The 1979-80 NBA season was the Lakers' 32nd season in the NBA and the 20th season in Los Angeles. It featured a 20-year old rookie Magic Johnson leading the Lakers to their seventh NBA Championship (second in Los Angeles), defeating the Philadelphia 76ers led by Julius Erving in six games in the NBA Finals. This was also the team's first season under the ownership of Jerry Buss. Magic's season represented the birth of the Showtime Lakers.
Magic Johnson at the Lakers championship rally, June 1980
Only 13 games into his tenure, coach Jack McKinney suffered a near-fatal bicycling accident November 8. General manager Bill Sharman elevated assistant Paul Westhead to head coach and hired former Laker Pat Riley as assistant coach.
Having won everything possible at the college level, Johnson decided to leave college two years early and declared himself eligible for the 1979 NBA draft. The New Orleans Jazz originally had the first draft pick, but they had traded the pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for NBA star Gail Goodrich. As a result, the Lakers drafted Johnson with the first overall pick,[2] signing him for a sizable salary of US$600,000 a year.[3]
Johnson joined a franchise which had gone through major changes. The Lakers featured a new coach in Jack McKinney, a new owner in Jerry Buss, and several new players. However, Johnson was most excited about the prospect of playing with his personal idol, the 7–2 centerKareem Abdul-Jabbar, who would go on to become the second leading scorer in NBA history.[3] From the first game, Johnson displayed his trademark enthusiasm for the game. When Abdul-Jabbar hit a last-second free throw line hook shot to win against the San Diego Clippers, Johnson ran around the court, high-fiving and hugging everybody, causing concern that the "Buck" (as Johnson was called by Lakers announcer Chick Hearn for his youth) would burn himself out. However, in that 1979–80 NBA season, the rookie proved them wrong. Johnson introduced an uptempo style of basketball which the NBA described as a mix of "no-look passes off the fastbreak, pinpoint alley-oops from halfcourt, spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams".[2] Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper even stated that: "There have been times when he [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn't sure where he was going. Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores, and I run back up the floor convinced that he must've thrown it through somebody."[2] This style of basketball became known as "Showtime". Given Johnson was also a prolific scorer and rebounder, he soon led the league in triple-doubles, racking up 10-points-10-rebounds-10-assists games in a rate only second to NBA Hall-of-FamerOscar Robertson.[2] In addition, he expressed a raw, childlike enthusiasm which further endeared him to the fans.[4]
Johnson's average of 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game was enough to make the All-Rookie Team and become a starter on the All-Star Team, even though the NBA Rookie of the Year Award went to his rival Larry Bird, who had joined the Boston Celtics.[5] The Lakers compiled a 60–22 win–loss record, and with Paul Westhead replacing coach McKinney as a coach after a serious bicycle accident 13 games into the season, the Lakers reached the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Against the fierce resistance of Sixers Hall-of-Fame forward Julius "Doctor J" Erving and Darryl Dawkins, the Lakers took a 3–2 lead before Abdul-Jabbar went down with a sprained ankle. Coach Westhead decided to put point guard Johnson at pivot instead, and on the Sixers' home court, the rookie dominated with 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, lifting the Lakers to a 123–107 win and winning the NBA Finals MVP award. The NBA regards Johnson's clutch performance as one of the finest individual games ever.[6] Although only twenty years old, he had already won every trophy at the high school, college and professional levels. Johnson also became one of only four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.
^Schwartz, Larry. "Magic made Showtime a show". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
^"Magic Johnson Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
^. NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2007.
