Conference | Western Conference |
---|---|
League | National Basketball Association |
Sport | Basketball |
First season | 1970–71 season |
No. of teams | 5 |
Most recent champion(s) | Los Angeles Clippers (3rd title) |
Most titles | Los Angeles Lakers (24 titles) |
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. All teams, except the Suns, are based in California. Along with the American League West of Major League Baseball, they are one of two North American major league divisions with no animal themed nicknames.
The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 to 17 teams with the addition of the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigned itself into two conferences: the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, with two divisions each in each conference. The Pacific Division began with five inaugural members: the Lakers, the Blazers, the San Diego Rockets, the San Francisco Warriors and the Seattle SuperSonics. [1] The Lakers, the Rockets, the Warriors and the SuperSonics all joined from the Western Division.
The Lakers have won the most Pacific Division titles with 24. The Phoenix Suns have the second most titles with eight. 19 NBA champions have come from the Pacific Division. The Lakers have won 12 championships, the Warriors won 5, and the Blazers and Sonics won one championship each. All of them, except the 1976–77 Blazers, the 2001–02 Lakers and the 2021–22 Warriors, were division champions. In the 1991–92 season, six teams from the division qualified for the playoffs. In the 1977–78 season, all teams in the division had winning percentages above 0.500 (50%). The most recent division champions are the Los Angeles Clippers.
Since the 2021–22 season, the Pacific Division champion has received the Chuck Cooper Trophy, named after Hall of Famer Chuck Cooper. [2]
Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden State Warriors | 12 | 3 | .800 | −0.5 | 5–1 | 7–2 | 0–2 | 15 |
Los Angeles Lakers | 10 | 5 | .667 | 1.5 | 7–1 | 3–4 | 2–1 | 15 |
Los Angeles Clippers | 10 | 7 | .588 | 2.5 | 7–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 17 |
Phoenix Suns | 9 | 7 | .563 | 3.0 | 5–3 | 4–4 | 3–3 | 16 |
Sacramento Kings | 8 | 8 | .500 | 4.0 | 4–4 | 4–4 | 2–3 | 16 |
Team | City | Joined | Left | Current division | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | From | Year | To | |||
Houston Rockets (1971–present) San Diego Rockets (1967-1971) | Houston, Texas San Diego, California | 1970 | Western Division | 1972 | Central Division | Southwest Division |
Portland Trail Blazers | Portland, Oregon | 1970 | —† | 2004 | Northwest Division | Northwest Division |
Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008, now Oklahoma City Thunder) | Seattle, Washington | 1970 | Western Division | 2004 | Northwest Division | Northwest Division |
Denotes team currently in the division | |
Denotes team that has left the division |
Beginning with the 2021–22 season, the Pacific Division champion has received the Chuck Cooper Trophy. As with the other division championship trophies, it is named after one of the many African American pioneers from NBA history. Chuck Cooper became the first African-American to be drafted by an NBA team when the Boston Celtics selected him with the first pick in the second round of the 1950 draft. The Cooper Trophy consists of a 200-millimetre (7.9 in) crystal ball. [3]
^ | Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season |
^ | Denotes team that has left the division |
Team | Titles | Season(s) won |
---|---|---|
Los Angeles Lakers | 24 | 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2019–20 |
Phoenix Suns | 8 | 1980–81, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
Golden State Warriors | 7 | 1974–75, 1975–76, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 |
Seattle SuperSonics^ (now Oklahoma City Thunder) | 5 | 1978–79, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98 |
Portland Trail Blazers^ | 4 | 1977–78, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99 |
Sacramento Kings | 3 | 2001–02, 2002–03, 2022–23 |
Los Angeles Clippers | 3 | 2012–13, 2013–14, 2023–24 |
^ | Denotes team that won the NBA championships |
+ | Denotes team that won the Conference finals, but lost the NBA Finals |
* | Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Playoffs |
× | Denotes team that qualified for the NBA play-in tournament |
† | Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart (Bubble happened due to COVID-19) |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors
Brian Keith Shaw is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played both guard positions, but was used primarily at point guard in his 14 seasons in the NBA. He won three NBA championships playing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4–2 in the 2003 NBA Finals. It was Michael Jordan's last season in the NBA. It marked the first finals since the 1998–99 NBA season in which the Lakers did not appear, as well as the Spurs' first finals appearance since then.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 55th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their second straight championship, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1 in the 2001 NBA Finals.
