View source for 2009 NBA Finals

{{Short description|2009 basketball championship series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2023}}
{{NBA Finals summary
| image = 2009 NBA Finals.png
| league = NBA
| year = 2009
| runnerup = [[2008–09 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]]
| runnerup_coach = [[Stan Van Gundy]]
| runnerup_games = 1
| champion = [[2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]]
| champion_coach = [[Phil Jackson]]
| champion_games = 4
| date = June 4–14
| MVP = [[Kobe Bryant]]<br />(Los Angeles Lakers)
| HOFers = '''Lakers:'''<br />Kobe Bryant (2020)<br />[[Pau Gasol]] (2023)<br />'''Coaches:'''<br />Phil Jackson (2007)
| referees_5 = [[Dan Crawford (basketball referee)|Dan Crawford]], [[Joe DeRosa (referee)|Joe DeRosa]], [[Ken Mauer]]
| ECF result = [[2008–09 Orlando Magic season|Magic]] defeated [[2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cavaliers]], 4–2
| WCF result = [[2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season|Lakers]] defeated [[2008–09 Denver Nuggets season|Nuggets]], 4–2
}}

The '''2009 NBA Finals''' was the [[NBA Finals|championship series]] of the [[National Basketball Association]]'s (NBA) [[2008–09 NBA season|2008–09 season]] and the conclusion of the [[2009 NBA playoffs|season's playoffs]]. A [[best-of-seven playoff]] series starting on June 4 and concluding on June 14, 2009, it was contested between the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] champion [[2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]], and the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] champion [[2008–09 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2009-nba-finals-magic-vs-lakers.html|title=2009 NBA Finals – Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers|website=Basketball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> The Lakers were heavily favored to win the championship over the Magic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsoddshistory.com/nba-playoffs-series/?y=2009&o=s&fv=&hv=&fd=&rd=|title=2009 NBA Playoffs Series Prices|publisher=Sports Odds History|accessdate=May 28, 2021}}</ref>

The Lakers defeated the Magic, four games to one, to win the franchise's 15th NBA championship. [[Kobe Bryant]] was named the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Finals MVP]]. The Orlando Magic's Game 3 victory was the first win in an NBA Finals game in franchise history; they were previously swept in [[1995 NBA Finals|1995]] by the [[Houston Rockets]].

==Background==
The two team captains (the Lakers' [[Kobe Bryant]] and the Magic's [[Dwight Howard]]) were teammates and starters on the [[USA men's national basketball team|United States men's national team]] the previous summer, winning a [[Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|gold medal]] at the [[Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men|2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing]]. Each player defeated another fellow Olympic starter in his respective conference final series: Bryant defeated [[Carmelo Anthony]]'s [[Denver Nuggets]] and Howard advanced past [[LeBron James|LeBron James']] [[Cleveland Cavaliers]].

This series was nicknamed the "'''Disney Series'''" for its connections to [[The Walt Disney Company]]. Disney owns both [[NBA on ESPN|ESPN]], and Finals broadcaster [[NBA on ABC|ABC]]; [[Walt Disney World]] is located {{convert|20|mi}} from Orlando in nearby [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida|Lake Buena Vista]], and [[Disneyland]] is located {{convert|30|mi}} from Los Angeles in nearby [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]].

===2009 NBA Playoffs===
{{Main|2009 NBA Playoffs}}
{|width=100% border=0 class=wikitable
|- valign=top
!colspan=2 width=45%|[[Los Angeles Lakers]] ([[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] champion) !!colspan=2 width=45%|[[Orlando Magic]] ([[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] champion)
|-
|align=right|{{2008–09 NBA West standings|team=LAL}}1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record
!colspan=2|[[2008–09 NBA season|Regular season]]
|align=left|{{2008–09 NBA East standings|team=ORL}}3rd seed in the East, 4th best league record
|-
|align=right|Defeated the (8) [[Utah Jazz]], 4–1
!colspan=2|First Round
|align=left|Defeated the (6) [[Philadelphia 76ers]], 4–2
|-
|align=right|Defeated the (5) [[Houston Rockets]], 4–3
!colspan=2|Conference Semifinals
|align=left|Defeated the (2) [[Boston Celtics]], 4–3
|-
|align=right|Defeated the (2) [[Denver Nuggets]], 4–2
!colspan=2|Conference Finals
|align=left|Defeated the (1) [[Cleveland Cavaliers]], 4–2
|}

===Los Angeles Lakers===
{{Main|2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season}}
The [[Los Angeles Lakers|Lakers]] were the favorite to emerge from the Western Conference, but their road to the Finals was a tough one. They played three physical series against the [[Utah Jazz]], [[Houston Rockets]], and [[Denver Nuggets]], winning in 5, 7, and 6 games, respectively. Going into the Finals, the Lakers finished off the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals with two good performances in Games 5 and 6, making analysts pick them as the favorites in the Finals. It was their sixth Finals appearance of the decade and a record-extending 30th Finals appearance overall, the most for any NBA team.

===Orlando Magic===
{{Main|2008–09 Orlando Magic season}}
The [[Orlando Magic|Magic]] were overlooked by many to even reach the Eastern Conference Finals, as they played in the shadows of the #1-seeded [[Cleveland Cavaliers]], led by regular-season [[NBA MVP|MVP]] [[LeBron James]], and defending champion #2-seed [[Boston Celtics]]. However, after dispatching the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] in six games, the Magic stunned the Celtics by winning [[List of NBA game sevens|Game 7]] in [[Boston]]. The Celtics were previously 32–0 when leading a series 3–2, and 17–3 previously in Game 7s at home. Orlando assistant coach [[Patrick Ewing]] had publicly "guaranteed" that Orlando would win Game 7.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AlT7qdkLBThF5x98WEzpSs.8vLYF?gid=2009051702&prov=ap|title=Magic Moment: Orlando beats Boston to advance|first=Jimmy|last=Golen|date=May 18, 2009|agency=Associated Press|work=Yahoo.com|quote=Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing had guaranteed a victory. But Celtics coach [[Doc Rivers]], who had been Ewing’s teammate with the New York Knicks, laughed it off.| access-date= July 29, 2009 <!--DASHBot-->}}</ref>

