2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season

Entering the offseason, Derek Fisher, Adam Morrison, D. J. Mbenga and Josh Powell were all unrestricted free agents.[2] Jordan Farmar was a restricted free agent, but the Lakers didn't extend a qualifying offer to him, also making him an unrestricted free agent.[3] Shannon Brown exercised the player option on his contract and opted out of the remaining year of his contract that would have paid him $2.15 million.[2][3] 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.[3] Fisher eventually agreed to a three-year contract worth $10.5 million with a player option on the final year.[4]

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.[5] The Lakers officially signed Blake to a four-year contract on July 8. On July 22, the Lakers signed free agent forward Matt Barnes to a two-year deal worth $3.6 million (with a player option on the second year) and center Theo Ratliff to a one-year deal worth $1.35 million.[6] On August 5, Shannon Brown's agent announced that the Lakers will resign Brown to a two-year deal worth $4.6 million.[7] Brown turned down more lucrative offers from the Knicks and Hornets and has a player option on his second year.[8]

Backup point guard Jordan Farmar left the Lakers, indicating his desire to be a starter and signed with the New Jersey Nets. Backup power forward Josh Powell left the team and signed with the Atlanta Hawks. D. J. Mbenga and Adam Morrison signed with the New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards, respectively. The Lakers also signed both of their second-round draft picks Devin Ebanks (on August 13) and Derrick Caracter (on August 14) to non-guaranteed two-year deals.[9][10] Ebanks earned the minimum rookie salary of $473,604. As he would stay with the Lakers, his second year salary was $736,420. Caracter agreed to a two-year, $1.1 million deal that was partially guaranteed. Caracter earned $473,604 that season. On April 13 the Lakers signed Trey Johnson due to injuries on the roster.

Head coach Phil Jackson also agreed to a one-year deal after considering retiring. After Jackson's deal, the Lakers were able to quickly reach agreements with the rest of the coaching staff. Longtime assistants Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen and Jim Cleamons are returning and special assistant Chuck Person has officially been added to the staff.[11]

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.[12] By the start of the season, the Lakers can have at the most 15 players. The Lakers eventually released all four players in October, bring their roster to 14 players.[13]

In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played the New Orleans Hornets, a team they beat four times in the regular season. The Lakers lost 109–100 in their opener in the playoffs to the Hornets, who were led by Chris Paul and his 33 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds. The Lakers had not lost a playoff opener at home in 15 years.[51] Bryant had 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting, while Gasol had eight points on two-of-nine shooting, six rebounds, zero offensive rebounds and poor defense on pick-and-roll plays.[52] "It's up to me to get myself going, be more aggressive, get myself into rhythm", Gasol said. "He's not naturally aggressive", Bryant said.[53] Bynum and Barnes played after injuries at the end of the regular season, while Blake remained out with the chicken pox.[52] The Lakers won Game 2, 87–78, led by Bynum's 17 points and 11 rebounds. Odom scored 16 points, and Artest added 15. Bryant had only 11 points, but insisted to Jackson that he guard Paul, who finished with 20 points and nine assists. Gasol had eight points and five rebounds, and shot just four-for-19 from the field in the first two games.[54][55] Blake returned in Game 2 and did not score but had five assists and three rebounds.[56] Bryant scored 30 points, Gasol added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Lakers won Game 3 in New Orleans, 100–86. Bryant again helped to defend Paul, who had 22 points, eight assists, and five turnovers.[57] The Lakers lost 93–88 in Game 4 as Paul had 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds and the smaller Hornets outrebounded the Lakers 39–32 and held a 20–4 advantage second-chance points. Bryant was scoreless in the first half, shooting 0–7, and he finished with 17 points on 5–18 shooting. Bryant sprained his left ankle with 1:32 remaining in the game, and used crutches to leave the arena.[58] Bryant, after refusing to get an MRI exam and X-rays, played in Game 5 and had two spectacular dunks in a 106–90 victory. 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. Bynum had 18 points and 10 rebounds.[59] The Lakers won the series 4–2 with a 98–80 win in Game 6. Bryant scored 22 of his 24 points in the first three quarters, and Bynum had 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Lakers again outrebounded New Orleans, 43–30, and held the advantage in second-chance points, 21–4. Paul had 10 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Hornets head coach Monty Williams said, "Kobe's Kobe, but I thought Bynum decided the series. He was that good."[60]

