1994–95 Los Angeles Lakers season

The 1994–95 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 47th season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 35th season in Los Angeles, California.^[1] This was the first season since 1981–82 that All-Star forward James Worthy was not on the team, as he announced his retirement in November. After missing the NBA playoffs the previous season, the Lakers received the tenth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Eddie Jones out of Temple University.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Cedric Ceballos from the Phoenix Suns,^[5][6][7] and hired Del Harris as their new head coach.^[8][9][10]

Under Harris, and with the addition of Ceballos and Jones, the Lakers struggled with a 3–5 start to the regular season, but then won ten of their next twelve games, and later on held a 29–16 record at the All-Star break.^[11] Despite losing seven of their final eight games of the season, the Lakers finished in third place in the Pacific Division with a 48–34 record, earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference, and returned to the NBA playoffs after a one-year absence.^[12] Harris was named the NBA Coach of the Year, after leading the Lakers to a 15-game improvement over the previous season.^[13][14][15]

Ceballos averaged 21.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, but only played 58 games due to a thumb injury,^[16][17][18] while second-year star Nick Van Exel averaged 16.9 points and 8.3 assists per game, and led the Lakers with 183 three-point field goals, and Vlade Divac provided the team with 16.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks per game. In addition, Jones contributed 14.0 points and 2.0 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, but only played 64 games due to a shoulder injury,^[19][17][20] and Elden Campbell provided with 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Off the bench, Anthony Peeler contributed 10.4 points per game, while Sedale Threatt averaged 9.5 points and 4.2 assists per game, second-year forward George Lynch provided with 6.1 points per game, Tony Smith contributed 5.6 points per game, and Sam Bowie averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.^[21]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, Ceballos was selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team, but did not participate due to injury; it was his first and only All-Star selection.^[22][23][24] Meanwhile, Jones was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Green team;^[25] Jones scored 25 points along with 4 assists and 6 steals, and was named the Rookie Game's Most Valuable Player, despite the Green team losing to the White team in overtime, 83–79.^[26][23][27] In addition, second-year forward Antonio Harvey participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[25][28] Ceballos also finished in 15th place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[29][30] while Jones finished in fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting,^[31][30] and Ceballos, Van Exel and Divac all finished tied in ninth place in Most Improved Player voting.^[32][30]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1995 NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the 4th–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, who were led by the All-Star trio of Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf. The Lakers lost Game 1 to the SuperSonics on the road, 96–71 at the Tacoma Dome, only shooting .354 in field-goal percentage.^[33][34][35] However, the Lakers managed to win the next three games, which included a Game 4 win over the SuperSonics at home, 114–110 at the Great Western Forum to win the series in four games.^[36][37][38]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the top–seeded, and Midwest Division champion San Antonio Spurs, who were led by the trio of All-Star center, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, David Robinson, Sean Elliott, and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman. The Spurs took a 3–1 series lead before the Lakers won Game 5 on the road in overtime, 98–96 at the Alamodome.^[39] However, the Lakers lost Game 6 to the Spurs at the Great Western Forum, 100–88, thus losing the series in six games.^[40][41][42]

The Lakers finished 23rd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 591,125 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league.^[21][43] Following the season, Bowie retired,^[44] while Kurt Rambis was released to free agency,^[45] Smith signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns,^[46] and Harvey was left unprotected in the 1995 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies expansion team.^[47][48][49]