In the next round, Orlando was given little chance by many to defeat the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, but a combination of three-point shooting and the inside presence of [[Dwight Howard]] created a matchup nightmare for Cleveland on defense, and Orlando ultimately won in six games. In Game 6, Howard's stellar performance with 40 points and 14 rebounds helped the franchise earn its second all-time Finals appearance and its first Finals appearance since [[1995 NBA Finals|1995]], where a [[Shaquille O'Neal]] and [[Penny Hardaway]]-led [[1994-95 Orlando Magic season|Magic]] were swept by the [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] and [[Clyde Drexler]]-led [[1994-95 Houston Rockets season|Houston Rockets]].

===Series preview===
Although the Magic won both regular-season matchups with the Lakers, Los Angeles was able to take four out of five games in this series. Both regular-season games and three of the NBA Finals games were close contests, decided by six points or fewer or in overtime. The Lakers won Game 2 on June 7, 101–96 in overtime. Then they won Game 4 on June 11 in overtime as well.

[[Tyronn Lue]], a backup point guard with Orlando, appeared with the Lakers during their initial championship run in the early 2000s and faced his former team in the finals. Lue and another backup point guard, [[Anthony Johnson (basketball)|Anthony Johnson]] were the only players on Orlando's roster with NBA Finals experience. However, neither saw playing time during the series, as Lue was inactive with an injury and Johnson lost his minutes to teammate [[Jameer Nelson]], who returned from a shoulder injury in time for the Finals, where he led the Magic to sweep the Lakers in regular season. [[Trevor Ariza]], the Lakers starting small forward, faced the team that traded him to the Lakers in 2007.

====Regular-season series====
The [[Orlando Magic]] won both games in the regular-season series:
{{basketballbox
| bg=#fff
| date = December 20, 2008
| report = {{NBA Recap|2008|1220|id=LALORL}}
| team1 = [[Los Angeles Lakers]] |score1=103
| team2 = '''[[Orlando Magic]] |score2=106'''
| place = [[Amway Arena]], [[Orlando, Florida]]
}}
{{basketballbox
| date = January 16, 2009
| report = {{NBA Recap|2009|0116|id=ORLLAL}}
| team1 = '''[[Orlando Magic]] |score1=109'''
| team2 = [[Los Angeles Lakers]] |score2=103
| place = [[Staples Center]], [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]
}}

==Series summary==
Starting this Finals, Sunday games are now moved up to 8:00 PM (ET) from the previous 9:00 PM (ET) timeslot.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paulsen |date=April 26, 2023 |title=Weeknight NBA Finals games to begin half-hour earlier |url=https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/04/nba-finals-games-begin-earlier-no-more-9-pm-starts/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=Sports Media Watch}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Game !! Date !! Road team !! Result !! Home team
|-
| Game 1 || June 4 || Orlando Magic || 75–100 (1–0) || '''Los Angeles Lakers''' 
|-
| Game 2 || June 7 || Orlando Magic || 96–101 (2–0) || '''Los Angeles Lakers''' 
|-
| Game 3 || June 9 || Los Angeles Lakers || 104–108 (2–1) || '''Orlando Magic'''
|-
| Game 4 || June 11 || '''Los Angeles Lakers''' || 99–91 (3–1) || Orlando Magic
|-
| Game 5 || June 14 || '''Los Angeles Lakers''' || 99–86 (4–1) || Orlando Magic
|}

==Game summaries==
:''All times are in [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Daylight Time]] ([[UTC−4]]). If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.''

===Game 1===
{{basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 4 |time=9:00 p.m. {{small|(6:00 p.m. [[Pacific Time Zone|PDT]])}} |place=[[Staples Center]], [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]]
|team1=[[Orlando Magic]] |score1=75
|team2='''[[Los Angeles Lakers]]''' |score2='''100'''
|Q1='''24'''–22 |Q2=19–'''31''' |Q3=15–'''29''' |Q4=17–'''18'''
|points1=[[Mickaël Piétrus]] 14 |points2=[[Kobe Bryant]] 40
|rebounds1=[[Dwight Howard]] 15 |rebounds2=[[Lamar Odom]] 14
|assist1=[[Jameer Nelson]] 4 |assist2=[[Kobe Bryant]] 8
|report={{NBA Recap|2009|0604|id=ORLLAL}}<br />{{YouTube|ImYGQWmK9ho|Video highlights}}
|attendance=18,997
|referee = 
* No. 43 [[Dan Crawford (basketball referee)|Dan Crawford]]
* No. 14 [[Joe DeRosa (referee)|Joe DeRosa]]
* No. 41 [[Ken Mauer]]
|series=L.A. Lakers lead series, 1–0
}}
After an evenly battled first quarter, the Magic took the lead thanks to field goals and assists from point guard [[Jameer Nelson]], who was playing his first game since injuring his shoulder during the regular season in February. Down 33–28 with 8:38 left in the 2nd quarter, the Lakers went on a 10–0 run and never looked back. The Lakers ended the 3rd quarter on a 25–10 run, led by the fierce play from [[Kobe Bryant]], who finished with 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, joining the likes of [[Shaquille O'Neal]], [[Michael Jordan]], and [[Jerry West]] to put up those numbers in a single NBA Finals game. The 25-point margin of victory was the 6th-largest in NBA Finals Game 1 history.

Due to stellar defense by the Lakers, Dwight Howard was a dismal 1–6 from the field, his fewest made field goals in his playoff career, and finished with 12 points, 10 of which came from free throws. The Magic shot only 29.9% (23–77) from the field, the second lowest percentage in the NBA Finals.

