The Lakers were in the NBA Finals.
1968 NBA Playoffs . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . 1991 NBA Finals . It was Michael Jordan 's first NBA Finals appearance , Magic Johnson 's last , and the last NBA Finals for the Lakers until 2000 . The series was not the first time that the Bulls and Lakers faced off in the playoffs . This series would mark the end of the Lakers Showtime era and the beginning of the Bulls ' dynasty . Los Angeles Lakers . Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West , Los Angeles made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s , but lost each series to the Boston Celtics , beginning their long and storied rivalry .