The Lakers were in the NBA Finals.
1991 NBA Finals . The series was not the first time that the Bulls and Lakers faced off in the playoffs . After winning five championships in eight finals appearances in the 1980s , the Lakers would struggle for the rest of the 1990s before winning five championships between the 1999-2000 and 2009-10 seasons . 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 .