[3][40] Magic and Kareem along with James Worthy, whom the Lakers drafted in 1982, dominated the NBA in the 1980s. After retiring in 1991, he quickly transitioned into the radio booth and has served as the Lakers radio color commentator since 2003. That would mean stints with the USC women's basketball team and the Atlanta Dream, along with a championship for the Los Angeles Lakers D-League team in 2006. Whether it was averaging 23.6 points per game during the 1986-87 Playoffs or his legendary Game 7 of the 1988 Finals, in which he put up 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the team win yet another title, no moment was too big for this former North Carolina Tar Heel. After putting together the Showtime Lakers and putting the pieces in place for the next great purple and gold dynasty, West ventured back east for a different challenge. Well, maybe a little purple, too. HBO is getting back into sports with a new series from Succession boss Adam McKay about the LA Lakers. Wilkins was at the height of his powers that year, averaging a career-high 30.7 points per game. I would argue that from top to bottom this is the greatest Non-Olympic team ever assembled. Today, he has a stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent two years as president of basketball operations for his Los Angeles Lakers. After struggling for much of the 1970s, the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson in 1979 to join superstar center, Kareem Abdul Jabaar. By Dave Zirin Twitter Fun fact, 2002 could also be a decent guess at how many women the rest of the Lakers intimately mingled with over that time. By most metrics, Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard to ever play the game. In that time he would win five championships, all but swindle the Memphis Grizzlies out of Pau Gasol, and form the biggest bust of a super team ever thanks to the brittle bones of Steve Nash and the weak will of Dwight Howard. With Jack Nicholson planted courtside, these Lakers transformed the game, running and gunning their way to five championships and owning a decade of basketball. Off Rtg: 115.6 (1st of … Buss was not afraid to spend money on players. Here's a look back at notable sports news on April 27 through the years. The years between the Fall of 1979 and the Summer of 1990 are considered “the Showtime Years” in Los Angeles Laker history. The Lakers clinched that finals berth Saturday night, ousting Denver in Game 5 of the West finals, the game just happening to be 365 days removed from the team’s first media session to start this season. The story of how the Los Angeles Lakers became the most successful professional basketball team in the 1980s. In basketball, Showtime was an era in Los Angeles Lakers history when the National Basketball Association (NBA) team played an exciting run-and-gun style of basketball. Yes, that means this season is now stretching into a second year for the Lakers. In one of Cooke's last acts as Lakers owner, the Lakers drafted the point guard Johnson. The Lakers may be struggling today, but in the 1980s they won five NBA titles. Let Magic push the pace and let the cards fall where they may. [2][3] Like a night club act, he believed a basketball game should be entertaining. [25], Although Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, and Riley stepped down the year after, most believe the Showtime era ended in 1991 when the Lakers lost the finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and Johnson retired after finding out he was HIV-positive. [54], "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Don't Blame Me, I Just Want To Have Fun! Los Angeles Lakers survived the Chicago Bulls, win 117-115. Miami’s Jimmy Butler torched the Lakers for a historic 40-point triple double in Game 3 of this year’s Finals and he didn’t even attempt a three in that game. And yes, you read that right. The ultimate hard luck player, West only managed to win one championship with the Lakers, despite going to finals year after year after year. On this date in 1960, the Minneapolis Lakers, one of the NBA's early powerhouses, announced they would move to Los Angeles. The Showtime Los Angeles Lakers are back in a big way, ladies and gentlemen. My expectations on this Lakers team are through the roof and I honestly think that this might be the best Lakers roster of my lifetime. ", "It just adds up: On points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is Lakers' top center", "Heat center situation leaves Pat Riley torn", "Westhead Gone–Lakers Playing Better Than