This is the real basketball I remember as a kid loving and growing up watching. All these guys inspired me to play. The epic battles of the early 80's were the best!
Bill Russell has such a nuanced understanding of the game. like how he talks about how good the Showtime Lakers were defensively. that wasn't the mainstream narrative at the time, but Russell knew better
That's because guys stayed 3-4 yrs in college and had a better understanding of the game. Plus, the veterans played at this pace meaning the youngsters couldn't get on the court until they could followed suit.
Justin Joseph and these laker showtime teams in the 80’s scored over 120-125 pts per game, while only taking 4-5 threes. They ran you off the floor, got high percentage shots, rebounded and played great team defense. The road went thru LA in the 80’s.
This was a fascinating Laker team- had the double-barreled PG of Magic and Nixon, Pat Riley had come in as coach in November, Kareem was still relatively young, and you had the likes of Wilkes/McAdoo as the beneficiaries of Magic's passing (remember, Worthy and Byron Scott were still in college)
The 2014 Spurs took a page out of the 80s teams books - especially the Celtics/Lakers - and their simple ball movement easily killed the Heat's weak defense in the Finals
Yeah right. Some people would think they were Michael Cooper, an absolute BEAST on the ball. In this '82 squad, Magic acutally led the league in STEALS at 6'9"!
Terrible, terrible basketball. What is all this movement, teamwork, and extra passing nonsense?!!? I wanna see one guy dribbling the ball 15-20 times at the top of the key on every possession and take 35+ shots while the rest of the team just stands around. Throw in some flopping and my life is truly complete. Now that's real basketball! Thank you D'Antoni and Morey for revolutionizing basketball and saving us from this bullshit.
LOL love it! You are right, today's game is hard to watch and that is why I don't watch it anymore, at least until the Pelicans play with Zion. Other than that, it's been garbage...I mean, it's been Houston Rockets type
Dan Liu team strategy. Strength against weakness. Everybody bought in for the win. Brilliant coaching, well executed game plan and a precursor to series strategies in playoffs.
the spacing is horrible though, it's why GSW lead by Curry & Klay is the most exciting basketball ever imo, they pass, move & screen like an old school team but shoot 3's and set up plays much further from the basket typically whilst playing uptempo, flashy & excellent in transition like these 80's Lakers led by Magic were.
Both teams look better than the Warriors. Certainly GSW would make some 3s, but they'd die by their turnovers. Oh, and they didn't have anyone who could defend Magic or Kareem.
This 1981-1982 Lakers squad is my favorite in Lakers history. First we had Pat Riley replacing Paul Westhead as head coach, and he was just as iconic as most Lakers players in this decade. 1. You had the double tandem of amazing guards with Norm Nixon and Magic Johnson in the backcourt. Magic almost averaged a triple-double this season after being injured and missing the majority of his sophomore year. Magic stat line- 18.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.7 SPG (led the league), 0.4 BPG. Shooting 54% from the field. Norm Nixon scored 17.6 PPG along with 8 APG. 2. Kareem, while now getting older, was still a dominant figure in the paint. He had a tremendous season, remaining very relevant and had strong play all season long. Kareem state line- 24 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3 APG, 2.7 BPG, 58% FG and FT. 3. Jamal Wilkes was smooth as silk as always. The second leading scorer on the team, he was the perfect SF for this fast paced Lakers team Jamal line- 21 PPG on 53% FG and 5 RPG. 4. The PF position was anchored by Mitch Kupchak, and he was having a very strong season to start (14.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 57.3% FG) but then he suffered a terrible knee injury that sidelined him the rest of this season as well as the following one. It was a tough blow to the team, but then Kurt Rambis stepped up, and while he didn't fill the same stats like Mitch did, his tenacious play and doing all the dirty work made him an instant fan favorite. 5. The bench was deep as well. One of the all time greatest NBA players in Bob McAdoo was acting as 6th man, and was a huge factor in the playoffs were he averaged 17 PPG and 7 RPG on 56.4% shooting. Not to be outdone, you had the multi-faceted Michael Cooper, who was another big guard that could fill in either the 1 or 2 position, making him invaluable as the main backup guard. He performed great in both the regular season and playoffs Playoffs stats- 11.9 PPG (same as regular season) 4.4 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.7 SPG, .8 BPG, 56.5% FG. So all the pieces were there, but the Lakers play was what really set them apart. Such a fast paced, fun team to watch. Extremely efficient and high scoring (2nd in the league at almost 115 PPG). They really played a team game, but don’t let that fast paced offense fool you, they were also very good as a defensive team. Facing the really tough Sixers team led by MVP Moses Malone and Dr. J, it was a toughm Finals, but I enjoyed watching every game.
81-82 imo is the Lakers best team from the 80's era. 4 Hall of Famers. And Nixon was no joke. Beautiful team to watch when they were in their flow. Sixers had a problem. They would go 2-4 minutes and just miss shots. Not necessarily Doc missing; as they would NOT give him shots. It was like that in 1980 finals too. Doc was only player who could create; Toney had moments. Until they got Moses they were not gonna win a title. 82-83 Sixers and 85-86 Celtics were dominating. Between them their were 12 Hall of Farme players. Those 3 teams when healthy could play against any team from any era. Blessed to have seen Kareem/Earvin/Bird/Julius. Add 1 more for a starting 5; those teams would be tough to beat. 80's ball imo was the best. Bucks/Spurs good too.
