Written by: Fernando Rea
Are 4 losses in a row the championship Death Knell?
With the Lakers losing their 4th in a row Wednesday night the Lakers’ fan base once seemingly indelible confidence has been shaken. While there will always be the fair share of fans with the sky is falling mentality after each loss, this current string of losses is a legitimate cause for concern for all fans. You would believe at this point that even the most optimistic of Laker fans now have some doubt creeping in after 4 straight losses; 2 of which by likely non playoff teams. The questions about the Lakers’ superiority, which seemed absurd to be posed when the Lakers were crushing the league at 13-2, are now reasonable after four straight losses.
Is the Lakers’ roster too old to contend for another title?
Are the Lakers dependent on Bynum anchoring the middle? If so, do the Lakers’ chances of winning their 3rd straight championship hinge on Bynum’s health?
Is Kobe finally reaching that point of gradual decline in his play due to age? Is the early season play of Kobe an indication of how he’ll play this season?
Does Artest’s game fit on this team and in this system?
Was the great bench play displayed early on an anomaly?
Will the inability to guard the quick penetrating guards finally be the Lakers downfall this season?
You will probably hear many of these questions about the Lakers come up in conversations at sport bars, by the water cooler at work and as topics on sports talk shows all over radio and TV. The answers to all of those questions will have to play out over the season.
However, I did want to look into the past to see where the Lakers’s current demise compares to others in NBA history.
Next: Looking to the Past to Determine the Future
Here are some grim historical facts that provide a foreboding to the Lakers third straight championship run.
You probably already heard that none of Phil Jackson’s 11 championship teams have ever lost 4 in a row. You can also add that no Los Angeles Laker team has ever lost 4 in a row and won an NBA championship in the same season.
You have to go back to 1954 to find the last time a Laker team lost 4 in a row in an NBA championship; that’s 56 years ago and back when the Lakers called Minneapolis home!
That bit of history is harrowing for the Lakers and fans alike. If the Lakers are to break out of this slump and contend for their 3rd straight championship title they will not only have to fight those teams contending to take the title from them but 56 years of Laker history as well.
While Phil Jackson’s coaching career and the Lakers’ team history with losing 4 in a row provide a gloomy outlook, the history of the NBA provides much rosier possibilities.
It was just 4 years ago (2006) that the Miami Heat won an NBA championship despite having a losing streak of 4 games in the regular season.
Of the 64 NBA championship teams, 14 of them have had losing streaks of 4 or more games in the regular season. That would equate to the phenomenon occurring once every 5 years, which actually would make more common than a phenomenon by definition.
The 2004 Detriot Piston team, which beat the Lakers “Reloaded” team of Shaq, Kobe, Malone and Payton in the finals, had not only a 4 game losing streak but one of 6 as well.
Next: That Stat You Keep Hearing About Phil Jackson and Losing 4 Straight
While no Phil Jackson championship team have lost 4 in a row, they have had bad stretches:
- The 1990-91 Chicago Bulls team started off the season 5-6, but still found a way to turn things around to finish at 61-21 and win the NBA championship.
- Both the 2001 and 2002 Laker Championship teams, coached by Phil, had a stretch where they lost 4 out of 5 games.
- It was just last year that the soon to be 2 x champ Lakers had a stretch of losing 4 out of 5 and 5 out of 7.
Each season takes on a storyline and life of its own which can differ greatly from those before them. Looking back at history can only provide information of how teams of the past have faired in a similar situation that the Lakers find themselves in now, but it can’t predict the outcome of the current path. What I think we learned is that losing 4 or more in row is not a death knell of championship aspirations for an NBA team as it has been done before; but it’s definitely not ideal.
Another thing we can get from the past is some peace of mind and trust if we look at the stellar history of those most responsible for the success of the current day Lakers.
We can be comforted by Phil Jackson and his record 11 championships coaching.
We should be set at ease by Kobe Bryant with his 5 rings and undeniable will.
We can sleep better at night with Derek Fisher and his well chronicled past of championship heroics which help the Lakers to 5 championships.
They are the guardians of the Lakers’ legacy right now and are steering the ship that has its destination set for their 3rd straight championship. I personally don’t think you could select anyone more qualified to watch over and protect it. That thought in it self should relieve the Laker fan’s feelings of dejection and quash the anticipation of a bleak outcome for this season.
Need more Lakers news? Don’t stop here! Continue reading more hot Lakers stories from Lakers Nation!