===Game 2===
{{basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 7 |time=8:00 p.m. {{small|(5:00 p.m. [[Pacific Time Zone|PDT]])}} |place=[[Staples Center]], [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]]
|team1=[[Orlando Magic]] |score1=96
|team2='''[[Los Angeles Lakers]]''' |score2='''101'''
|Q1=15–15 |Q2=20–'''25''' |Q3='''30'''–23 |Q4=23–'''25''' |OT=8–'''13'''
|points1=[[Rashard Lewis]] 34 |points2=[[Kobe Bryant]] 29
|rebounds1=[[Dwight Howard]] 16 |rebounds2=[[Pau Gasol]] 10
|assist1=[[Rashard Lewis]] 7 |assist2=[[Kobe Bryant]] 8
|report={{NBA Recap|2009|0607|id=ORLLAL}}<br />{{YouTube|saSgjfA5x9Q|Video highlights}}
|attendance=18,997
|referee = 
* No. 29 [[Steve Javie]]
* No. 13 [[Monty McCutchen]]
* No. 49 Tom Washington
|series=L.A. Lakers lead series, 2–0
}}

Both teams got off to a slow start and were tied at 15 after the first quarter, setting a record-low for combined score (30) in the first quarter of an NBA Finals game. The Lakers picked up the pace in the 2nd quarter, but [[Rashard Lewis]] kept the Magic in the game, scoring 18 of the team's 20 points in the quarter, including the final 16, on his way to a playoff career-high and Finals franchise-high 34 points for the game. The Magic outscored the Lakers in the 3rd quarter to take a 2-point lead in the 4th.

With the game tied at 84, Rashard Lewis hit a jumper with 1:32 remaining to give the Magic a 2-point lead. Kobe Bryant responded with a jumper of his own to tie the game. With 47 seconds left, [[Hedo Türkoğlu]] hit a jumper that was originally called a three-pointer. However, replay showed that his foot was on the line, giving the Magic a two-point lead. With 33 seconds remaining, [[Dwight Howard]] was able to deflect, but not steal, a [[Derek Fisher]] pass, and [[Pau Gasol]] was able to again tie the game at 88 with a layup.

On the ensuing Magic possession, the Lakers played great defense and forced [[Courtney Lee]] to miss an awkward layup shot with 10.5 seconds left. With a chance to take a 2–0 series lead, Kobe Bryant was blocked on a jumper by Türkoğlu, who gained control of the ball and called time-out with 0.6 seconds left. After another timeout, Türkoğlu threw a half-court lob to Courtney Lee, who had come free after a screen on his defender. However, Lee was traveling too fast and launched his layup from almost behind the backboard, causing it to miss.

With the Lakers up 1 in overtime with 1:55 left, Derek Fisher stole a [[JJ Redick]] pass and was fouled on the ensuing fast break, making both free throws. After the Magic were unable to convert, Kobe Bryant made a pivotal assist to Pau Gasol for a layup-and-one, giving the Lakers a 6-point lead and the eventual victory.

===Game 3===
{{basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 9 |time=9:00 p.m. |place=[[Amway Arena]], [[Orlando, Florida]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]]
|team1=[[Los Angeles Lakers]] |score1=104
|team2='''[[Orlando Magic]]''' |score2='''108'''
|Q1='''31'''–27|Q2=23–'''32''' |Q3=21–'''22''' |Q4='''29'''–27
|points1=[[Kobe Bryant]] 31 |points2=[[Dwight Howard|Howard]], [[Rashard Lewis|Lewis]] 21 each
|rebounds1=[[Trevor Ariza]] 7 |rebounds2=[[Dwight Howard]] 14
|assist1=[[Kobe Bryant]] 8 |assist2=[[Hedo Türkoğlu]] 7
|report={{NBA Recap|2009|0609|id=LALORL}}<br />{{YouTube|L9TS1M7LL6k|Video highlights}}
|attendance=17,461
|referee = 
* No. 17 [[Joe Crawford (basketball, born 1951)|Joe Crawford]]
* No. 9 Derrick Stafford
* No. 18 [[Mark Wunderlich]]
|series=L.A. Lakers lead series, 2–1
}}

The Magic came out in Game 3 with fire. The Magic shot a field goal percentage of 63% for the game, a Finals record. This also included a 75% first quarter, also a Finals record. However, despite the incredible shooting percentage, the Lakers managed to stay close for much of the game. The game was only sealed for the Magic on a Mickaël Piétrus steal from Kobe Bryant in the waning minute of the 4th quarter.

This win marked the first Finals win in Magic franchise history, losing their first 6 Finals games (being swept in their [[1995 NBA Finals|first appearance]] and losing Games 1 and 2)

===Game 4===
{{basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 11 |time=9:00 p.m. |place=[[Amway Arena]], [[Orlando, Florida]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]]
|team1='''[[Los Angeles Lakers]]''' |score1='''99''' 
|team2=[[Orlando Magic]] |score2=91
|Q1=20–'''24''' |Q2=17–'''25''' |Q3='''30'''–14 |Q4=20–'''24''' |OT='''12'''–4
|points1=[[Kobe Bryant]] 32 |points2=[[Hedo Türkoğlu]] 25
|rebounds1=[[Pau Gasol]] 10 |rebounds2=[[Dwight Howard]] 21
|assist1=[[Kobe Bryant]] 8 |assist2=[[Rashard Lewis]] 4
|report={{NBA Recap|2009|0611|id=LALORL}}<br />{{YouTube|o4xg3TyVV_Y|Video highlights}}
|attendance=17,461
|referee = 
* No. 24 Mike Callahan
* No. 48 [[Scott Foster (referee)|Scott Foster]]
* No. 15 [[Bennett Salvatore]]
|series=L.A. Lakers lead series, 3–1
}}

Coming off their franchise's first NBA Finals game victory, the Magic quickly took the lead in the first quarter. However, [[Kobe Bryant]] kept the Lakers in the game, scoring 13 of the team's 20 first-quarter points. [[Dwight Howard]] played a great first quarter, with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in the opening frame. In addition, he drew many fouls, putting [[Andrew Bynum]], [[Pau Gasol]], and [[Lamar Odom]] in foul trouble and forcing Lakers coach [[Phil Jackson]] to use [[Josh Powell]] and [[D. J. Mbenga]] early in the game. The Magic were able to increase the lead to 12 at halftime.