The Pianist , @ The Pianist , those games in the early eighties(1980’s) ,involving the Lakers, the Celtics, and the Sixers ,were absolutely magical ,and totally insane ! It was absolutely astonishing,how the Lakers were running the showtime lightening offense, specially in the 1982 finals against the Sixers ! The 1987 Lakers are the greatest basketball team of all time, followed by the incredible 1986 Celtics,and the 1983 dominating Sixers , with Moses Malone at the peak of his game ! Astonishing 1980’ s era ! Incredible,as I , who is a soccer player , became enchanted with the game ; I would go to the basketball playgrounds ,, and literally dominate the game as a point guard, just from learning from the games ! Unfortunately, we may never have a basketball era like that ;
Hadji Bouchrit I think you’re right - that was a special time when so many ingredients came together in just the right way - I don’t think we will ever get that again! That’s a great story about you dominating playground b-ball because of the examples you were observing from these teams!
The Pianist , @ The Pianist, I became a huge Lakers’ fan in the spring of 1980 , when I realized that the Lakers had two Muslims starters ( Abdul Jabbar , and Jamal Wilkes ) , as I am a Muslim! I was enthralled and fascinated by the athleticism and high skill levels of the NBA players, specially and particularly those playing for the Lakers, the Celtics, and the Sixers ! I used to be also a high -skilled soccer player, but I had never parlayed that into a professional soccer career, as I should have ! My basketball playgrounds plays started one day , when I was returning from a soccer game ; I was passing by a basketball playground court , when I was called and implored by two teams , that needed one more player on the court ( as they were only nine players on the court )! I reluctantly agreed to fill up the spot ! These guys ( mostly young blacks and a few young whites ) were pleasantly surprised, that not only could I play at their level or even better, but that I could pass the ball , by literally and figuratively, threading the needle as they say ; I could also score at will , as I was playing the point guard ! That ‘s when I realized, that professional basketball, specially in the NBA , are the most fit athletes on the planet ! But I became disillusioned with the Lakers, when I found out , that they were indulging in a lot of nasty stuff off the court ; For example, Magic Johnson was sleeping around with myriads women , NONSTOP, and that’s why he got the HIV , probably from one of those women ! Those Lakers were practically members of the playboy mansion of Hugh Heifner , where sex , booze, and so forth, were the norm ! I skipped the1990 ‘ s , except fro the few NBA finals games of the Rockets ( with Olajuwon) , and the last NBA final games of Michael Jordan ; I was surprised when the referees didn’t call that push-off by Michael ! Later , I was absolutely disgusted with Shaq , as every year , he would be coming to training camp , as an obese and fat slob ! Kobe was absolutely right , when he said that the Lakers could have won many more championships, had Shaq taken his game seriously; I was also mad at the Lakers owners , for not bringing back Jerry West , the most astute basketball mind in the world, specially since he was clamoring for a return to the Lakers ! The Warriors became a dynasty, because of Jerry West !
Hadji Bouchrit that’s great that you were able to find two Muslims to look up to on the Lakers at that time! I agree with you that the indulgences of some players in the NBA is unacceptable. I also have looked up to players who set an example of good living - like Olajuwon, David Robinson, Danny Ainge, John Stockton, etc. I’m sure there are some good ones now too, but like you, I’ve lost interest in today’s NBA because of so many overpaid reprobates. Occasionally I’ll watch highlights of big games but that’s about it. I was hoping Jimmer Fredette would make it in the NBA - a good family man and example for youth, but just not quite to the NBA level of b-ball. Do you know of any good Muslim or Christian or [insert other] players in the NBA today who are good examples of clean living for today’s youth?
If it was possible to win an NBA title in one game, the Lakers did it here. Sixers are up 15, then LA goes on that blistering 40-9 run to steal home court advantage and as the series would show, the Sixers couldn't win in the Forum.
the reason why this laker team would beat the warriors, Cavs., or Jordan's bulls, is because those teams would have to play defense! look at the size inside for the Lakers. simply put, who would guard Kareem? the great John wooden said it best, a layup should be worth 3 points not a jump shot. And don't forget, there starting power forward Mitch Kupchac was hurt.
come on man teams at that time couldnt even play help on a damn mid range jump shot... how do u expect them to defend a team thats raining in 30 footers in ppls faces..
@@abigmacsass Defense depends on where the offense is focused. More inside offense means more inside defense, same thing with the outside. The big drawback for more long range shots is less offensive rebounds (single digits per game this past season), giving more stops to the opposing team.
I'm not concerned about which team would win, but I feel like you're implying that MJ's Bulls was an offensive-focused team rather than a defensive one.
@HPM Boss Two different replies to two different people, lil buddy. Try not to be condescending to anyone that responds to you. When I say same attributes, it should be obvious that the word MORE applies to them as well in comparison to the rest.
It was awsome to play pickup bball in the 80s. Everyone pretended they were Magic or Bird. I hated pickup ball in the 90s. Everyone became ballhogs pretending they were Jordan.
I keep telling this to any one who would listen... Pickup was better in the 80s! Early 90s you could still find like minded folks, but 95 on was definitely ballhogs and crossovers. Not as much transition and teamwork
awesome video! thanks for posting. this brings back alot of memories. sweet Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon, Coop, the Cap and Magic. Look at the up and down action! that was an awesome game.
