The 2012–13 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 65th season of the franchise, its 64th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 53rd season in Los Angeles. The Lakers acquired All-Stars Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, giving them a starting lineup of five All-Stars consisting of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, Nash, and Howard, who were expected to contend for the franchise's 17th NBA championship. Instead, the Lakers struggled to qualify for the playoffs after changing head coaches and implementing multiple offenses. However, a weak defense and multiple injuries were the team's biggest problems.^[1] They exited the playoffs in the first round for the first time since 2007. Additionally, this was the first season since 2006-07 without longtime point guard Derek Fisher, who had helped the team win its last five championships. Widely regarded as a failed superteam mainly due to injuries, the Lakers started out the season as a top 2 favorite to win the championship (the other team being the defending champions Miami Heat who ended up repeating) and the Lakers were projected to win 58 games. The Lakers were also the top favorite to win the Western Conference.^[2][3][4][5]

The season began with head coach Mike Brown changing the Lakers offensive strategy to the Princeton offense. After an 0–8 preseason record and a 1–4 start to the regular season, Brown was fired. Assistant Bernie Bickerstaff was named the interim coach until Mike D'Antoni took over as the full-time head coach. Still, the Lakers began the season 15–21 for their worst start since the 1993–94 season. They were in jeopardy of missing the playoffs after trailing the Houston Rockets at the All-Star break by 3+1⁄2 games for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Lakers started 8–2 after the break, gaining sole possession of a top-8 spot for the first time since December 1, and moving two games over .500 for the first time all season. After being swept by their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers fell a half game behind the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot. The Lakers again overtook Utah in the standings, but Kobe Bryant's season ended after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the 80th game of the season. The Lakers qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the season, defeating Houston to finish 45–37 and seeded seventh in the West. Facing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, the injury-riddled Lakers were swept in four games to the eventual Western Conference champion. It was also the second time in three years that the Lakers were swept in the playoffs, having been swept by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Conference semifinals.

This was the last season that the Lakers made the playoffs until the 2019–20 season when the franchise won its 17th championship.

Key dates

• June 28: The 2012 NBA draft took place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
• July 11: The Lakers acquired two-time MVP Steve Nash for first round-picks in 2013 and 2015 and second-round picks in 2013 and 2014.^[6][7]
• August 10: The Lakers acquired three-time DPOY Dwight Howard, F/C Earl Clark, and PG Chris Duhon in a four-team multi-player trade also involving C Andrew Bynum, F Josh McRoberts, and G/F Christian Eyenga.^[8]
• October 21: Dwight Howard made his Laker debut in a preseason loss to the Sacramento Kings.
• October 30: The Lakers opened the 2012–13 NBA season, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 91-99.
• December 28: The Lakers retired the number 52 jersey of Jamaal Wilkes during halftime of their game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers won the game by a score of 104-87.
• April 2: The Lakers retired the number 34 jersey of Shaquille O'Neal during halftime of their game against the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers won the game by a score of 101-81.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College/Team
2	55	Darius Johnson-Odom	SG	United States	Marquette
2	60	Robert Sacre	C	Canada	Gonzaga

Roster

Offseason

After being eliminated from the playoffs in the second round in the prior two seasons, the Lakers traded for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Steve Nash.^[9][10] It was the fourth time in league history that a team acquired two players with at least six All-Star selections.^[11] Both players were widely considered to be future Hall of Famers. They joined an already strong Lakers nucleus in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace.^[12] The center Howard made the team younger and more athletic;^[13] his acquisition appeared to be the start of a new dynasty for the Lakers.^[14] In Nash, the Lakers had their first elite point guard in decades. The trio of Bryant, Howard, and Nash was expected to rival the defending league champion Miami Heat's combination of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.^[13] Additionally, the Lakers re-signed key role player Jordan Hill and signed free agent veteran Antawn Jamison and shooting specialist Jodie Meeks.^[9]

Coach Mike Brown began installing the Princeton offense, a decision he made even before the July acquisition of Nash.^[15] He thought of using the offense the previous season, but the lockout impacted the schedule, making it too hectic to implement.^[16] New assistant coach Eddie Jordan was hired to install the Lakers third offense in three years after the triangle offense during coach Phil Jackson's tenure and Brown's own offense the previous season.^[17]

Despite the addition of Howard and Nash, Bryant insisted he remained the leader of the Lakers.^[10][18] Nash agreed that it was Bryant's team, but added the team needed to provide support. Bryant looked forward to Nash running the team's offense.^[10] Bryant envisioned that after he retired, Howard would assume the role of team leader.^[10] Howard anticipated Bryant being tough on him. "So, I'll take all the heat that he's going to give me because I know at the end of the day that's going to make me a better player and a better person and it's going to make this team better", Howard said.^[10] In 2014, Nash said that "everyone could see was going to be tough from the start."^[19][20] Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=2012–13_Los_Angeles_Lakers_season
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