The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, after a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. All 29 teams played a shortened 50-game-per-team regular season schedule and the 16 teams who qualified for the playoffs played a full post-season schedule. That season's All-Star Game, which would have been held in Philadelphia, was also canceled. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs winning the franchise's first NBA championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the 1999 NBA Finals. This was the 50th season since the BAA and NBL had merged into the NBA.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), though the 50th anniversary was not celebrated until the following season. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals to win their fourth championship.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the 49th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Houston Rockets defeating the Orlando Magic 4–0 in the NBA Finals to be crowned champions.
The 1991–92 NBA season was the 46th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their second straight NBA Championship, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. This was Larry Bird's final season as a player in the NBA.
The 1990–91 NBA season was the 45th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA Championship, eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
The 1989–90 NBA season was the 44th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning their second consecutive NBA Championship, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. It was also the Pistons' second NBA title overall.
The 1988–89 NBA season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the first season of the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets.
The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their second straight Championship, beating the Detroit Pistons in seven hard-fought games in the NBA Finals, becoming the NBA's first repeat champions since the Boston Celtics did it in the 1968–69 NBA season.
The 1986–87 NBA season was the 41st season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their fourth championship of the decade, beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.
The 2000 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers four games to two. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP.
Artis Wayne Cooper was an American professional basketball player who played fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Coop", he played for the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets from 1978 to 1992. He was the Denver Nuggets’ all-time leader in blocks when he left the franchise in 1989. After his playing career ended, he worked as an executive with the Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
The 1992 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-92 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center, becoming co-tenants with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers. During the off-season, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A.C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agents Ron Harper, Brian Shaw and John Salley. Green won two championships with the Lakers in the 1980s, and Salley won three championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win five NBA championships over the course of the next 12 years.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Lakers' 50th season in the National Basketball Association, and 38th in the city of Los Angeles. During the off-season, the Lakers signed free agents Rick Fox, and three-point specialist Jon Barry. Second-year shooting guard, and last season's Slam Dunk champion Kobe Bryant emerged as a star in his second season, playing an increased role as the team's sixth man, averaging 15.4 points per game off the bench, while being selected to start in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game at the age of 19, which was his first ever All-Star appearance; Bryant scored 18 points in 22 minutes, as the Western Conference lost to the Eastern Conference, 135–114. Joining him on the Western Conference All-Star roster were teammates Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Bryant also finished in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting behind Danny Manning of the Phoenix Suns.
The 1988–89 NBA season was the Seattle SuperSonics' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Sonics acquired Michael Cage from the Los Angeles Clippers. The SuperSonics won their first three games of the season, and held a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. However, the team lost seven straight games between March and April, but then posted an 8-game winning streak afterwards, and finished third in the Pacific Division with a 47–35 record.
The 1988–89 NBA season was the Warriors' 43rd season in the NBA and 26th in the San Francisco Bay Area. General Manager Don Nelson became the Warriors' new head coach this season. In the 1988 NBA draft, the Warriors selected Mitch Richmond out of Kansas State University with the fifth overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired 7' 7" center Manute Bol from the Washington Bullets. The Warriors went on an 8-game winning streak in January, and held a 25–20 record at the All-Star break. Despite losing their final six games, the team showed a lot of improvement over the previous season, finishing fourth in the Pacific Division with a 43–39 record.
The following is a timeline of the organizational changes in the National Basketball Association (NBA), including contractions, expansions, relocations, and divisional realignment. The league was formed as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946 and took its current name in 1949. The histories of NBA franchises that were also members of the American Basketball League (ABL), National Basketball League (NBL), National Pro Basketball League (NPBL), and American Basketball Association (ABA) are also included.