I'm exhausted watching this, my eyes can't move fast enough to keep up with the action. Then the Lakers get the #1 overall pick and have to decide do we want to add James Worthy of Dominique Wilkins to our already abundant greyhound lineup?
'Nique had a great career, but if would have been drated by the Lakers and played with Magic and coached by Riley, he would have been a top 10 player all time.
Finals games today are sloppy all out slugfests and bricks. The nervous atmosphere is palpable. In the 80's? There is none of that. They are locked in a perfectly choreographed dance, almost comatose, pure artistry and execution. Beautiful.
Grew up watching the Showtime Lakers. My observations- If any of those teams had a credible power forward with skill they may never have lost a game. They’d signed one of the best of that era- Mitch Kupchak - before the ‘82 season, but he blew out his knee. The closest they ever came was an aging Mychal Thompson in ‘87, which was their most dominant team. Jamaal Wilkes was deadly running the floor and finishing the fast break. Norm Nixon was just as good of a shooter than Byron Scott, a better ball handler and FAR quicker. Though he didn’t have Scott’s size on defense. I feel had the Lakers not made that trade they easily beat Boston in ‘84. The addition of Bob McAdoo was the primary reason for their ‘82 title. He had a HUGE Game 6, including a game turning blocked shot of the Doc. People talk of the ‘85 and ‘87 teams, but the ‘82 team was their best. The Lakers dominated at home in the playoffs that year, and the first few minutes of Game Six were a clinic in fastbreak basketball.
Please child lol... Sidney Moncrief, MJ, Bird (amazing team defender and good post defender too), West, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Walt Frazier, John Havlicek, Paul Pressey, Alvin Robertson, Mo Lucas, Jerry Sloan, Larry Nance, Joe Dumars... All great two way players in the 70's/80's
I don't think there's an argument here. I don't think you meant it literally that "nobody" played defense and I surely didn't mean to imply Magic was a top defender! Much different era -- due to conditioning limitations, you were either known as a scorer OR a defender. The only exception to that rule were centers.
Defense is instincts, Magic had the greatest basketball instincts ever, he avgd 2.5 steals a game over his career, dude was not shut you down defender, but he contributed big time on defense.
You want to hear something really scary? The Lakers and Bulls had a deal to trade James Worthy for Michael Jordan (Before anyone knew how great he was). It got killed at the last minute by someone in the upper management of the Lakers. As great as Worthy was, could you imagine the Lakers with Magic and Jordan???????????
Amazing what nonsense the gullible believe. By the time Jordan was drafted, Worthy was a starter and a star. And Jordan was such a selfish ball hog, he never would have fit in on the Lakers.
Kurt Rambis was much better than Kupchak, who was basically a center and couldn't run. Rambis sometimes, when he wasn't getting the defensive rebound, would be out on the fast break with the other forwards.
Early 80s? Magic and Norm Nixon were teammates from 1980-83. Who had more assists during their time together? Nixon. Who had more turnovers during their time together? Magic. NEXT!
Its hard to undersatnd why they would think any of those bulls 90s teams or golden state 2000,s teams could play at this level and the 76ers 83 team was even better just like the 85 lakers or 87 lakers this is why jordan and the bulls couldn't reach a nba finals during the 80s to all you bulls fans out there.
That's the dumbest thing I've heard in my entire life. MJ, as a rookie, didn't come into the league with a Kareem level player at center. Or a James Worthy at SF. He never had a loaded offensive squad, even when he was winning championships. So, obviously, he had to build them up year by year until they finally won in 91.
@@x-man9473 james worthy was not in the nba in 80 or 82 when the lakers with magic won there 1st two championships the lakers was not getting to the nba finals or beating the seattle supersonics before magic arrived. larry bird went to boston who won 29 games prior pushing them to a 60 game win season no parrish! no mchale! made it to the eastern finals fell short to a better philly team birds 2nd year wins a nba title no parrish! no mchale! no ainge! so stop the same bull crap excuses why the bulls and jordan couldnt reach the nba finals in the 80s when zeke and the pistons sent them to summer weight training sessions when they were beating them like a drum! when they made the post seasons every year from 84 to 90 jordan was nothing more but the greatest individual talent to ever enter the league but bird and magic was the 2 greatest impact players to enter the nba and that is a fact!
@@tombrad9950 Just because you don't care about the objective facts, they don't magically disappear. I didn't ask you how teams performed before Bird and Magic arrived. I brought up talent. >The Bulls had 0 all stars, 0 all nba members, 0 all defensive talent, 0 all rookie talent. No one led the league in any statistical category. They had poor scoring depth (even when they won championships). No former champions. That's the team MJ joined. >The Celtics had talent when Bird first arrived. -Nate Archibald. Former scoring & assist champion. -They had Dave Cowens, former MVP and champion. -They had M. L. Carr, all defensive team member. -They had Cedric Maxwell leading the league in field goal percentage in 1979 and 1980. >Again, the Lakers had a lot of talent before Magic arrived. -Kareem Abdul Jabbar at center. Record 6x MVP, former scoring champion, and former NBA champion. -They had Jamaal Wilkes. Former champion for the Warriors, all star, rookie of the year, and all defensive member. -Spencer Haywood. ABA MVP, ABA all star and all star MVP, ABA first team, ABA scoring and rebounding champion. 4x nba all star, 2x all nba first team, and 2x all nba 2nd team This is not comparable in the slightest. The Lakers and Celtics were teams with talent, performing poorly. The Bulls were an untalented team performing poorly. Larry Bird himself admitted that MJ was a team player who didn't have a team around him. And players like Clyde Drexler, flat out said that MJ was more impactful than Bird and Magic during the 1980s. Your perception of Bird and Magic compared to MJ is fake and romanticized.