In the second round, the Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks, who advanced past the Portland Trail Blazers, 4–2.[61] In Game 1 of the series, the Lakers lost a close match to the Mavericks 96–94 after blowing a 16-point lead early in the 3rd quarter. Then in Game 2, the Lakers lost another game by a wider margin, 81–93. The Lakers also lost Ron Artest for the end of Game 2 and for Game 3 after he hit Dallas player J. J. Barea in the face in the closing moments of the game.[62] 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.[63] After losing both home games, the Lakers headed to Dallas hoping to patch up the 0–2 hole by snatching up a win or two and taking the series back home. But, things looked bleak as they entered the highly partisan atmosphere of the American Airlines Center at Dallas. The Lakers ended the first quarter of Game 3 down 2 points, but made a surge during the next two quarters to take a 6-point lead. However, the Mavericks dominated the fourth quarter and took 32 points in that quarter to seal the game in their favor, 98–92, leaving the Lakers in an 0–3 hole.[64] 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. The Lakers tried to make a last-ditch effort to win their final game in Dallas in Game 4, but were overwhelmed by Dallas in a 122–86 victory marked by a playoff record-tying 20 3-point field goals,[65] many by Jason Terry, the star of the game. The Mavericks' bench scored the same as the whole Lakers roster. Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were also ejected from the game after flagrant fouls on Dirk Nowitzki and J. J. Barea, respectively.[66] What became the Lakers' last stand in the 2010–11 postseason was also marked by coach Phil Jackson's retirement. The Dallas Mavericks swept the Lakers with ease and moved on to the conference finals for the first time since 2006. The Lakers missed a chance for a record third three-peat and were swept for the seventh time in franchise history.[67]

Former Laker and ESPN analyst Magic Johnson was disgusted with the Lakers' performance in Game 4, and stated in the ESPN Game 4 halftime report that the first half was "the worst that I've ever seen the Lakers play in a game that they need ... like they're already on vacation."[68] During the series, it seemed as if the Lakers had uncharacteristic problems with closing out their games, something that they are usually famed for.[69] The Lakers were swept for the seventh time in franchise history, but this sweep by the Mavericks is only the second time that the Lakers have been swept with home-court advantage.[67] The Lakers lost by 30-plus points in a playoffs game for the fourth time in franchise history and first since a 39-point blowout loss to the Boston Celtics, 131–92 in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals. The Mavericks' win over the Lakers was the largest margin of victory in a game that clinched a sweep in the playoffs.[67]

• Lamar Odom was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first player in Lakers history to do so.[70]
• On April 26, Ron Artest won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.[71]

• On November 1, Pau Gasol was named Player of the Week for games played October 26 through October 31.[72]
• On March 28, Kobe Bryant was named Player of the Week for games played March 21 through March 27.[73]
• Phil Jackson was named Coach of the Month for March.[74]
• Kobe Bryant was named Player of the Month for March.[75]

• Kobe Bryant was voted as an All-Star starter for the 13th consecutive time.
• Pau Gasol was selected as an All-Star reserve for the 4th time.
• Kobe Bryant was named the 2011 NBA All-Star MVP for a record-tying 4th time.

• On November 3, Kobe Bryant played his 37,493rd minute, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for all-time minutes played as a Laker.
• On November 14, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 26,000 career points.[76]
• On December 10, Kobe Bryant moved past John Havlicek into 11th place on the NBA career scoring list.[77]
• On January 4, Kobe Bryant moved past Dominique Wilkins into 10th place on the NBA career scoring list.[78]
• On January 7, Kobe Bryant moved past Oscar Robertson into 9th place on the NBA career scoring list.[79]
• On January 28, Kobe Bryant moved past Hakeem Olajuwon into 8th place on the NBA career scoring list.[80]
• On February 27, Kobe Bryant moved past Elvin Hayes into 7th place on the NBA career scoring list.[81]
• On March 8, Kobe Bryant moved past Moses Malone into 6th place on the NBA career scoring list.[82]
• On March 26, Kobe Bryant passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and played the most games of any Lakers player with 1,094th game.[83]

• On October 29, Phil Jackson won his 1,100th game.[84]
• On December 7, with Andre Miller sitting out a game due to suspension, Derek Fisher became the NBA's active leader in consecutive games played with 434.[85]