The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team and a member of the National Basketball Association. They are one of the most illustrious franchises in all of the sports. Some of the greatest players in NBA history have played for the Lakers including Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers were founded in 1947 as the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball League. It wasn't until 1960 that the franchise moved west to Los Angeles. The Lakers currently compete in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.