@@x-man9473 the celtics won 29 games!!! Prior to bird arrival what are you talking about??? No more excuses for the cry baby mj that couldn't lead his teams to nba finals in the 80s the bulls had orlando woolridge and charles oakley at one point what do you mean no talent? The bulls made the post season every year in the 80s when mj arrived pretty dam good for a team lacking talent as you say save the excuses any of those bulls 90s teams the 86 celtics would have beating especially with a healthy bill walton.
@@tombrad9950 Now you're just refusing to here the obvious facts. Stop being immature. Pay attention to what's bing said. If you have something substantive that goes against it. Cite it. Keep that emotional "I don't care about the facts" behavior to yourself. Be an adult and have a conversation
So this is what you called "Showtime" huh? It's terrible. Every damm play is like layups or close to the basket. I don't see much shooting at all? WTF. And if they do shoot, they a majority of them. How can Magic said Showtime is better than Warriors. They cant' shoot!!
First off, the Lakers were a very good shooting team. You don't win 5 titles in a decade without being able to shoot the ball. Second, if you can get a layup or a dunk then why settle for a jumper? In a hypothetical matchup the Lakers would win due to having the greatest big man in NBA history on their team. Kareem would absolutely destroy that frontline.
lew given all title by refs same as jordan and diet jordans just watch at the uncalled fouls carries and weird ways lakers get ball back in very end total scam
!["The Magic Man" Magic Johnson mix (made by NPZ) [ULTIMATE MIX]](/img/1.gif)
Im 53yrs old. I really really miss Lakers in 80s and late 70s.....
They were unstoppable. Play was Beautiful and perfect.
the passing,the dunks,the plays,the commentary,the crowd reaction.. just wow
How it USED to be before the NBA became a game of HORSE
@Michael you better preach man. You’re so right it’s totally unwatchable now.
They need to move the three point line out. Probably have to get rid of corner threes. You can't have people shooting 40%+ from three
This is the real basketball I remember as a kid loving and growing up watching.
All these guys inspired me to play.
The epic battles of the early 80's were the best!
The 90s couldn't compare.
Bill Russell has such a nuanced understanding of the game. like how he talks about how good the Showtime Lakers were defensively. that wasn't the mainstream narrative at the time, but Russell knew better
AGREED
That's because guys stayed 3-4 yrs in college and had a better understanding of the game. Plus, the veterans played at this pace meaning the youngsters couldn't get on the court until they could followed suit.
I’ll take this over 48 minutes of chucking up threes any day! Now THIS is fun to watch!
Justin Joseph and these laker showtime teams in the 80’s scored over 120-125 pts per game, while only taking 4-5 threes. They ran you off the floor, got high percentage shots, rebounded and played great team defense. The road went thru LA in the 80’s.
@@garse70 yes sir
The Lakers shot zero threes this game and scored 124 pts. As a team, they shot 53%! It was like a layup drill.
Teamwork is how you win championships
Notice, players didn't give two shits for shooting 3's but the final score stayed in the 100s...
This was when basketball was basketball
Jabbar was in his prime for many years. Many years he was pretty much unstoppable. Great shooter for a big man.
This was a fascinating Laker team- had the double-barreled PG of Magic and Nixon, Pat Riley had come in as coach in November, Kareem was still relatively young, and you had the likes of Wilkes/McAdoo as the beneficiaries of Magic's passing (remember, Worthy and Byron Scott were still in college)
@HPM Royale skill sets complemented Magic's better with Scott and Worthy.
When they added Worthy, it was the BEST Laker squad
@@mja91352 Would've been an interesting 1983 Finals if the Lakers had Worthy, McAdoo and Nixon been at full health
@@mja91352 agreed although I wish they kept storman norman and silk for another year or two
@@keithclark7266 You can say the same for that 1989 team that was steam rolling teams on their way to a three-peat and then Scott and Magic go down.
Fast break basketball; the best style there is.
Nothing like it! I miss it so much
Miss it, don't ya?
@@mja91352 ...Definitely. It was exciting, fast paced and high scoring. But it took great defense and Magic Johnson bullet passes.
The 2014 Spurs took a page out of the 80s teams books - especially the Celtics/Lakers - and their simple ball movement easily killed the Heat's weak defense in the Finals
Yeah right. Some people would think they were Michael Cooper, an absolute BEAST on the ball. In this '82 squad, Magic acutally led the league in STEALS at 6'9"!
Lucky enough to be there back then. Unselfish basketball
Terrible, terrible basketball. What is all this movement, teamwork, and extra passing nonsense?!!? I wanna see one guy dribbling the ball 15-20 times at the top of the key on every possession and take 35+ shots while the rest of the team just stands around. Throw in some flopping and my life is truly complete. Now that's real basketball! Thank you D'Antoni and Morey for revolutionizing basketball and saving us from this bullshit.
