[11] In a typical sequence, rebounders such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kurt Rambis, and A. C. Green would quickly release an outlet pass to Johnson, who would race down the court and distribute the ball to players such as Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Byron Scott, and Michael Cooper for a finishing layup or slam dunk. [36] Actor Jack Nicholson, considered the Lakers' most well-known celebrity fan, was often seen sitting courtside in his shades. This is the period when the Lakers were led on the court by Magic Johnson, and were led on the bench by Pat Riley. Coached by Pat Riley, the Lakers' exciting, uptempo offense led to five championships during that decade. Wilkins was at the height of his powers that year, averaging a career-high 30.7 points per game. These days Rambis is back with the purple and gold, serving as a senior basketball adviser for the Lakers. Magic and Kareem along with James Worthy, whom the Lakers drafted in 1982, dominated the NBA in the 1980s. With three more titles, one as coach and two as president, he has put a rather massive stamp on the NBA, becoming one of the most successful figures in the history of the sport. HBO is getting back into sports with a new series from Succession boss Adam McKay about the LA Lakers. 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. Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 was in the process of selling the team to Jerry Buss. 1 overall draft picks, alongside Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, and Worthy. He would, over the next few years, help turn the Memphis Grizzlies into winners, the Golden State Warriors into champions, and the Clippers into whatever it is the Clippers are. "[39], A fan of the college game, Buss wanted the Lakers to have live music and cheerleaders. He insisted that the Lakers play an up-tempo style, and the team hired dancers and a live band for their home games at The Forum. The Captain with the killer skyhook. 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. At the time, most assumed they'd just witnessed a death sentence. $150.00. Still, one thing's for certain, there'll never be another team quite like the Showtime Lakers, no matter how many times they try. It was there he would win two titles and launch a second career as a women's basketball coach. [26] In Cooper, they had one of the top defensive stoppers in 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. '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. [22][23][24] The Lakers' up-tempo style was restored under Riley, and they won another championship that season. 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. Buss was not afraid to spend money on players. And then November 7, 1991, hit. [7], The most important component of Showtime was the Lakers' fast break. That's Showtime," he said. $49.99. 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 being dismissed by the Dream in 2017, Cooper signed on with the new BIG-3 league, leading his team to the championship game in his first season. The Lakers have had roughly the same look since they re-located to Los Angeles in 1960. The Lakers and Celtics each had their reign of dominance in the early days of the NBA. George Mikan led the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954. According to rumors, his hardened, old school mentality clashed with his team's young prospects, and his devotion to Kobe Bryant above all others rubbed many the wrong way. [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. [28], The Lakers in 1985 won their first championship in nine meetings against the Boston Celtics, and again defeated their rivals for the title in 1987. The years between the Fall of 1979 and the Summer of 1990 are considered “the Showtime Years” in Los Angeles Laker history. This year's run brings Abell back to his glory years of living only a bike ride away from the Great Western Forum where Showtime drew a who's who of A-list celebrities. Nevertheless, this guarantee was fulfilled as the Lakers repeated as champions in 1988, becoming the first NBA team to capture back-to-back championships since the Celtics' repeat title in 1968–69 in legendary center Bill Russell's last season. But it's his family that's made Thompson's second act all the more remarkable. HBO is bringing the Showtime Lakers to the scripted arena with “Showtime,” Variety has confirmed. He's the eternal Lakers Captain, and the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. [35] After he became owner, Buss hired a public address announcer with a livelier voice. See more ideas about showtime lakers, lakers, nba legends. [16][17] In the final years of Abdul-Jabbar's career, Johnson became the Lakers' primary scoring option. Off Rtg: 115.6 (1st of … The Lakers may be struggling today, but in the 1980s they won five NBA titles. If ever a ball needed diving for or an elbow needed throwing, you can bet Rambis was the guy to do it. [36], Buss lured Hollywood celebrities and the rich and famous to the game to add more excitement in the crowd. Magic and Kareem along with James Worthy, whom the Lakers drafted in 1982, dominated the NBA in the 1980s. Magic Johnson resigned from the Lakers in April 2019. And yes, you read that right. Johnson himself seemed to be the only one who thought he had a future, and he sure did. The Showtime Lakers are one of the most famous teams in NBA history. The name of the game under Riley in those early years was up-tempo. 