Ever", http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26788978/the-lakers-public-drama-crisis-ownership, https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-magic-johnson-20190521-story.html, https://nba.nbcsports.com/2019/05/20/magic-johnson-on-lakers-gm-rob-pelinka-if-youre-going-to-talk-betrayal-its-only-with-rob/, "The Extra Pass: Talking "Showtime" Lakers with author Jeff Pearlman", "Johnson Not Ready To Pass Mantle; For 9th Time, Lakers Show Magic Touch", "10 reasonswhy Chicago will beat Los Angeles", "Showtime Lakers weren't built overnight", "Hollywood Stars Raving Over Lakers' Socko Title Sequel; Thumbs Up for Award-Winning Script", "Team may change, but Laker Band endures", "His dance moves made him part of Lakers' show", "The Los Angeles Lakers and the Last Crusade", "Suns Work Hard to Make Their Games Look That Fun", "Mike D'Antoni says Lakers would love to play 'Showtime' ball", "It's Showtime with the Clippers, says former Laker Magic Johnson", The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Showtime_(basketball)&oldid=997875157, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 January 2021, at 17:38. When he was fired, despite assurances that his third season option would be picked up, he told the Orange County Register that he, "felt betrayed, lied to and deceived." He later became the boys varsity coach at Chadwick School outside Los Angeles. The Captain with the killer skyhook. When all was said and done, he would win six championships and six MVPs, and yet that's just the half of his remarkable legacy. Oh, and he singlehandedly dragged the dying sport onto the front pages (that's a newspaper term, kids), displaying a charisma that had until that point been reserved for movie stars and cartoon animals. They had it all. He even worked to bring the Showtime Lakers back, thanks to the signing of LeBron James. "[39], A fan of the college game, Buss wanted the Lakers to have live music and cheerleaders. [20] The team started the 1981–82 season at 7–4, but six of those wins were by four points or fewer, and the media criticized Westhead's more-structured offense. By Dave Zirin Twitter With his passion for civil rights, conversion to Islam, and devotion to yoga and martial arts, he was not your typical basketball superstar. [1], Buss wanted Lakers games to be entertaining. Magic Johnson says the "Showtime" Lakers would have … And I was the architect of Showtime. For others, the road has been a bit bumpier. [36] He replaced the arena's organist with a 10-piece band of musicians from the University of Southern California (USC). Michael Cooper was the glue of the Showtime Lakers, playing hard-nosed defense one second and then sailing down the court for an alley-oop dunk the next. With him coming off the bench, the Showtime Lakers now had four No. And he did it all while hiding as far from the court as possible, his competitive nature making it hard for him to even watch the game he loved. If you guessed helped bring basketball to India, wow, good guess. Not bad for a team better known for its electrifying offense. The Forum was a circle with an oval interior supported by 80 white concrete columns. For Lakers fans, he'll always be Big Game James, the former number 1 pick who more than lived up to the hype, despite having to share the court with a bevy of superstar players. And then November 7, 1991, hit. Johnson himself seemed to be the only one who thought he had a future, and he sure did. @[100044622720374:2048:JaVale McGee] sold the house he owned in Encino, Los Angeles. Westhead used McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that defined Showtime. The Los Angeles Lakers are still undefeated on the road as they crush the Houston Rockets, 117-100. Hmm. Das Team gewann insgesamt 17 Meistertitel, die meisten mit den Boston Celtics.Die Team- und Trikotfarben sind seit 1967 Gold und Lila, zuvor trugen die Lakers Weiß und Königsblau und die Minneapolis Lakers Taubenblau und Gelb. Victory with pizzaz. The first time the Lakers and Celtics competed for an NBA championship was in 1959 when the Celtics ended the Lakers … They were the Showtime Lakers, and in the '80s, there was no better show on Earth. [47][48] Rudy Tomjanovich was hired in 2004 to install an up-tempo offense and revive the high-scoring of the 1980s teams. After landing a five-year first-look deal with Adam McKay earlier this year, HBO has ordered the Succession executive producer's Showtime Los Angeles Lakers drama to series. In 13 seasons, he somehow got to the finals nine times, winning five championships and three MVPs. Fortunately, he found a way to transform those frustrations into motivation, becoming the most successful executive in basketball history. Praise for Showtime “The Showtime Lakers are the dynasty that forever changed the NBA, transforming a game into an entertainment spectacle. This