LOL love it! You are right, today's game is hard to watch and that is why I don't watch it anymore, at least until the Pelicans play with Zion. Other than that, it's been garbage...I mean, it's been Houston Rockets type
Dan Liu team strategy. Strength against weakness. Everybody bought in for the win. Brilliant coaching, well executed game plan and a precursor to series strategies in playoffs.
the spacing is horrible though, it's why GSW lead by Curry & Klay is the most exciting basketball ever imo, they pass, move & screen like an old school team but shoot 3's and set up plays much further from the basket typically whilst playing uptempo, flashy & excellent in transition like these 80's Lakers led by Magic were.
@@redsnflr warriors were not even half as good as this team on the break
Bwahahaha....your sarcasm is first class!
@ 4:49 Dang...Dr. J took off from LAX on that dunk!!!
Both teams look better than the Warriors. Certainly GSW would make some 3s, but they'd die by their turnovers. Oh, and they didn't have anyone who could defend Magic or Kareem.
This 1981-1982 Lakers squad is my favorite in Lakers history.
First we had Pat Riley replacing Paul Westhead as head coach, and he was just as iconic as most Lakers players in this decade.
1. You had the double
tandem of amazing guards with Norm Nixon and Magic Johnson in the backcourt.
Magic almost averaged a triple-double this season after being injured and
missing the majority of his sophomore year.
Magic stat line- 18.6
PPG, 9.6 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.7 SPG (led the league), 0.4 BPG. Shooting 54% from the
field.
Norm Nixon scored 17.6
PPG along with 8 APG.
2. Kareem, while now
getting older, was still a dominant figure in the paint. He had a tremendous
season, remaining very relevant and had strong play all season long.
Kareem state line- 24
PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3 APG, 2.7 BPG, 58% FG and FT.
3.
Jamal Wilkes was smooth as silk as always. The second leading scorer on the
team, he was the perfect SF for this fast paced Lakers team
Jamal line- 21 PPG on
53% FG and 5 RPG.
4. The PF position was
anchored by Mitch Kupchak, and he was having a very strong season to start
(14.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 57.3% FG) but then he suffered a terrible knee injury that
sidelined him the rest of this season as well as the following one. It was a
tough blow to the team, but then Kurt Rambis stepped up, and while he didn't
fill the same stats like Mitch did, his tenacious play and doing all the dirty
work made him an instant fan favorite.
5. The bench was deep
as well. One of the all time greatest NBA players in Bob McAdoo was acting as 6th
man, and was a huge factor in the playoffs were he averaged 17 PPG and 7 RPG on
56.4% shooting. Not to be outdone, you had the multi-faceted Michael Cooper,
who was another big guard that could fill in either the 1 or 2 position, making
him invaluable as the main backup guard. He performed great in both the regular
season and playoffs
Playoffs stats- 11.9
PPG (same as regular season) 4.4 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.7 SPG, .8 BPG, 56.5% FG.
So all the pieces were
there, but the Lakers play was what really set them apart. Such a fast paced,
fun team to watch. Extremely efficient and high scoring (2nd in the league at almost 115 PPG). They really played a team game, but don’t let that fast paced offense fool you, they were also very good as a defensive team. Facing the really tough Sixers team led by MVP Moses Malone and Dr. J, it was a toughm Finals, but I enjoyed watching every game.
81-82 imo is the Lakers best team from the 80's era. 4 Hall of Famers. And Nixon was no joke. Beautiful team to watch when they were in their flow. Sixers had a problem. They would go 2-4 minutes and just miss shots. Not necessarily Doc missing; as they would NOT give him shots. It was like that in 1980 finals too. Doc was only player who could create; Toney had moments. Until they got Moses they were not gonna win a title. 82-83 Sixers and 85-86 Celtics were dominating. Between them their were 12 Hall of Farme players. Those 3 teams when healthy could play against any team from any era. Blessed to have seen Kareem/Earvin/Bird/Julius. Add 1 more for a starting 5; those teams would be tough to beat. 80's ball imo was the best. Bucks/Spurs good too.
I miss the Showtime Lakers! I love how they played as a team.
The 1982 Lakers team, and the 1987 Lakers team , are the top two best teams in NBA history
And 83 Sixers and 86 Celtics - the 80's were insane!
The Pianist , @ The Pianist , those games in the early eighties(1980’s) ,involving the Lakers, the Celtics, and the Sixers ,were absolutely magical ,and totally insane ! It was absolutely astonishing,how the Lakers were running the showtime lightening offense, specially in the 1982 finals against the Sixers ! The 1987 Lakers are the greatest basketball team of all time, followed by the incredible 1986 Celtics,and the 1983 dominating Sixers , with Moses Malone at the peak of his game ! Astonishing 1980’ s era ! Incredible,as I , who is a soccer player , became enchanted with the game ; I would go to the basketball playgrounds ,, and literally dominate the game as a point guard, just from learning from the games ! Unfortunately, we may never have a basketball era like that ;
Hadji Bouchrit I think you’re right - that was a special time when so many ingredients came together in just the right way - I don’t think we will ever get that again! That’s a great story about you dominating playground b-ball because of the examples you were observing from these teams!