The Lakers came out of the locker room aggressive and outscored the Magic 30–14 in the 3rd quarter, led by [[Trevor Ariza]], who scored 13 points in the quarter, including two three-pointers. Down by six in the opening minutes of the 4th quarter, the Magic took a 76–75 lead halfway through the quarter, but were unable to increase the lead due to poor free-throw shooting, specifically from [[Hedo Türkoğlu]] and [[Dwight Howard]].

With 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter and the game tied at 79, Howard converted a three-point play to give the Magic an 82–79 lead. On the next Laker possession, the Magic played good defense, but Trevor Ariza was able to hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to tie the game at 82. After Hedo Türkoğlu hit a stepback 3-point shot, Howard blocked Gasol's jumper, giving him a single-game NBA Finals record with 9 blocked shots. On the bench to witness it was a previous record holder, his assistant coach [[Patrick Ewing]], who had 8 in Game 5 of the [[1994 NBA Finals]] while with the [[New York Knicks]]. Türkoğlu made another jumper with 1:34 remaining to give the Magic a five-point lead.

Down 87–82 with 31 seconds left, [[Kobe Bryant]] spun through the lane and passed to Gasol for a dunk to cut the lead to three. On the next Magic possession, Howard was fouled by Bryant with 11 seconds remaining. Needing just one free-throw to make the game a 2-possession affair, Howard missed both shots.

Out of the timeout, the Lakers elected to take the ball out at three-quarters court instead of half-court in order to space out the floor. The Magic double-teamed Bryant in the backcourt, allowing him to pass the ball up to Ariza, who in turned passed it to [[Derek Fisher]] on the right wing. Having missed his first five three-point shots of the game, Fisher spotted up and hit a pivotal three-pointer over Jameer Nelson to tie the game at 87 with 4.6 seconds left. On the final possession of regulation, [[Mickaël Piétrus]] missed a 20-footer.

The overtime session began with a three-pointer by [[Rashard Lewis]] and two contested jumpers by [[Kobe Bryant]] to give the Lakers a 91–90 lead. With 1:27 left in overtime, Howard split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 91. On the next possession, the Lakers would miss a layup and a jumper, but regained possession on an offensive rebound by Ariza and a loose-ball foul on [[Jameer Nelson]]. With 31 seconds left, Kobe Bryant passed out of a double-team with the controversy of no called after Jameer Nelson got hit by Kobe Elbow as Fisher hit a three-pointer to give the Lakers a 94–91 lead.

Out of a timeout, Türkoğlu rushed a three-point shot and missed. Rashard Lewis backtapped the rebound to center court, but the ball went to Pau Gasol, who ran in unimpeded for a dunk, giving the Lakers the lead for good. In the next possession, the Magic missed another shot, bouncing the ball to Fisher, who passed it to Ariza, then to Gasol for a dunk, but Pietrus slammed both arms on his back, resulting in Gasol getting a technical foul and Pietrus a flagrant-1 foul.

Upon the game's finish, [[Oasis (band)|Oasis's]] "[[Don't Look Back in Anger]]" was played throughout Amway Arena.

===Game 5===
{{basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 14 |time=8:00 p.m. |place=[[Amway Center]], [[Orlando, Florida]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]]
|team1='''[[Los Angeles Lakers]]''' |score1='''99'''
|team2=[[Orlando Magic]] |score2= 86
|report={{NBA Recap|2009|0614|id=LALORL}}<br />{{YouTube|u_qNvMeVsZc|Video highlights}}
|Q1=26–'''28''' |Q2='''30'''–18 |Q3='''20'''–15 |Q4=23–'''25'''
|points1=[[Kobe Bryant]] 30 |points2=[[Rashard Lewis]] 18
|rebounds1=[[Pau Gasol]] 15 |rebounds2=[[Dwight Howard|Howard]], [[Rashard Lewis|Lewis]] 10 each
|assist1=[[Kobe Bryant]] 5 |assist2=[[Rashard Lewis|Lewis]], [[Jameer Nelson|Nelson]] 4 each
|attendance=17,461
|referee= 
* No. 43 [[Dan Crawford (basketball referee)|Dan Crawford]]
* No. 14 [[Joe DeRosa (referee)|Joe DeRosa]]
* No. 41 [[Ken Mauer]]
|series=L.A. Lakers win NBA Finals, 4–1
}}

The Magic, facing the prospect of the Lakers winning a championship on their home floor, came out with a good start, leading by as much as 9 in the first quarter. In the opening frame, all 5 starters scored and assisted on at least one field goal, but the Lakers pulled within two at the quarter break. Down 40–36 with 7:11 in the 2nd quarter, the Lakers went on a 16–0 run, fueled by two 3-pointers and solid defensive play from [[Trevor Ariza]]. The Lakers led by as much as 12 in the 2nd quarter and the score was 56–46 at halftime.