was a very bold gesture as the league had not had a repeat champion for nearly 20 years. [25], Riley led the Lakers to four championships. Led by coach Pat Riley and point guard Magic Johnson, the Lakers run an exciting run-and-gun style. He's the NBA logo, and that's somehow just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how much Jerry West has influenced the NBA. What The Showtime Era Lakers Look Like Today, for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Not bad for a guy with a supposed death sentence. He would sometimes deliver the ball to teammates with a no-look pass. He also gets ensnared in the occasional beef with players like Kevin Durant, who blew up at Big Game for a supposed diss. [3][7][36] Rex the Peanut Man, a peanut vendor, would dance to entertain the crowd. Jeff Pearlman joins Bill Littlefield to discuss his new book 'Showtime' which looks at … [13], If the break was not there, the Lakers would settle into their half-court offense and rely on Abdul-Jabbar—the NBA's all-time leading scorer—and his unique signature skyhook. At the time, most assumed they'd just witnessed a death sentence. "The Showtime Lakers weren’t just the best team of their era. Jun 5, 2018 - Explore Jason Nevins's board "Showtime Lakers" on Pinterest. The Lakers of Kareem, Magic and Riley were to the 1980s what the Yankees of Mantle, Ford, and Stengel were to the 1950s: A team perfectly matched to its time, and place. He claimed his role at the time was to "get through the next two years so Kobe doesn't go crazy." The Lakers have had roughly the same look since they re-located to Los Angeles in 1960. He rose to the occasion that night too, finishing with 38 (on 42 shot attempts!) For some, not far, still displaying that golden touch. Since his playing days came to an end, Worthy has stuck close to home, serving as a studio analyst for the Lakers and offering insightful commentary on his former team. [29] With the team older, the Lakers were more of a half-court team that season. [9] Instead, Westhead was fired and replaced by Pat Riley. He would then help launch Chris Paul to superstar status as coach of the New Orleans Hornets, winning Coach of the Year honors in 2008. Pat Riley was the perfect coach for this team, arguably the flashiest ever assembled. He would go on to win three championships with the team and bridge the gap between the Magic and Kobe eras, mentoring the next great Laker during his final season as a player. Anybody who scoffed when the 27-year-old was added to the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest had … The team established a Hollywood-celebrity following. The gutsy bench player soon became a management staple, serving under the legendary Jerry West before taking over as the Lakers' general manager, a job he would hold for 17 years. He was already in his 30s by the time Magic Johnson showed up, having spent a decade dragging Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes. Through his relentless reporting and buoyant writing, Jeff Pearlman has delivered the story in full, from rare insight into Kareem and Magic to what (ital) really (ital) went on after-hours in the Forum Club. In seven days, (hopefully), I’ll reach my 31st birthday. [37] Not only did Buss want stars on his team, he also wanted stars watching them. The Lakers’ Magic Johnson tries to move past Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls during the 1991 NBA Finals as the Showtime era faded in Los Angeles. $49.99. Shaq and Kobe (and Not Glen Rice) and the Dawn of the Post-Showtime Lakers. $150.00. At the time of the sale, the Lakers had appeared in the NBA Finals four times in the five years since the Buss family had bought the franchise from … After he purchased the Lakers and The Forum from Cooke, Buss embarked on creating a grand-scale version of The Horn. Over his 12 seasons, he'd be named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times and take home the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. The Showtime Lakers or the 33-wins-in-a-row Lakers? These days, you're as likely to find him writing for the new season of Veronica Mars as you are hanging around an NBA arena. Possessing the first overall pick in the upcoming 1979 NBA Draft, the Lakers narrowed their choice to either Magic Johnson or Sidney Moncrief. The Phoenix Suns with point guard Steve Nash were a running team under Mike D'Antoni, and The New York Times called them "this decade’s incarnation of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Showtime". After he retired from playing, Rambis began a long career on the bench. So what has the NBA iron man done more recently? "[44] The News and Courier added, "Only one thing beats the