The Pianist , @ The Pianist, I became a huge Lakers’ fan in the spring of 1980 , when I realized that the Lakers had two Muslims starters ( Abdul Jabbar , and Jamal Wilkes ) , as I am a Muslim! I was enthralled and fascinated by the athleticism and high skill levels of the NBA players, specially and particularly those playing for the Lakers, the Celtics, and the Sixers ! I used to be also a high -skilled soccer player, but I had never parlayed that into a professional soccer career, as I should have ! My basketball playgrounds plays started one day , when I was returning from a soccer game ; I was passing by a basketball playground court , when I was called and implored by two teams , that needed one more player on the court ( as they were only nine players on the court )! I reluctantly agreed to fill up the spot ! These guys ( mostly young blacks and a few young whites ) were pleasantly surprised, that not only could I play at their level or even better, but that I could pass the ball , by literally and figuratively, threading the needle as they say ; I could also score at will , as I was playing the point guard ! That ‘s when I realized, that professional basketball, specially in the NBA , are the most fit athletes on the planet ! But I became disillusioned with the Lakers, when I found out , that they were indulging in a lot of nasty stuff off the court ; For example, Magic Johnson was sleeping around with myriads women , NONSTOP, and that’s why he got the HIV , probably from one of those women ! Those Lakers were practically members of the playboy mansion of Hugh Heifner , where sex , booze, and so forth, were the norm ! I skipped the1990 ‘ s , except fro the few NBA finals games of the Rockets ( with Olajuwon) , and the last NBA final games of Michael Jordan ; I was surprised when the referees didn’t call that push-off by Michael ! Later , I was absolutely disgusted with Shaq , as every year , he would be coming to training camp , as an obese and fat slob ! Kobe was absolutely right , when he said that the Lakers could have won many more championships, had Shaq taken his game seriously; I was also mad at the Lakers owners , for not bringing back Jerry West , the most astute basketball mind in the world, specially since he was clamoring for a return to the Lakers ! The Warriors became a dynasty, because of Jerry West !
Hadji Bouchrit that’s great that you were able to find two Muslims to look up to on the Lakers at that time! I agree with you that the indulgences of some players in the NBA is unacceptable. I also have looked up to players who set an example of good living - like Olajuwon, David Robinson, Danny Ainge, John Stockton, etc. I’m sure there are some good ones now too, but like you, I’ve lost interest in today’s NBA because of so many overpaid reprobates. Occasionally I’ll watch highlights of big games but that’s about it. I was hoping Jimmer Fredette would make it in the NBA - a good family man and example for youth, but just not quite to the NBA level of b-ball. Do you know of any good Muslim or Christian or [insert other] players in the NBA today who are good examples of clean living for today’s youth?
This was the forgotten series...no one ever talks about Magics second Championship win.
If it was possible to win an NBA title in one game, the Lakers did it here. Sixers are up 15, then LA goes on that blistering 40-9 run to steal home court advantage and as the series would show, the Sixers couldn't win in the Forum.
This is how you are supposed to hoop. Great basketball
the reason why this laker team would beat the warriors, Cavs., or Jordan's bulls, is because those teams would have to play defense! look at the size inside for the Lakers. simply put, who would guard Kareem? the great John wooden said it best, a layup should be worth 3 points not a jump shot. And don't forget, there starting power forward Mitch Kupchac was hurt.
come on man teams at that time couldnt even play help on a damn mid range jump shot... how do u expect them to defend a team thats raining in 30 footers in ppls faces..
@@abigmacsass Defense depends on where the offense is focused. More inside offense means more inside defense, same thing with the outside. The big drawback for more long range shots is less offensive rebounds (single digits per game this past season), giving more stops to the opposing team.
I'm not concerned about which team would win, but I feel like you're implying that MJ's Bulls was an offensive-focused team rather than a defensive one.
@HPM Boss Pretty sure those attributes can describe the top 80s teams and the first three-peat Bulls as well.
@HPM Boss Two different replies to two different people, lil buddy. Try not to be condescending to anyone that responds to you. When I say same attributes, it should be obvious that the word MORE applies to them as well in comparison to the rest.
I remember the announcers calling the Lakers greyhounds because they were so fast on the fast break!!!
Brilliant video. I wish Basketball was still looked at as a team game by everyone like it once was. Great upload LD.
It was awsome to play pickup bball in the 80s. Everyone pretended they were Magic or Bird.
I hated pickup ball in the 90s. Everyone became ballhogs pretending they were Jordan.
Edd1e8 the fun of passing
Nobody wanted to be Bird or Magic where I played. It was Dr. J all the way. He could do it all and was fun to watch.
I keep telling this to any one who would listen... Pickup was better in the 80s! Early 90s you could still find like minded folks, but 95 on was definitely ballhogs and crossovers. Not as much transition and teamwork
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You said it!
How sweet it is to see magic do his migic
beautiful upload thank you so much!
awesome video! thanks for posting. this brings back alot of memories. sweet Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon, Coop, the Cap and Magic. Look at the up and down action! that was an awesome game.
Up and down baby, up and down!
I've watched SO much of the lakers from 1984 on, that I didn't know Magic and Kareem or Cooper could MOVE LIKE THIS!! WOW!!
Try watching with open eyes next time
I'm exhausted watching this, my eyes can't move fast enough to keep up with the action. Then the Lakers get the #1 overall pick and have to decide do we want to add James Worthy of Dominique Wilkins to our already abundant greyhound lineup?
Dominique would have been a great addition to our line up but I was glad we got Big Game James
Win/win situation like never before or after
'Nique had a great career, but if would have been drated by the Lakers and played with Magic and coached by Riley, he would have been a top 10 player all time.
@@mikepetitti he was a beast
And made the right choice!
Kareem 🐐
Great plays great flow of the game
2:28 I didn't realise Kareem did Wilt moves!
Mike D'antoni didn't introduce 7 or less seconds offense, you can see Lakers ShowTime did.