Coming out of the half, Orlando cut the lead to 5 with 7:45 remaining in the 3rd on a three-pointer by [[Rafer Alston]]. [[Lamar Odom]] answered with back-to-back three-pointers to restore the Laker lead to double digits. Leading by as much as 18 in the half, Los Angeles led by 15 going into the 4th quarter. In the final quarter, Orlando attempted a run but managed to cut the lead down to only 12; at the buzzer, the Lakers celebrated their 15th title.<ref>{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Withers|title=Bryant, Lakers reign once more|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20090614/LALORL/recap.html|publisher=[[National Basketball Association]]|date=June 14, 2009|access-date=June 15, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618135606/http://www.nba.com/games/20090614/LALORL/recap.html|archive-date=June 18, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the game, NBA commissioner [[David Stern]] presented the Lakers with the [[Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy]] and presented [[Kobe Bryant]] with the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Trophy]] during a presentation on center court at [[Amway Arena]]. Bryant averaged 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game during the series.

==Statistics==
{{listen
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|title=January 25, 2010 White House Visit
|description=On January 25, 2010, [[Barack Obama]] hosted the [[2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season|2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers]] at the [[White House]] following their victory in the 2009 NBA Finals to end the [[2008–09 NBA season]].
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The series was the third straight championship the Lakers clinched on the road (after [[2001 NBA Finals|2001]] and [[2002 NBA Finals|2002]]); the last time the Lakers clinched the championship at home was in [[2000 NBA Finals|2000]]. With their team's win, [[Pau Gasol]] became the first [[Spain|Spaniard]] and [[D. J. Mbenga]] the first [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congolese]] player to win an NBA championship. [[Bill Walton|Bill]] and [[Luke Walton]] became the third father-son pair to each win a championship as a player; the other father-son combinations are [[Matt Guokas, Sr.]] ([[1947 NBA Finals|1947]]) with [[Matt Guokas|Matt Jr.]] ([[1967 NBA Finals|1967]]) and [[Rick Barry]] ([[1975 NBA Finals|1975]]) with son [[Brent Barry|Brent]] ([[2005 NBA Finals|2005]] and [[2007 NBA Finals|2007]]). [[Kobe Bryant]] averaged 32.4 points and 7.4 assists in this series, which was the best combination of those categories since [[Jerry West]] averaged 37.9 points and 7.4 assists ([[1969 NBA Finals|1969]]).

For the Magic, Game 3 marked their first Finals game victory in franchise history after losing their first six Finals games, including being swept in their first Finals appearance in [[1995 NBA Finals|1995]]. In Game 3, the Magic set the Finals record for the best [[Field goal (basketball)|field goal]] percentage with 63 percent, and the Finals record for best field goal percentage in the first half with 75 percent. As of 2023, this is the most recent Magic finals appearance.

This was the first NBA Finals series since [[1984 NBA Finals|1984]] to have two games go into overtime (Games 2 and 4); both were won by the Lakers. [[Dwight Howard]] set an NBA Finals single-game record with 9 blocked shots in Game 4. The previous record holders, all of whom had blocked eight shots in a Finals game,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/records/finals_game_blockedshots.html |title=NBA.com: Finals Records: Blocked Shots - Game |website=[[NBA.com]] |access-date=January 25, 2015 |archive-date=May 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520040915/http://www.nba.com/history/records/finals_game_blockedshots.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> were: [[Bill Walton]] of the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] in Game 6 of the [[1977 NBA Finals]]; [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] of the [[Houston Rockets]] in Game 5 of the [[1986 NBA Finals]]; Howard's assistant coach [[Patrick Ewing]] of the [[New York Knicks]] in Game 5 of the [[1994 NBA Finals]]; [[Shaquille O'Neal]] of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the [[2001 NBA Finals]]; and [[Tim Duncan]] of the [[San Antonio Spurs]] in Game 6 of the [[2003 NBA Finals]].

This was the seventh time in NBA Finals history that a team that lost the championship the previous season has won the Finals the very next year. It is the second time in Lakers history, after the [[1984 NBA Finals|1984]] and [[1985 NBA Finals|1985]] teams.

This was also the first odd season since 2001 that the [[San Antonio Spurs]] did not win the NBA Finals; they won in [[2003 NBA Finals|2003]], [[2005 NBA Finals|2005]], and [[2007 NBA Finals|2007]].

This was the last Finals in which a trophy silhouette was painted in mid-court. The tradition began in [[2005 NBA Finals|2005]] and ended for the [[2010 NBA Finals|2010]] series. This was also the last NBA Finals to be played at [[Amway Arena]]; the Magic moved to the [[Amway Center]] for the [[2010-11 NBA season|2010–11 season]].
 
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:left;"
|-
!rowspan=3|Category !!rowspan=2 colspan=2|High !!colspan=4|Average
|-
! colspan=2|[[Los Angeles Lakers]] !! colspan=2|[[Orlando Magic]]
|-
!Player !! Total !! Player !! Avg. !! Player !! Avg.
|-
| [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kobe Bryant]] || 40
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kobe Bryant]] || 32.4 || {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Hedo Türkoğlu]] || 18.0
|-
| [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]] || 21 <small>(OT)</small><br />15
| {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Pau Gasol]] || 9.2 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]] || 15.2
|-
| [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kobe Bryant]] || 8
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kobe Bryant]] || 7.4 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Rashard Lewis]] || 4.0
|-
| [[Steal (basketball)|Steals]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]]<br />{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Mickaël Piétrus]] || 4 <small>(OT)</small><br />3
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Trevor Ariza]] || 1.8 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]] || 1.6
|-
| [[Block (basketball)|Blocks]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]]<br />{{flagicon|POL}} [[Marcin Gortat]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kobe Bryant]]<br />{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Pau Gasol]] || 9 <small>(OT)</small><br />4<br />4<br />4
| {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Pau Gasol]] || 1.8 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dwight Howard]] || 4.0
|}

==2009 NBA Finals rosters==

===Los Angeles Lakers===
<!-- This is an intentionally substituted copy of [[Template:Los Angeles Lakers roster]] kept as a "snapshot" for this championship round -->
{{NBA roster header|team=Los Angeles Lakers|season=2008–09}}
<!-- list of players -->
{{player2 | num = 3 | first = Trevor | last = Ariza | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 210 | From = Miami, Florida |college = UCLA }}
{{player2 | num = 12 | first = Shannon | last = Brown| pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 211 | college = Michigan State }}
{{player2 | num = 24 | nat2 = ITA | first = Kobe | last = Bryant | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 205 | college = [[Lower Merion High School|Lower Merion HS (PA)]] }}
{{player2 | num = 17 | first = Andrew | last = Bynum | pos = C | ft = 7 | in = 0 | lbs = 285 | college = [[St. Joseph High School (Metuchen, New Jersey)|St. Joseph HS (NJ)]] }}
{{player2 | num = 5 | first = Jordan | last = Farmar | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 2 | lbs = 180 | college = UCLA| }}
{{player2 | num = 2 | first = Derek | last = Fisher | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 205 | college = UALR }}
{{player2 | num = 16 | first = Pau | last = Gasol | pos = F/C | ft = 7 | in = 0 | lbs = 260 | from = Spain }}
{{player2 | num = 28| link = D. J. Mbenga | alt= Ilunga-Mbenga, Didier | pos = C | ft = 7 | in = 0 | lbs = 255 | from = Belgium }}
{{player2 | num = 6 | first = Adam | last = Morrison | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 205 | college = Gonzaga }}
{{player2 | num = 7 | first = Lamar | last = Odom | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 230 | college = Rhode Island }}
{{player2 | num = 21 | first = Josh | last = Powell | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 225 | college = North Carolina State }}
{{player2 | num = 18 | first = Sasha | last = Vujačić | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 195 | from = Slovenia }}
{{player2 | num = 4 | first = Luke | last = Walton | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 232 | college = Arizona }}
{{player2 | num = 9 | first = Sun | last = Yue |dab=basketball| pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 205 | from = China}}
<!-- end list of players -->
{{NBA roster footer
| head_coach = 
* {{player||USA|[[Phil Jackson]]}} ({{college|North Dakota}})
| asst_coach = 
*{{player||USA|[[Frank Hamblen]]}} ({{college|Syracuse}})
*{{player||USA|[[Kurt Rambis]]}} ({{college|Santa Clara}})
*{{player||USA|[[Brian Shaw (basketball)|Brian Shaw]]}} ({{college|UC-Santa Barbara}})
*{{player||USA|[[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]]}} ({{college|UCLA}})
*{{player||USA|[[Craig Hodges]]}} ({{college|Long Beach State}})
*{{player||USA|[[Jim Cleamons]]}} ({{college|Ohio State}})
| roster_url = http://www.nba.com/lakers/roster/
| transaction_url = http://www.hoopshype.com/general_managers/mitch_kupchak.htm
| accessdate = February 18, 2009
}}

===Orlando Magic===
<!-- This is an intentionally substituted copy of [[Template:Orlando Magic roster]] kept as a "snapshot" for this championship round -->
{{NBA roster header|team=Orlando Magic|season=2008–09}}
<!-- list of players -->
{{player2 | num = 1 | first = Rafer | last = Alston | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 2 | lbs = 175 | college = Fresno State }}
{{player2 | num = 4 | first = Tony | last = Battie | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 240 | college = Texas Tech }}
{{player2 | num = 31 | first = Adonal | last = Foyle | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 270 | college = Colgate }}
{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Marcin | last = Gortat | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 240 | from = Poland }}
{{player2 | num = 12 | first = Dwight | last = Howard | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 265 | school = [[Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy|SW Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)]] }}
{{player2 | num = 8 | first = Anthony | last = Johnson | dab = basketball | pos = PG | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 195 | college = C of C }}
{{player2 | num = 11 | first = Courtney | last = Lee | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 200 | school = Western Kentucky }}
{{player2 | num = 9 | first = Rashard | last = Lewis | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 230 | school = [[Alief Elsik High School|Alief Elsik HS (TX)]] }}
{{player2 | num = 10 | first = Tyronn | last = Lue | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 0 | lbs = 175 | school = Nebraska }}
{{player2 | num = 14 | first = Jameer | last = Nelson | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 0 | lbs = 190 | college = St. Joseph's }}
{{player2 | num = 20 | first = Mickaël | last = Piétrus | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 215 | from = France | France }}
{{player2 | num = 7 | first = JJ | last = Redick | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 190 | college = Duke }}
{{player2 | num = 32 | first = Jeremy | last = Richardson | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 195 | college = Delta State }}
{{player2 | num = 15 | first = Hedo | last = Türkoğlu | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 220 | from = Turkey }}
<!-- end list of players -->
{{NBA roster footer
| head_coach = 
*{{player||USA|[[Stan Van Gundy]]}} ({{college|SUNY-Brockport}})
| asst_coach =
*{{player||USA|[[Brendan Malone]]}} ({{college|Iona}})
*{{player||USA|[[Steve Clifford]]}} ({{college|Maine}})
*{{player||USA|[[Patrick Ewing]]}} ({{college|Georgetown}})
*{{player||USA|[[Bob Beyer]]}} ({{college|Alfred}})
| roster_url = http://www.nba.com/magic/roster/
| transaction_url = http://www.hoopshype.com/general_managers/otis_smith.htm
| accessdate = March 23, 2009
}}

