Just over 20 years ago, the Lakers opened Staples Center with a championship, the first of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s three-peat. A little over two decades later, the building has been home to the team through six titles, albeit with the most recent one being won at Disney World as the league finished the 2019-20 season in the NBA bubble.
But as the Lakers attempt to defend that title and host their first playoff game in Staples Center since 2013 on Thursday, the team and the arena had an announcement to make: After two decades that’s seen a lot of on and off-court success for their partnership, they’re extending it for two more.