On this date: Lakers win second NBA championship of ‘Showtime’ era
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship in 1980, they fell apart after that.
Magic Johnson suffered a knee injury the following season, and with him and fellow guard Norm Nixon at odds, the team lost in the first round of the 1981 playoffs.
When the 1981-82 season started, head coach Paul Westhead boxed in his own team by forcing them to play slow-down basketball, a style they were very unsuited for.
After 11 games, he was fired, and his firing came the day after Johnson demanded to be traded.
Everyone blamed Johnson for getting Westhead canned, but regardless of who was to blame, it worked out well.
Pat Riley, who to that point was an unheralded assistant to Westhead, took over as head coach, and the Lakers ripped through the latter part of the schedule and the early rounds of the playoffs to return to the NBA Finals.
They stole Game 1 from the Philadelphia 76ers after trailing by double-digits, and it set the tone for the series.
After taking a 3-1 lead, the Lakers lost Game 5 in Philly. In Game 6 back home, they had a choice: either wrap things up or go back East for a Game 7.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had a terrible Game 5, came out with a defensive vigor, and L.A. charged to a 9-0 lead.
The Sixers fought back, but Showtime was just too much for Julius Erving and crew, as the Lakers claimed another world championship with a 114-104 victory.
Although Johnson won the finals MVP and had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, four steals and two blocked shots, it was a team effort.
Of note was Bob McAdoo, the former MVP and scoring champ whom the Lakers had picked up in December. Coming off the bench, he had 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks to key their triumph.
Unlike in 1980, no one could claim this championship was a happy fluke. Showtime was in place, and it was here to stay for the rest of the decade.
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