==Player statistics==
{{NBA roster statistics legend}}

;Los Angeles Lakers
{{NBA roster statistics start|team=Los Angeles Lakers}}
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Trevor|Ariza}} || 5 || 5 || 37.6 || .357 || .417 || .500 || 6.0 || 1.6 || '''1.8''' || 0.2 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Shannon|Brown}} || 3 || 0 || 5.2 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0
|-! style="background:#FDE910;"
| align="left" | {{sortname|Kobe|Bryant}} || 5 || 5 || '''43.8''' || .430 || .360 || .841 || 5.6 || '''7.4''' || 1.4 || 1.4 || '''32.4'''
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Andrew|Bynum}} || 5 || 5 || 18.9 || .364 || .000 || .667 || 4.2 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Jordan|Farmar}} || 5 || 0 || 11.5 || .368 || .125 || '''1.000''' || 1.2 || 0.4 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Derek|Fisher}} || 5 || 5 || 35.9 || .500 || .438 || '''1.000''' || 3.0 || 1.8 || 1.2 || 0.0 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Pau|Gasol}} || 5 || 5 || 42.5 || .600 || .000 || .778 || '''9.2''' || 2.2 || 0.8 || '''1.8''' || 18.6
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|D. J.|Mbenga}} || 3 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.0
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Lamar|Odom}} || 5 || 0 || 33.8 || .542 || .500 || .688 || 7.8 || 0.8 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Josh|Powell}} || 2 || 0 || 5.5 || .500 || '''1.000''' || .000 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.5
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Sasha|Vujačić}} || 5 || 0 || 4.4 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.4 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Luke|Walton}} || 5 || 0 || 15.2 || '''.800''' || .000 || .500 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 3.8
{{s-end}}

;Orlando Magic
{{NBA roster statistics start|team=Orlando Magic}}
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Rafer|Alston}} || 5 || 5 || 29.5 || .368 || .158 || .800 || 2.2 || 3.0 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 10.6
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Tony|Battie}} || 5 || 0 || 7.0 || .455 || .000 || .000 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 0.4 || 2.0
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Marcin|Gortat}} || 5 || 0 || 10.7 || .467 || .000 || .500 || 2.6 || 0.0 || 0.4 || 1.0 || 3.2
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Dwight|Howard}} || 5 || 5 || '''42.6''' || .488 || .000 || .603 || '''15.2''' || 2.2 || '''1.6''' || '''4.0''' || 15.4
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Courtney|Lee}} || 5 || 5 || 17.6 || .375 || .182 || .750 || 1.4 || 0.2 || 0.6 || 0.0 || 5.8
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Rashard|Lewis}} || 5 || 5 || 42.5 || .405 || .400 || .846 || 7.6 || '''4.0''' || 0.8 || 0.0 || 17.4
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Jameer|Nelson}} || 5 || 0 || 18.0 || .348 || .167 || .500 || 1.4 || 2.8 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Mickaël|Piétrus}} || 5 || 0 || 28.0 || .475 || .333 || .786 || 2.0 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 10.6
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|JJ|Redick}} || 4 || 0 || 16.3 || .400 || '''.455''' || '''1.000''' || 0.5 || 2.0 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 5.5
|-
| align="left" | {{sortname|Hedo|Türkoğlu}} || 5 || 5 || 41.1 || '''.492''' || .438 || .742 || 4.6 || 3.8 || 0.8 || 0.4 || '''18.0'''
{{s-end}}

==International broadcasts==
Aside from [[NBA on ABC|ABC]] (U.S.) and [[The Sports Network|TSN]] (Canada), other broadcasters across the world covered the Finals:<ref>[http://www.nba.com/schedules/international_nba_tv_schedule.html Global NBA Programming]. National Basketball Association. Retrieved on June 10, 2009.</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=48em}}
* {{flagcountry|Argentina}}: [[Canal 7 Argentina|Canal 7]]
* {{flagcountry|Australia}}: [[ESPN Australia|ESPN]] and [[10 Bold|ONE HD]]
* {{flagcountry|Belgium}}: [[Be 1]] and [[Prime Sport 1]]
* {{flagcountry|Belize}}: [[Great Belize Television]] and [[Tropical Vision Limited]] (all games except games 2 and 5 joined in progress; Sunday games covered in full)
* {{flagcountry|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}: [[Televizija OBN|OBN]]
* {{flagcountry|Brazil}}: [[ESPN Latin America]]
* {{flagcountry|Chile}}: [[ESPN Latin America]]
* {{flagcountry|China}}: [[CCTV-5]], several provincial broadcasters
* {{flagcountry|Cyprus}}: [[Lumiere TV]]
* {{flagcountry|Denmark}}: [[DK4 Sport]]
* {{flagcountry|Dominican Republic}}: [[Antena Latina]]
* {{flagcountry|El Salvador}}: [[SKY México]]
* {{flagcountry|Finland}}: [[Nelonen Sport|Urheilukanava]]
* {{flagcountry|France}}: [[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal+]], [[Orange Sport]]
* {{flagcountry|Greece}}: [[Sport+ (Greece)|Sport+]]
* {{flagcountry|Hong Kong}}: [[ESPN]], [[Cable TV Hong Kong|Cable TV Hong Kong Sports Channel]], [[Fox Sports (Southeast Asian TV network)|Star Sports]], [[Television Broadcasts Limited|TVB HD]]
* {{flagcountry|Hungary}}: Sport1, Sport2
* {{flagcountry|Iceland}}: [[Stöð 2 Sport]]
* {{flagcountry|India}}: [[ESPN]]
* {{flagcountry|Indonesia}}: [[ESPN]], [[JakTV]]
* {{flagcountry|Italy}}: [[Sky Italia|Sky sport]]
* {{flagcountry|Israel}}: [[Sport 5]]
* {{flagcountry|Japan}}: [[J Sports Plus]], [[NHK BS-1]], [[SkyPerfecTV]]
* {{flagcountry|South Korea}}: [[SBS Sports]], [[Star Sports (East Asian TV channel)|Star Sports]]
* {{flagcountry|Latvia}}: [[LTV7]]
* {{flagcountry|Mexico}}: [[ESPN Dos]]
* {{flagicon|Arab League}} [[North Africa]]: [[aljazeera sport +3]]
* {{flagcountry|Netherlands}}: [[Sport1 (Netherlands)|Sport1]]
* {{flagicon|Oman}} [[Oman]]: [[NBA TV]]
* {{flagcountry|Peru}}: [[ESPN Latin America]], [[Cable Mágico Deportes|CMD]]
* {{flagcountry|Philippines}}: [[Radio Philippines Network|C/S 9]], [[Basketball TV]]
* {{flagcountry|Poland}}: [[Canal+ Poland|Canal+Sport1]]
* {{flagcountry|Portugal}}: [[Sport TV 1]]
* {{flagcountry|Russia}}: [[NTV Plus|NBA TV]]
* {{flagcountry|Spain}}: [[Canal+ Spain|Canal +]], [[Cuatro (channel)|Cuatro]]
* {{flagcountry|Sweden}}: [[TV4 AB]]
* {{flagcountry|Taiwan}}: [[Videoland Television Network|Videoland]]
* {{flagcountry|Thailand}}: [[ESPN]]
* {{flagcountry|Trinidad and Tobago}}: [[ESPN]]
* {{flagcountry|Turkey}}: [[NTV Turkey|NTV]]
* {{flagcountry|UK}}: [[Five (channel)|Five]] / [[Setanta Sports|Setanta Sports 2]]
* {{flagcountry|Venezuela}}: [[Sport Plus]]
{{div col end}}

