The 1993–94 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 46th season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 34th season in Los Angeles, California.

Season summary

Off-season The Lakers had the twelfth overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected small forward George Lynch from the University of North Carolina, and also selected point guard Nick Van Exel from the University of Cincinnati with the 37th overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired Sam Bowie from the New Jersey Nets, and re-signed free agent and former Lakers forward Kurt Rambis.

Regular season Despite the addition of Van Exel, Lynch and Bowie, and with the return of Rambis, the Lakers struggled losing nine of their first twelve games of the regular season, then lost 10 of their 14 games in December, and later on held a 18–29 record at the All-Star break. Head coach Randy Pfund was fired after a 27–37 start to the season, and was replaced with interim Bill Bertka for the next two games. With the team out of playoff position and struggling in March, the Lakers decided to bring back retired All-Star guard, and legend Magic Johnson as their new coach. At mid-season, the team acquired Danny Schayes from the Milwaukee Bucks. Under Johnson, the Lakers won five of their next six games; however, the team struggled and lost their final ten games of the season, and finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a disappointing 33–49 record. The Lakers failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1975–76 season, ending a 17-year playoff streak.

Vlade Divac averaged 14.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, while second-year guard Anthony Peeler averaged 14.1 points and 1.4 steals per game, but only played just 30 games due to a stress fracture in his left leg, and tendonitis in his right leg, and Van Exel provided the team with 13.6 points and 5.8 assists per game, led them with 123 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, Sedale Threatt contributed 11.9 points, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while Elden Campbell averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, second-year guard Doug Christie provided with 10.3 points and 1.4 steals per game, and James Worthy averaged 10.2 points per game off the bench. Meanwhile, Lynch averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, Bowie provided with 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and Tony Smith contributed 8.8 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Van Exel was selected for the inaugural NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Sensations team. Meanwhile, Christie was selected to participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, but withdrew due to injury, and was replaced with Antonio Davis of the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers finished 21st in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 545,915 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season.

Aftermath Following the season, Johnson resigned as head coach, while Worthy retired after twelve seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, Christie was traded to the New York Knicks, and Schayes signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 12 George Lynch SF/PF North Carolina 2 37 Nick Van Exel PG Cincinnati

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot

Game log Regular season

|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | November 5 | Phoenix | W 116-108 | Nick Van Exel (23) | Vlade Divac (8) | Tony Smith (9) | Great Western Forum17,505 | 1–0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | November 6 | @ Seattle | L 101-129 | Nick Van Exel (19) | Vlade Divac (12) | Nick Van Exel (5) | Seattle Center Coliseum14,813 | 1-1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | November 9 | Portland | L 102-109 | James Worthy (21) | Vlade Divac (12) | Nick Van Exel (10) | Great Western Forum11,476 | 1–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | November 10 | @ Sacramento | L 101-112 | James Worthy (20) | Vlade Divac (15) | Nick Van Exel (9) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 1–3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | November 12 | Denver | L 84-113 | Doug Christie (21) | Tony Smith (8) | Nick Van Exel (4) | Great Western Forum11,215 | 1–4 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | November 14 | Cleveland | W 107-100 | Bowie & Christie (18) | Vlade Divac (13) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Great Western Forum11,139 | 2–4 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | November 16 | L.A. Clippers | W 116-114 (2OT) | 3 players tied (23) | Vlade Divac (24) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum11,012 | 3–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | November 18 | @ Golden State | L 76-103 | Elden Campbell (15) | Christie & Divac (7) | Nick Van Exel (4) | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena15,025 | 3–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 9 | November 19 | Chicago | L 86-88 | Doug Christie (22) | Campbell & Divac (7) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum15,512 | 3–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 10 | November 21 | @ New Jersey | L 102-105 | Sedale Threatt (30) | Vlade Divac (14) | Vlade Divac (4) | Brendan Byrne Arena12,205 | 3–7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 11 | November 23 | @ Atlanta | L 94-103 | Nick Van Exel (22) | Campbell & Divac (11) | Nick Van Exel (5) | Omni Coliseum10,920 | 3–8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 12 | November 24 | @ Charlotte | L 124-141 | Anthony Peeler (21) | Vlade Divac (7) | Sedale Threatt (10) | Charlotte Coliseum23,698 | 3–9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | November 26 | @ Indiana | W 102-100 | Anthony Peeler (21) | Divac & Peeler (8) | James Worthy (8) | Market Square Arena16,313 | 4–9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 14 | November 27 | @ Minnesota | W 96-92 | Vlade Divac (20) | Vlade Divac (12) | Threatt & Van Exel (5) | Target Center18,354 | 5–9

|- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | December 1 | Dallas | W 124-91 | Elden Campbell (18) | Vlade Divac (8) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Great Western Forum10,319 | 6–9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 16 | December 4 | @ L.A. Clippers | W 109-102 | Doug Christie (33) | Sam Bowie (9) | 3 players tied (7) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena16,005 | 7–9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 17 | December 5 | Minnesota | L 99-101 | Doug Christie (21) | Campbell & Divac (7) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum11,256 | 7–10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 18 | December 7 | New York | L 78-92 | Sam Bowie (20) | Elden Campbell (12) | Threatt & Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum14,147 | 7–11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 19 | December 10 | @ Portland | L 99-117 | Elden Campbell (22) | Elden Campbell (9) | Sam Bowie (6) | Memorial Coliseum12,888 | 7–12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | December 12 | Golden State | L 97-100 | Doug Christie (19) | Sam Bowie (8) | Sedale Threatt (8) | Great Western Forum11,477 | 7–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 21 | December 14 | @ Detroit | W 99-93 | Sam Bowie (21) | Elden Campbell (10) | James Worthy (4) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,236 | 8–13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 22 | December 16 | @ New York | L 85-108 | Christie & Worthy (14) | Vlade Divac (13) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 8–14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 23 | December 17 | @ Philadelphia | L 94-105 | James Worthy (22) | Campbell & Divac (9) | Nick Van Exel (8) | The Spectrum15,239 | 8–15 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 24 | December 19 | @ Cleveland | L 92-122 | Nick Van Exel (16) | Elden Campbell (10) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Richfield Coliseum17,308 | 8–16 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 25 | December 21 | @ Orlando | W 109-102 | Doug Christie (31) | Vlade Divac (11) | Anthony Peeler (6) | Orlando Arena15,291 | 9–16 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | December 23 | @ Miami | L 92-109 | Nick Van Exel (16) | Vlade Divac (11) | Doug Christie (5) | Miami Arena15,200 | 9–17 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 27 | December 26 | Houston | L 93-118 | Doug Christie (20) | Vlade Divac (11) | Divac & Peeler (5) | Great Western Forum15,393 | 9–18 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 28 | December 29 | Seattle | L 92-99 | Elden Campbell (20) | Campbell & Divac (13) | Sedale Threatt (10) | Great Western Forum15,599 | 9–19

|- style="background:#fcc;" | 29 | January 2 | @ San Antonio | L 92-94 | Anthony Peeler (27) | Elden Campbell (12) | Sedale Threatt (7) | Alamodome18,017 | 9-20 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 30 | January 4 | @ Denver | W 119-118 | James Worthy (27) | Vlade Divac (13) | Christie & Threatt (4) | McNichols Sports Arena17,171 | 10–20 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 31 | January 5 | @ Sacramento | L 98-106 | Sedale Threatt (20) | Vlade Divac (19) | 3 players tied (3) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 10–21 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | January 7 | L.A. Clippers | W 111-108 | Anthony Peeler (26) | Vlade Divac (16) | Sedale Threatt (7) | Great Western Forum14,321 | 11–21 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 33 | January 9 | San Antonio | L 89-95 | Nick Van Exel (19) | Vlade Divac (8) | Peeler & Threatt (5) | Great Western Forum11,069 | 11–22 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 34 | January 11 | Golden State | L 117-122 | Nick Van Exel (28) | Vlade Divac (9) | Divac & Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum11,735 | 11–23 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 35 | January 14 | Charlotte | L 122-130 | Nick Van Exel (29) | George Lynch (10) | Vlade Divac (8) | Great Western Forum16,011 | 11–24 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 36 | January 18 | @ Seattle | L 88-103 | Nick Van Exel (22) | Vlade Divac (15) | Tony Smith (4) | Seattle Center Coliseum14,627 | 11–25 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | January 20 | Phoenix | W 107-102 | James Worthy (22) | Vlade Divac (13) | Lynch & Van Exel (6) | Great Western Forum14,741 | 12–25 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 38 | January 21 | @ Portland | L 93-111 | Elden Campbell (27) | George Lynch (9) | Nick Van Exel (10) | Memorial Coliseum12,888 | 12–26 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 39 | January 26 | Indiana | W 103-99 | Vlade Divac (26) | Vlade Divac (11) | Vlade Divac (7) | Great Western Forum11,577 | 13–26 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 40 | January 28 | Detroit | W 105-97 | Lynch & Threatt (20) | George Lynch (18) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum13,235 | 14–26

|- style="background:#fcc;" | 41 | February 1 | @ San Antonio | L 97-112 | Nick Van Exel (24) | Elden Campbell (10) | Campbell & Van Exel (4) | Alamodome17,397 | 14–27 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 42 | February 3 | @ Houston | L 88-99 | Elden Campbell (29) | Vlade Divac (15) | Sedale Threatt (4) | The Summit12,092 | 14–28 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 43 | February 4 | @ Dallas | W 95-87 | George Lynch (26) | Vlade Divac (19) | Vlade Divac (7) | Reunion Arena15,482 | 15–28 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 44 | February 6 | Utah | W 107-90 | Reggie Jordan (28) | Vlade Divac (23) | Vlade Divac (9) | Great Western Forum11,777 | 16–28 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 45 | February 8 | Phoenix | W 107-104 | Sedale Threatt (26) | Vlade Divac (15) | Divac & Threatt (8) | Great Western Forum12,100 | 17–28 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 46 | February 9 | @ Utah | W 103-96 | Sedale Threatt (25) | George Lynch (12) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Delta Center19,911 | 18–28 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 47 | February 10 | Sacramento | L 84-103 | Nick Van Exel (17) | George Lynch (16) | Nick Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum10,785 | 18–29 |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- style="background:#fcc;" | 48 | February 15 | L.A. Clippers | L 89-100 | James Worthy (15) | Vlade Divac (16) | Vlade Divac (12) | Great Western Forum11,954 | 18–30 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 49 | February 18 | @ Phoenix | L 96-113 | Elden Campbell (25) | Elden Campbell (10) | 3 players tied (4) | American West Arena19,023 | 18–31 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 50 | February 20 | Philadelphia | W 107-95 | Sedale Threatt (21) | Vlade Divac (9) | James Worthy (7) | Great Western Forum11,662 | 19–31 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 51 | February 24 | @ Sacramento