Come see the L.A. Lakers as they bring the fun and excitement of professional basketball to cities across the U.S. this spring!

The L.A. Lakers, formed in 1946, are one of the most well-known and popular franchises in American sports. Home games are played at the Staples Center, a world class facility that has all the amenities a basketball fan could want as he watches one of the most storied teams in sports battle it out with rivals for domination of the court.

The team got its start with the purchase of the Detroit Gems, a disbanded team, in 1946. After this, they began playing in “the land of 10,000 lakes”, and officially picked up the name “Lakers”. They were led to the finals 6 times by legendary players Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, but lost each time to the Boston Celtics, which were the beginnings of a long rivalry between the two clubs.

The won their sixth title in 1972, but it was their first after moving to L.A., and soon they had acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most well-known basketball players to ever hit the courts. By the 1980s, the Lakers (by then known as Showtime for their fast offense) would win 5 championships in a 9 year span, which included their first ever finals win against their rivals, the Celtics, in 1985.

The Lakers hold the record for the longest winning streak, and have had sixteen hall of fame players play for them in their long and impressive history in the league. For of these hall of famers went on to coach the team, and four Lakers have taken the NBA MVPO award for a total of 8 times.

As of 2012, the Lakers were one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA with an estimated worth of over 900 million by Forbes magazine. If you want to see what real basketball is all about, then get tickets for yourself and your family to catch the Lakers! For the finest in sports, this team is hard to beat!