup point guard Jordan Farmar left the Lakers, indicating his desire to be a starter and signed with the New Jersey Nets.

[16] In September, the Lakers signed Drew Naymick, Anthony Roberson, Trey Johnson, and Russell Hicks to the training camp squad, bringing their total number of players to 18.

During their first 14 games, notable performances have included Kobe Bryant recording a triple double in a November 3 win against the Sacramento Kings.

[21] Matt Barnes and Pau Gasol became the only players besides Charles Barkley to record 20 points, five rebounds and five assists without missing on at least five shots from the field and the free throw line.

[22] Several reasons have been given for the Lakers' early success including improved play by Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and a better bench.

The Lakers started a seven-game December road trip by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 87–86 after Derek Fisher made the game winning layup as time expired.

On January 7 against the New Orleans Hornets, Matt Barnes tore the lateral meniscus on his right knee and is expected to be out for eight weeks.

[28] On January 11, the Lakers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers by 55 points, the third largest margin of victory in franchise history.

[29] This was part of a seven-game winning streak that was snapped in a "road" game versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

[30] In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 92–86 win over the Celtics.

[31] It was the Lakers first victory of the season against one of the league's top four teams, as they entered the game 0–5 in previous matchups and had been outscored by an average of 11 points.

After the All-Star break, the Lakers started 8–0 including a 16-point blowout against the top ranked San Antonio Spurs (51–12), whom they led by as many as 32 points in the third quarter.

The losing streak ended with a 102–93 home win over the Spurs, who sat out Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili.

[47] During the Spurs' game, Bryant used a derogatory gay term in frustration over a referee's call and was later fined $100,000 by the NBA.

The Lakers surrendered a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Bryant made a tying 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

[55] In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played the New Orleans Hornets, a team they beat four times in the regular season.

[58] Bynum and Barnes played after injuries at the end of the regular season, while Blake remained out with the chicken pox.

The larger Laker front line helped the team regain control in rebounds with a 42–25 advantage over the Hornets, resulting in a 22–2 disparity in second-chance points.

"[65] In the second round, the Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks, who advanced past the Portland Trail Blazers, 4–2.

[67] Following Game 2, Andrew Bynum told the press that the team was having "trust issues", a comment that sparked doubt of the Lakers' ability to win the series and the playoffs.

But, things looked bleak as they entered the highly partisan atmosphere of the American Airlines Center at Dallas.

[69] This intensified the doubts of the Lakers' attempt to make a three-peat, since no team in NBA history had ever climbed out of a 0–3 hole in the playoffs to win a series.