thrill of victory. Magic and Kareem along with James Worthy, whom the Lakers drafted in 1982, dominated the NBA in the 1980s. [36] Actor Jack Nicholson, considered the Lakers' most well-known celebrity fan, was often seen sitting courtside in his shades. The superstar with the smile. It is set during the Showtime era in the 1980s. Los Angeles already had a fine point guard in Norm Nixon, making Moncrief potentially a wonderful complement at off guard. Order Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty Two decades removed, Harper recalled a 1999 game against Seattle that had gone down to the wire. [41] The Lakers later employed Dancing Barry, a Showtime staple who added to the party atmosphere by dancing in the aisles during timeouts wearing sunglasses and a tuxedo. Led by Magic Johnson, the team fathered the swag and up-tempo style of … Riley's mantra was "no rebounds, no rings", reinforcing the need to fight for rebounds in order to win championships. [7], The most important component of Showtime was the Lakers' fast break. Die Los Angeles Lakers (ehemals Minneapolis Lakers) sind eine professionelle Basketball-Mannschaft der nordamerikanischen National Basketball Association (NBA). They were also the most compelling, the most charismatic, the most complex. After struggling for much of the 1970s, the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson in 1979 to join superstar center, Kareem Abdul Jabaar. He retired in 1990, having spent his entire career with the same squad, and seamlessly transitioned to the coaching staff, where he would share his defensive secrets for the next five years. Still, one thing's for certain, there'll never be another team quite like the Showtime Lakers, no matter how many times they try. Unveiled for the 2018-19 season, the new Los Angeles Lakers uniforms bring back an element of the 1980s Showtime Era while also positioning a fresh direction for the franchise. Riley was also innovative on defense; he was one of the first coaches to employ a 1-3-1 half-court trap to pick up the pace of the game. [14] Backing him up at center were Bob McAdoo, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, and in later years, Mychal Thompson, a former No. [29][38] The Washington Post quipped that "The Forum may be the only place where the fans make more money than the players. 'Never fear, Magic is here': On May 16, 1980, with the Cap sidelined with an ankle injury, Magic Johnson launched a decade of Lakers 'Showtime' dominance. It's Showtime at HBO. [5], In Buss' opinion, a theatrical atmosphere paired with the running game would excite the fans and strengthen the Lakers' home-court advantage. Record: 65-17, Finished 1st in NBA Pacific Division Coach: Pat Riley (65-17) Executive: Jerry West PTS/G: 117.8 (2nd of 23) Opp PTS/G: 108.5 (12th of 23) SRS: 8.31 (1st of 23) Pace: 101.6 (10th of 23) . Lakers owner Jerry Buss purchased the team in 1979, and he wanted their games to be entertaining. But where have these Lakers legends gone since their '80s heyday? [28] At the championship celebrations following the 1987 Finals, Riley boldly guaranteed before the cheering crowd that the Lakers would win it all again in 1988. This is the period when the Lakers were led on the court by Magic Johnson, and were led on the bench by Pat Riley. In the 1960s, Buss was a regular at The Horn, a nightclub in Santa Monica, California, that attracted an upscale clientele. With matinee idol looks and the work ethic of a deranged lunatic, Riley could keep the masses entertained while racking up the wins. He would go on to reinvent himself as a grit and grind coach in New York, turning the Knicks into the most brutal team in the league, before bolting for South Beach and transforming the Miami Heat into perennial winners. Maybe James missed his ex-wife's appearance on Oprah in which she called him every name in the book thanks to a series of infidelities while the two were married. The story of how the Los Angeles Lakers became the most successful professional basketball team in the 1980s. The Lakers' two-year reign atop the Western Division came to an end during the 1963-64 season. [35] After he became owner, Buss hired a public address announcer with a livelier voice. In 1981, Abdul-Jabbar was the highest-paid player in NBA at $870,000 a season, when Buss signed Johnson to a 25-year, $25 million contract. Obviously, helping the sport catch on in the land of cricket and soccer would be a challenge, but if there's one thing we know from his playing days, it's that when this guy puts his mind to something, he can accomplish anything. The Showtime Lakers are one of the most famous teams in NBA history. 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