The franchise with the second-most championships in NBA history (16) has reached the playoffs 60 times in 67 seasons and missed the postseason in consecutive years only twice. Its longest title drought since migrating to Los Angeles in 1960? Eleven seasons. And even that "rough" stretch featured 10 playoff berths and two trips to the NBA Finals.
That is amazing.
and that is why the Lakers, despite not having the titles of the Celtics, are the NBA's greatest franchise.
it's a great brand, a great arena, a great location, and a great list of stars who have played there (and sat in the stands).
i'm not sure how much the Lakers franchise really comes into it.
for me, what the Spurs have done over the last 25 years is a lot more impressive, and has more to do with the actual organization and how it is run.
the Lakers get credit for all the things they accomplished in the 60s and 70s, as do the Celts.
to be honest, i don't really care about what happened in the nba that far back (the league is completely different now), and for me even the 80s is history, albeit important history.
if you want to talk about how an NBA team is constructed, managed, and coached, for me the conversation has to start with the Spurs. that's the gold standard.