Showtime Dynasty Era (1980-1988)

Lore & Background

Jerry Buss wanted Lakers games to be entertaining. He borrowed the term Showtime from The Horn, a nightclub in Santa Monica, California, to describe the Lakers' approach to basketball. Buss hired Jack McKinney to install a running offense. After McKinney was involved in a serious bike accident during the 1979–80 season, assistant Paul Westhead replaced him and led the Lakers to their first championship in almost a decade. Westhead used McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that defined Showtime. Westhead was fired during the 1981–82 season and replaced by Pat Riley, who restored the up-tempo style and led the Lakers to four championships. Riley was innovative on defense, employing a 1-3-1 half-court trap to pick up the pace of the game. Though the Showtime Lakers were known for their offense, they won championships with their defense. In 1987, Riley guaranteed before the crowd that the Lakers would win the championship again in 1988, a bold gesture as the league had not had a repeat champion for nearly 20 years. 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. The Lakers' peak regular season record during the Showtime era was 65-17, achieved in 1986-87.

In Their Own Story

Inside The Forum, the energy wasn't just loud; it was kinetic. Magic Johnson controlled the tempo from the top of the key, eyes scanning for the cut rather than the pass. A defender bit on a fake, and Magic whipped a no-look behind-the-back feed to James Worthy slicing down the lane. Before Worthy even touched the rim, the crowd roared—a sound that seemed to lift the arena off its foundations. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar anchored the paint, a stoic giant watching the chaos unfold with a faint smile. It wasn't just a game; it was a symphony of motion where defense was secondary to the artistry of the play. As Worthy finished at the rim and the clock wound down, the Lakers didn't just secure a win; they delivered a performance that would define basketball for generations.

Reader's Guide

The most important component of Showtime was the Lakers' fast break. 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. Oftentimes, Johnson would rebound the ball and drive the ball up court himself on a fast break. If the break was unavailable, the Lakers would settle into their half-court offense and rely on Abdul-Jabbar and his signature skyhook. Backing him up at center were Bob McAdoo and in later years Mychal Thompson. As Abdul-Jabbar neared the age of 40, head coach Pat Riley had Johnson assume scoring responsibilities. Johnson's 'junior, junior skyhook' won Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals.

Did You Know?

• The Lakers' regular season peak record during the Showtime era was 65-17 in 1986-87.
• The Lakers became the first NBA team to capture back-to-back championships since the Celtics' repeat title in 1968–69 when they repeated as champions in 1988.
• James Worthy earned his nickname 'Big Game James' following his performance in Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons.