- #1980 los angeles lakers roster install#
- #1980 los angeles lakers roster series#
- #1980 los angeles lakers roster tv#
After the Lakers won the series for their first of five NBA titles in nine seasons, Buss hired Westhead to permanently replace McKinney. The Lakers advanced to that year's NBA Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on May 13, 1980. Westhead continued to use McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that came to be known as Showtime, and the team finished the season with a record of 60–22. However, the length of the recovery and lingering doubts about the complete return of McKinney's mental faculties, combined with the team's level of success under Westhead, ultimately meant that McKinney would never get the chance to return to the job. Joseph's, was named the interim head coach. Assistant coach Paul Westhead, who also worked under McKinney at St. On November 8, 1979, the Lakers were 9–4 after 13 games, when McKinney suffered a near fatal head injury after falling while bicycling.
#1980 los angeles lakers roster install#
The Lakers began the season being coached by Jack McKinney as owner Jerry Buss, who had recently acquired the team, wanted games to be entertaining, and hired the coach to install a running offense. While Magic dazzled in his rookie season, Kareem would enjoy an MVP campaign in the Lakers' 60–22 regular season. It was one of then-owner Jack Kent Cooke's final acts before selling the team to Jerry Buss during that summer. The Lakers earned the top pick of the 1979 NBA draft (traded as compensation by the New Orleans Jazz after signing Gail Goodrich in 1976) and selected Magic Johnson from Michigan State. In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, but Kareem couldn't do it alone. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 19. In the eight years between championships, the Lakers made the NBA Finals again in 1973 and lost to the New York Knicks in five games. The last time the Lakers had won the NBA championship was in 1972. Main article: 1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers season Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime.īackground Los Angeles Lakers This was also the first NBA Finals to make use of the three-point line, which debuted that season. This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move.
#1980 los angeles lakers roster tv#
Play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger has noted that Erving made such moves almost routinely in his ABA days-but the ABA had no national TV contract in those days. In Game 4 of the 1980 Finals, Julius Erving executed the legendary Baseline Move, a behind-the-board reverse layup that seemed to defy gravity. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort." "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. What made Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookie-and, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old. Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Jim Chones played strong defense on 76ers center Darryl Dawkins, while Mark Landsberger provided rebounding off the bench, and little used Brad Holland chipped in eight key points.
The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds, and Norm Nixon. Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds-and handing out seven assists- Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA crown.
Playing on the road, Johnson (a 6'9" rookie point guard) started the game at center and eventually played all five positions in a dominating performance. In Game 6, Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of Game 6, although 76ers coach Billy Cunningham was quoted as saying "I won't believe he's not playing until their plane lands and he's not on it." As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6. He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 3–2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 to win their seventh championship. The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979–80 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. A crowd surrounds Magic Johnson at the Lakers championship parade
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