Tireur isolé you're dumb stfu
And going back further, the Celtics invented the fast break offense.
The Lakers benefited from philly having nothing left from the Boston series
This is what NBA basketball 🏀 is all about
Finals games today are sloppy all out slugfests and bricks. The nervous atmosphere is palpable. In the 80's? There is none of that. They are locked in a perfectly choreographed dance, almost comatose, pure artistry and execution. Beautiful.
Good old college years. I was a big fan back then, most likely watched this game.
wow! i am getting entertained by watching and its not even live at all haha
excellent video
What a team watching Kareem is a treat he was so good and magic norm super coooopper and Bob Mack-adoooo🏀
Dick Stockton and Bill Russell on the call...
look at bill russell daaaam
Grew up watching the Showtime Lakers. My observations-
If any of those teams had a credible power forward with skill they may never have lost a game. They’d signed one of the best of that era- Mitch Kupchak - before the ‘82 season, but he blew out his knee. The closest they ever came was an aging Mychal Thompson in ‘87, which was their most dominant team.
Jamaal Wilkes was deadly running the floor and finishing the fast break.
Norm Nixon was just as good of a shooter than Byron Scott, a better ball handler and FAR quicker. Though he didn’t have Scott’s size on defense. I feel had the Lakers not made that trade they easily beat Boston in ‘84.
The addition of Bob McAdoo was the primary reason for their ‘82 title. He had a HUGE Game 6, including a game turning blocked shot of the Doc.
People talk of the ‘85 and ‘87 teams, but the ‘82 team was their best. The Lakers dominated at home in the playoffs that year, and the first few minutes of Game Six were a clinic in fastbreak basketball.
My favorite laker team of all time. Micheal Cooper is my favorite. Also Celtics of this era my other favorite.
Dr J superclass!!!!! Magic!!!!!!
2:33 Coo-a-loop !! 5:43 Kareem is so young here he's playing like a small forward.
Kareem was 37. Not "young" for a pro player
magic , nixon , wilkes, cooper, kareem ? they wood take micheal and the bulls apart
Yes, they WOULD
Cooper, Rambis, Wilkes!
Please child lol... Sidney Moncrief, MJ, Bird (amazing team defender and good post defender too), West, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Walt Frazier, John Havlicek, Paul Pressey, Alvin Robertson, Mo Lucas, Jerry Sloan, Larry Nance, Joe Dumars... All great two way players in the 70's/80's
"Team defender" means couldn't defend one on one.
💕 💕 💕
7:20 Kurt Rambis killin'em with the block. 7:42 Kurt Rambis killen'em with the reverse layup.
No other team in basketball history could hang with the 1980s Lakers when they were on like this. Thanks for posting!
If you really think the Bill Russell Celtics could not "hang" with the Lakers, you know nothing about basketball
2:22 Most athletic basket by Kareem ... I've seen
Was there even an all-defensive team back then?
man julius is just "SIK"!!!!! w/that flush at 4:53.
how good was that team?
video is slightly sped up.
back when these 2 teams were at playoffs
2:00 Kareem walked lmfao
Big O, too! They were rare though.
No better announcer , EVER than Schick Hearne .
I was a Lakers fan then and still am to this day...@4:27 pm 4-13-20 on a Monday going into work during this government controlled quarantine BS
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥THE LAKE SHOW!!!! 😳🤔
Ok, now we'll just add James Worthy next season :)
what were they thinking when they hired this announcer?
That was my team!
the sixers needed moses malone 5 years earlier
The pre Worthy era
044 3 second magic
Great action
Wasn’t quite showtime till B Scott and Worthy got there.
Yes, because teams played defense back then
Nonsense. There was Showtime in the West-Baylor era
Bruh kareem froze daryl dawkins at 2:01
And I'm not even counting centers. Show more than that in this era, as good as that? You can't lol
damn 4:45 cheering for the lakers?
Back then people just cheered in general more.
I don't think there's an argument here. I don't think you meant it literally that "nobody" played defense and I surely didn't mean to imply Magic was a top defender! Much different era -- due to conditioning limitations, you were either known as a scorer OR a defender. The only exception to that rule were centers.
Defense is instincts, Magic had the greatest basketball instincts ever, he avgd 2.5 steals a game over his career, dude was not shut you down defender, but he contributed big time on defense.
Nonsense. Jamaal, for example, was a great two-way player. So was Bobby Jones. And many, many other players.
@@mja91352 lol Bobby Jones is a role player.
You want to hear something really scary? The Lakers and Bulls had a deal to trade James Worthy for Michael Jordan (Before anyone knew how great he was). It got killed at the last minute by someone in the upper management of the Lakers. As great as Worthy was, could you imagine the Lakers with Magic and Jordan???????????
Glad they did.
Amazing what nonsense the gullible believe. By the time Jordan was drafted, Worthy was a starter and a star. And Jordan was such a selfish ball hog, he never would have fit in on the Lakers.
I'm calling BS on this story.
Kurt Rambis was much better than Kupchak, who was basically a center and couldn't run. Rambis sometimes,
when he wasn't getting the defensive rebound, would be out on the fast break with the other forwards.
The notion that Kurt Rambis was better than Mitch Kupchak is moronic
0:59...bobby jones...wow...only rebound dunk of his career?
That's a joke, right?