Locally, the Finals were broadcast on Los Angeles' [[KABC-TV]] and Orlando's [[WFTV]].

==Impact and aftermath==
===Lakers===
The series win brought the Lakers' franchise championship total to 15, trailing only the [[Boston Celtics]]. The championship was the fourth title for the Lakers during the 2000s, the most among all teams in the four major professional sports leagues in North America.

By virtue of their win this year and loss in the previous year, this marked the tenth occurrence that the winners of the NBA Finals were losers in the preceding year's Finals, previously the [[Detroit Pistons]] had lost and won the Finals in {{nbafy|1988}} and {{nbafy|1989}} respectively. The victory was noted by many as a personal success for Finals MVP [[Kobe Bryant]], winning his first championship and succeeding in the playoffs without the presence of former Lakers center [[Shaquille O'Neal]] where some people had previously speculated that Bryant could not "win one without Shaq". Head coach, [[Phil Jackson]], captured his 10th NBA championship, setting a new record by surpassing [[Red Auerbach]] for the highest number of championships ever won by an NBA coach. Jackson also surpassed Auerbach and NHL coach [[Scotty Bowman]] to become the head coach with the most sporting championships in the history of all four major professional sports leagues in North America. Having achieved three Game 1 victories throughout the postseason (first round vs. [[Utah Jazz|Utah]], conference finals vs. [[Denver Nuggets|Denver]], and NBA Finals vs. Orlando), Phil Jackson-coached NBA teams were now 44–0 in series where they win the first game, later improved to 48–0 by the time Jackson retired after the [[2011 NBA Playoffs]].

The Lakers made their sole offseason roster adjustment by acquiring [[Ron Artest]] from the Houston Rockets in a significant trade that resulted in [[Trevor Ariza]] departing to join the Houston Rockets. During the subsequent season, the Lakers secured the top position in the Western Conference, despite recording eight fewer victories than the previous year. They eliminated the [[2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]] in six, the [[2009-10 Utah Jazz season|Utah Jazz]] in four, and the [[2009-10 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix Suns]] in six games to return to the [[2010 NBA Finals]] and renew their [[Celtics-Lakers rivalry|heated rivalry with the Celtics]]. In the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lakers won a hard-fought seven-game series against the Celtics to successfully defend and retain their NBA title, becoming the first NBA team to repeat as champions since the [[2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers season|2001-02 Lakers]].

===Magic===
The Magic again won 59 games and the division title during the [[2009-10 NBA season|2009–10 season]], in which they relinquished [[Hedo Türkoğlu]] to the [[Toronto Raptors]] and acquired 8-time All-Star and NBA veteran [[Vince Carter]] from the [[New Jersey Nets]]. Standout player, [[Dwight Howard]] won [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|Defensive Player of the Year]] for the second straight year. In the [[2010 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] the Magic swept the [[2009-10 Charlotte Bobcats season|Charlotte Bobcats]] and the [[2009-10 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]], becoming the first team in NBA history to win their first eight playoff games by 20 or more points. However, the Magic would lose to the [[Boston Celtics]] in six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, marking the final games that were held at [[Amway Arena]]. The Magic moved to the [[Amway Center]] during the 2010–11 season, and then proceeded to lose in the first round for two straight years to the Hawks and the [[Indiana Pacers]], respectively. After the [[2011–12 NBA season|2011–12 season]], Stan Van Gundy was fired, and in a blockbuster offseason trade, Howard was traded to the Lakers, which he spent one season with them and later moved onto the [[Houston Rockets]] in 2013. However, the team failed to reach [[NBA Finals]] due to the rise of the upstart [[Golden State Warriors#2012–2014: Ascension|Golden State Warriors]]. Thus, Howard returned to the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] teams after signing with [[Atlanta Hawks]] in 2016.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/finals2009/ |title=NBA.com: Finals 2009 |website=[[NBA.com]] |access-date=May 17, 2008 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203184144/http://www.nba.com/finals2009/ |archive-date=December 3, 2010 }}
*[https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2009/matchup/_/teams/magic-lakers 2009 NBA Finals at ESPN]
*[https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_2009_finals.html 2009 NBA Finals at Basketball Reference]

{{NBA Finals}}
{{Los Angeles Lakers 2008–09 NBA champions}}
{{Los Angeles Lakers}}
{{Orlando Magic}}
{{2008-09 NBA season by team}}
{{NBA on ABC}}
{{NBA on ESPN Radio}}

[[Category:NBA Finals]]
[[Category:2000s in Orlando, Florida]]
[[Category:2008–09 NBA season|Finals]]
[[Category:2009 in sports in Florida]]
[[Category:2009 in sports in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Basketball competitions in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Basketball competitions in Orlando, Florida]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lakers games|NBA Finals]]
[[Category:NBA controversies]]
[[Category:Orlando Magic games|NBA Finals]]