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. Here's a look back at notable sports news on April 27 through the years. The ultimate lunch pail player, never afraid to do the dirty work, Kurt Rambis stuck in the league for one reason: effort. This is the period when the Lakers were led on the court by Magic Johnson, and were led on the bench by Pat Riley. ", "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. It's Showtime at HBO. 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. 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. 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. 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. And what about George Mikan? My Years of Magical Thinking: Thoughts on the 1980s Showtime Lakers Reading Jeff Pearlman’s new book about the 1980s Showtime Lakers has unearthed more than a few memories. Following retirement, Scott transitioned to coaching, leading the New Jersey Nets to the Finals in 2002 and 2003. 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. Los Angeles Lakers 1986-87 Roster and Stats. They were the Showtime Lakers, and in the '80s, there was no better show on Earth. The team established a Hollywood-celebrity following. Just which is the greatest Lakers team of all time? [42][43], The Hartford Courant wrote, "You go to The Fabulous Forum, and you get a basketball game in between lounge acts. His youngest son, Trayce, is an outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. 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. [29][30] By Johnson's last season,[a] he had grown more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but the league's third-oldest point guard was also slower and less nimble. $49.99. 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. Praise for Showtime “The Showtime Lakers are the dynasty that forever changed the NBA, transforming a game into an entertainment spectacle. [25] Though the Showtime Lakers were known for their offense, they won championships with their defense. 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. Well, maybe a little purple, too. The Showtime Lakers or the 33-wins-in-a-row Lakers? It’s time to find out. Magic said the Showtime Lakers would have swept these Warriors, mostly because of the size difference. Showtime Lakers . [29][38] The Washington Post quipped that "The Forum may be the only place where the fans make more money than the players. In his four and a half seasons with the team, he helped them win back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988 with his ferocious defense. [2][3] Like a night club act, he believed a basketball game should be entertaining. [50] Under Jackson's guidance, the Lakers were NBA champions again in 2009 and 2010. [6] He wanted to create a Hollywood atmosphere that would be embraced by the Los Angeles culture even if it was hated by the rest of the country. [3] He also transformed the Forum Club, previously a family-friendly restaurant and lounge inside the Forum, into the hottest nightclub in Los Angeles. Jeff Pearlman joins Bill Littlefield to discuss his new book 'Showtime' which looks at … Not bad for a guy with a supposed death sentence. Michael Shannon has been cast to play self-made millionaire and former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss in HBO’s “The Untitled Showtime Lakers Project” pilot, based on the Jeff… With his passion for civil rights, conversion to Islam, and devotion to yoga and martial arts, he was not your typical basketball superstar. The superstar with the smile. [25], Riley led the Lakers to four championships. Die Los Angeles Lakers (ehemals Minneapolis Lakers) sind eine professionelle Basketball-Mannschaft der nordamerikanischen National Basketball Association (NBA). The Forum was a circle with an oval interior supported by 80 white concrete columns. They had it all. [51] When D'Antoni joined with the Lakers and Nash in 2012, he declared, "We would love to be able to play 'Showtime' basketball. [18][19] However, he started altering the offense the following season. He even worked to bring the Showtime Lakers back, thanks to the signing of LeBron James. [47][48] Rudy Tomjanovich was hired in 2004 to install an up-tempo offense and revive the high-scoring of the 1980s teams. The Lakers replaced him with assistant Paul Westhead, who led the Lakers that season to their first championship in almost a decade. [3][7][36] Rex the Peanut Man, a peanut vendor, would dance to entertain the crowd. He rose to the occasion that night too, finishing with 38 (on 42 shot attempts!) The ultimate hard luck player, West only managed to win one championship with the Lakers, despite going to finals year after year after year. When A.C. Green commits to something, he goes all the way, baby. Shaq and Kobe (and Not Glen Rice) and the Dawn of the Post-Showtime Lakers. 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. Worthy was emphatic he never insulted the NBA superstar at the time and claimed no one had ever called him such shady names before. They were the flashiest team in NBA history, and they may have just saved the league itself. "[45] NBA commissioner David Stern said Showtime showed that "an arena can become the focal point for not just basketball, but entertainment."[46]. The Clippers? [49] He was not successful, and the Lakers reverted to the triangle offense as Jackson returned. 