Sixers were dang good but very beat up and worn out after celtics series
Yeah, right. winners get rings, losers have excuses
@@mja91352 Sixers played 7 game series vs Celtics. Lakers coasted in so there u go. But I’m sure you are quite a winner.
I’ve watched a lot of early 80’s games and Norm Nixon is terrible at finding Kareem for a pass. It’s no wonder he became expendable
Wonder why he averaged so many assists every season? Dolt
Early 80s? Magic and Norm Nixon were teammates from 1980-83. Who had more assists during their time together? Nixon. Who had more turnovers during their time together? Magic.
NEXT!
Its hard to undersatnd why they would think any of those bulls 90s teams or golden state 2000,s teams could play at this level and the 76ers 83 team was even better just like the 85 lakers or 87 lakers this is why jordan and the bulls couldn't reach a nba finals during the 80s to all you bulls fans out there.
That's the dumbest thing I've heard in my entire life. MJ, as a rookie, didn't come into the league with a Kareem level player at center. Or a James Worthy at SF. He never had a loaded offensive squad, even when he was winning championships. So, obviously, he had to build them up year by year until they finally won in 91.
@@x-man9473 james worthy was not in the nba in 80 or 82 when the lakers with magic won there 1st two championships the lakers was not getting to the nba finals or beating the seattle supersonics before magic arrived. larry bird went to boston who won 29 games prior pushing them to a 60 game win season no parrish! no mchale! made it to the eastern finals fell short to a better philly team birds 2nd year wins a nba title no parrish! no mchale! no ainge! so stop the same bull crap excuses why the bulls and jordan couldnt reach the nba finals in the 80s when zeke and the pistons sent them to summer weight training sessions when they were beating them like a drum! when they made the post seasons every year from 84 to 90 jordan was nothing more but the greatest individual talent to ever enter the league but bird and magic was the 2 greatest impact players to enter the nba and that is a fact!
@@tombrad9950 Just because you don't care about the objective facts, they don't magically disappear.
I didn't ask you how teams performed before Bird and Magic arrived. I brought up talent.
>The Bulls had 0 all stars, 0 all nba members, 0 all defensive talent, 0 all rookie talent. No one led the league in any statistical category. They had poor scoring depth (even when they won championships). No former champions. That's the team MJ joined.
>The Celtics had talent when Bird first arrived.
-Nate Archibald. Former scoring & assist champion.
-They had Dave Cowens, former MVP and champion.
-They had M. L. Carr, all defensive team member.
-They had Cedric Maxwell leading the league in field goal percentage in 1979 and 1980.
>Again, the Lakers had a lot of talent before Magic arrived.
-Kareem Abdul Jabbar at center. Record 6x MVP, former scoring champion, and former NBA champion.
-They had Jamaal Wilkes. Former champion for the Warriors, all star, rookie of the year, and all defensive member.
-Spencer Haywood. ABA MVP, ABA all star and all star MVP, ABA first team, ABA scoring and rebounding champion. 4x nba all star, 2x all nba first team, and 2x all nba 2nd team
This is not comparable in the slightest. The Lakers and Celtics were teams with talent, performing poorly. The Bulls were an untalented team performing poorly. Larry Bird himself admitted that MJ was a team player who didn't have a team around him. And players like Clyde Drexler, flat out said that MJ was more impactful than Bird and Magic during the 1980s. Your perception of Bird and Magic compared to MJ is fake and romanticized.
@@x-man9473 the celtics won 29 games!!! Prior to bird arrival what are you talking about??? No more excuses for the cry baby mj that couldn't lead his teams to nba finals in the 80s the bulls had orlando woolridge and charles oakley at one point what do you mean no talent? The bulls made the post season every year in the 80s when mj arrived pretty dam good for a team lacking talent as you say save the excuses any of those bulls 90s teams the 86 celtics would have beating especially with a healthy bill walton.
@@tombrad9950 Now you're just refusing to here the obvious facts. Stop being immature. Pay attention to what's bing said. If you have something substantive that goes against it. Cite it. Keep that emotional "I don't care about the facts" behavior to yourself. Be an adult and have a conversation
Bill Russell worst broadcaster in NBA history
Awful announcers
So this is what you called "Showtime" huh? It's terrible. Every damm play is like layups or close to the basket. I don't see much shooting at all? WTF. And if they do shoot, they a majority of them. How can Magic said Showtime is better than Warriors. They cant' shoot!!
First off, the Lakers were a very good shooting team. You don't win 5 titles in a decade without being able to shoot the ball. Second, if you can get a layup or a dunk then why settle for a jumper? In a hypothetical matchup the Lakers would win due to having the greatest big man in NBA history on their team. Kareem would absolutely destroy that frontline.
your dumb if u think warriors could beat this team
This is a difference . Because Showtime team based on teamwork and creating opportunities to score easy shots (sorry for my English)
The Warriors could beat the Showtime Magic Johnson Lakers??? You're kidding right?
reptilexcq2 are you high
051 holy shit noxon is magic mini me lol
Mike D'antoni didn't introduce 7 or less seconds offense, you can see Lakers ShowTime did.
In the early 60s, virtually every teams shot in 7 seconds or FEWER
why do 76ers not jsut double lew and watch worthy? magic cant shoot and then on offense use darryl dawkins vs lew to foul lew out
101 bobby jones shoulda shot a lot more liek a jordan type amazing athleticism
lew given all title by refs same as jordan and diet jordans just watch at the uncalled fouls carries and weird ways lakers get ball back in very end total scam