On October 20, 1971, the Lakers beat Atlanta 126-104 on the road, early in a season that ended with 69 wins, 33 in a row, and the franchise's sixth banner. Fifty-five years later to the day, Luka Doncic is one sleep from his first Lakers opener since LeBron James left for Philadelphia, against a Warriors team that will be without Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody.
Same Date, Different Ghosts
The calendar has been kind and cruel to this club on October 20. In 1964, with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West still chasing a first title in Los Angeles, the Lakers lost 113-121 in Cincinnati. In 1972, the defending champions opened a home night against Portland and won 126-104, the exact score of the Atlanta win a year earlier. In 2018, LeBron James's first October as a Laker, Houston walked into Staples and left with a 124-115 win. None of those names are on the 15-man roster Dalton Knecht's exit finalized this week. The 17 banners they share with Boston are, and Wednesday's opener is the first chance to find out whether a 53-29 team that finished with a 1.5 net rating can turn into something that adds an 18th.
Owners Come and Go
Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems for $15,000 and carried them to Minneapolis, where George Mikan won five titles in six seasons across two leagues. Jerry Buss paid for the Forum era in 1979 and got Magic Johnson in the same year. Mark Walter's majority stake was approved at a $10 billion valuation on October 30, 2025, and by August 12, 2026 he had agreed to sell control to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for $12.5 billion, a record for an American sports franchise. The Buss family keeps 15 percent. What the new owners inherit is a $201.3 million payroll already past the $200.4 million tax threshold, with Doncic at $49.8 million, Austin Reaves at $41.2 million and Walker Kessler at $30.2 million, plus a pick cupboard that sends firsts to Memphis and Dallas and swaps the rest through 2030.
A Franchise of Centers
Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, Anthony Davis: the Lakers' trophy case was built by big men, and the Davis trade in February 2025 was the first time the club chose a guard over one. Kessler is the latest to stand in that line. He played only five games for Los Angeles last season, averaging 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds, and Lakers Nation reported Monday that Doncic expects the two-man game with him to improve with more reps. The Los Angeles Times framed the new-look Lakers as a group out to prove they are contenders. The first test is a Warriors team that went 37-45 last season and beat the Lakers 101-89 in the October 13 preseason meeting, with Stephen Curry, 26.6 points a game last season, listed with a right ankle issue and Kristaps Porzingis out.
When is the Lakers' 2026-27 season opener?
Wednesday, October 21, at home against the Golden State Warriors, on ESPN. The Clippers follow on October 23.
Is Stephen Curry playing against the Lakers on opening night?
Curry is listed with a right ankle issue and has not been ruled out. Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis are out for Golden State.