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. The first time the Lakers and Celtics competed for an NBA championship was in 1959 when the Celtics ended the Lakers … The team was nicknamed the "Showtime Lakers" due to its fast break, transition offense facilitated by Johnson. Jun 5, 2018 - Explore Jason Nevins's board "Showtime Lakers" on Pinterest. [27] The league-wide perception was that the Lakers played with finesse and were not physical enough to win in the playoffs. The Showtime Los Angeles Lakers are back in a big way, ladies and gentlemen. 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. McGee has a player option for $ 4.2 M in his last year of contract with @[144917055340:274:Los Angeles Lakers]. 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. [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. After he retired from playing, Rambis began a long career on the bench. TODDLER (2-4 YEARS) INFANT (12-24 MONTHS) NEWBORN (0-9 MONTHS) Quick View Los Angeles Lakers Kids Anthony Davis Statement Replica Jersey Nike . Four championships later, the system seemed to work, but emotions were frayed, egos ballooned, and Riley was eventually dismissed. He also gets ensnared in the occasional beef with players like Kevin Durant, who blew up at Big Game for a supposed diss. Anybody who scoffed when the 27-year-old was added to the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest had … 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) . They were also the most compelling, the most charismatic, the most complex. The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, nicknamed “Showtime,” were perhaps the most fun team to watch in NBA history as they won five championships in a nine-year … The series, which has received a pilot order at the cabler, hails from Adam McKay, who … Mitch Kupchak's tenure with the Lakers lasted 36 years, having played for them during their Showtime heyday and winning two titles before transitioning behind the scenes. The owner insisted the Lakers have a running game. Twenty years after they pounded the Pacers in the Finals, a new … Led by Magic Johnson's passing skills and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring, the team relied on fast breaks and won five NBA championships. Of course Magic Johnson takes center stage with his effervescent personality and larger than life persona who really defined the Showtime era. 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. The legendary Lakers announcer Chick Hearn nicknamed the power forward "Superman" because of the thick-rimmed glasses he wore on the court, but Rambis played more like the Tasmanian Devil, everywhere at once and always going at 100 mph. graphic design inspiration lakers lebron nba poster social. He's a three-time NBA champion, an All-Star, and one of the greatest shooters in the history of the game. He claimed his role at the time was to "get through the next two years so Kobe doesn't go crazy." Quick View ... Los Angeles Lakers Showtime Thermaflex Hoodie. Today, he has a stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent two years as president of basketball operations for his Los Angeles Lakers. [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. [34], The Lakers played their home games at The Forum, which billed itself as "the modern version of the greater Colosseum of ancient Rome". [21] Although they had won five in a row, Buss was also disenchanted with the offense and then Johnson, frustrated with Westhead and his system, asked to be traded. 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. With Jack Nicholson planted courtside, these Lakers transformed the game, running and gunning their way to five championships and owning a decade of basketball. 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. 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. Here's a look back at notable sports news on April 27 through the years. Los Angeles Lakers survived the Chicago Bulls, win 117-115. Whether it's playing in the NBA (where he holds the record for consecutive games played at 1,192) or his chastity (somehow managing to remain a virgin for his entire playing career), this guy doesn't slack. His oldest son, Mychel, made it to the NBA, playing briefly for the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2011. If you guessed helped bring basketball to India, wow, good guess. Hmm. The years between the Fall of 1979 and the Summer of 1990 are considered “the Showtime Years” in Los Angeles Laker history. He would sometimes deliver the ball to teammates with a no-look pass. The Boston Celtics won their first title in 1957, led by Bob Cousy and Bill Russell.. However, Cooke liked Johnson's smile and playing style. Riley's mantra was "no rebounds, no rings", reinforcing the need to fight for rebounds in order to win championships. West (28.7 ppg) and Baylor (25.4 ppg) finished fifth … Los Angeles already had a fine point guard in Norm Nixon, making Moncrief potentially a wonderful complement at off guard. 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. So what has the NBA iron man done more recently? By Dave Zirin Twitter And the two former North Carolina Tar Heels have their work cut out for them, trying to make the Charlotte Hornets a competitive team for the first time in years. Nba champion, an All-Star, and Worthy would regularly show the courtside celebrities the time was to `` through... 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