1996–97 Los Angeles Lakers season

Kobe Bryant's rookie season
Byron Scott's final season
Shaquille O'Neal's first season with the Lakers
Derek Fisher's rookie season
Robert Horry's first season with the Lakers

Head coach

Del Harris

Owner(s)

Jerry Buss

Arena

Great Western Forum

Results

Record

56–26 (.683)

Place

Division: 2nd (Pacific)
Conference: 4th (Western)

Playoff finish

Conference Semifinals
(Eliminated 1–4)

Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com

Local media

Television

Fox Sports West, KCAL

Radio

AM 570 KLAC

< 1995–96

1997–98 >

The 1996–97 NBA season was the Los Angeles Lakers' 49th season in the National Basketball Association, and 37th in the city of Los Angeles. During the offseason, the Lakers signed free agent All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal, and acquired high school star Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Other offseason acquisitions included signing former Lakers guard Byron Scott and free agent Jerome Kersey. In January, they traded Cedric Ceballos back to the Phoenix Suns for Robert Horry, who won championships with the Houston Rockets. O'Neal finished fourth in the league in scoring averaging 26.2 points per game, but only played just 51 games due to injury.

During the final month of the season in a game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 6, the Lakers held the Mavs to just two points in the third quarter in an 87–80 win. It was the fewest points in a quarter of a game in NBA history. The Lakers finished second in the Pacific Division with a 56–26 record. O'Neal and Eddie Jones were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. However, O'Neal did not play due to injury. Bryant was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team. He also won the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

In the first round of the postseason, the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in four games. However, in the semifinals, they lost in five games to the Utah Jazz. Following the season, Scott retired and Kersey signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics.

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