Lakers on Basketball Reference
"That Magic Season" – Documentary on the 1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers on YouTube
February 15, 2024
1979, angeles, lakers, season, 1979, season, lakers, 32nd, season, 20th, season, angeles, featured, year, rookie, magic, johnson, leading, lakers, their, seventh, championship, second, angeles, defeating, philadelphia, 76ers, julius, erving, games, finals, thi. The 1979 80 NBA season was the Lakers 32nd season in the NBA and the 20th season in Los Angeles It featured a 20 year old rookie Magic Johnson leading the Lakers to their seventh NBA Championship second in Los Angeles defeating the Philadelphia 76ers led by Julius Erving in six games in the NBA Finals This was also the team s first season under the ownership of Jerry Buss Magic s season represented the birth of the Showtime Lakers 1979 80 Los Angeles Lakers seasonNBA championsConference championsDivision championsHead coachJack McKinney first 13 games 1 Paul WestheadGeneral managerBill SharmanOwner s Jerry BussArenaThe ForumResultsRecord60 22 732 PlaceDivision 1st Pacific Conference 1st Western Playoff finishNBA Champions Defeated 76ers 4 2 Stats at Basketball Reference comLocal mediaTelevisionKHJ TVRadioKLAC lt 1978 79 1980 81 gt Magic Johnson at the Lakers championship rally June 1980Only 13 games into his tenure coach Jack McKinney suffered a near fatal bicycling accident November 8 General manager Bill Sharman elevated assistant Paul Westhead to head coach and hired former Laker Pat Riley as assistant coach Contents 1 Offseason 1 1 NBA draft 2 Roster 3 Regular season 3 1 Season standings 3 2 Record vs opponents 4 Game log 4 1 Regular season 4 2 Playoffs 5 Magic Johnson 6 Player statistics 6 1 Regular season 6 2 Playoffs 7 Awards and records 8 ReferencesOffseason editNBA draft edit Round Pick Player Position Nationality School Club Team1 1 Magic Johnson Guard nbsp United States Michigan State1 14 Brad Holland Guard nbsp United States UCLARoster edit1979 80 Los Angeles Lakers rosterPlayers CoachesPos No Name Height Weight DOB FromC 33 Abdul Jabbar Kareem C 7 ft 2 in 2 18 m 225 lb 102 kg 1947 04 16 UCLAF 7 Byrnes Marty 6 ft 7 in 2 01 m 215 lb 98 kg 1956 04 30 SyracuseC 9 Chones Jim 6 ft 11 in 2 11 m 220 lb 100 kg 1949 11 30 MarquetteG 21 Cooper Michael 6 ft 5 in 1 96 m 170 lb 77 kg 1956 04 15 New MexicoF 31 Haywood Spencer 6 ft 8 in 2 03 m 225 lb 102 kg 1949 04 22 Detroit MercyG 14 Holland Brad 6 ft 3 in 1 91 m 180 lb 82 kg 1956 12 06 UCLAG 32 Johnson Magic C 6 ft 9 in 2 06 m 215 lb 98 kg 1959 08 14 Michigan StateC 54 Landsberger Mark 6 ft 8 in 2 03 m 215 lb 98 kg 1955 05 21 Arizona StateG 15 Lee Butch 6 ft 0 in 1 83 m 185 lb 84 kg 1956 12 05 MarquetteG 10 Nixon Norm 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m 170 lb 77 kg 1955 10 11 DuquesneF 52 Wilkes Jamaal 6 ft 6 in 1 98 m 190 lb 86 kg 1953 05 02 UCLA Head coachJack McKinney first 13 games Paul WestheadAssistant coach es Paul Westhead first 13 games Pat RileyLegend C Team captain DP Unsigned draft pick FA Free agent S Suspended nbsp Injured Roster Last transaction February 15 1980Regular season editSeason standings edit Pacific Divisionvte W L PCT GB Home Road Divy Los Angeles Lakers 60 22 732 37 4 23 18 19 11x Seattle SuperSonics 56 26 683 4 33 8 23 18 18 12x Phoenix Suns 55 27 671 5 37 5 18 22 19 11x Portland Trail Blazers 38 44 463 22 26 15 12 29 13 17San Diego Clippers 35 47 427 25 24 17 11 30 13 17Golden State Warriors 24 58 293 36 15 26 9 32 8 22 Western ConferencevteTeam W L PCT GB1 c Los Angeles Lakers 60 22 732 2 y Milwaukee Bucks 49 33 598 113 x Seattle SuperSonics 56 26 683 44 x Phoenix Suns 55 27 671 55 x Kansas City Kings 47 35 573 136 x Portland Trail Blazers 38 44 463 227 San Diego Clippers 35 47 427 258 Chicago Bulls 30 52 366 309 Denver Nuggets 30 52 366 3010 Utah Jazz 24 58 293 3611 Golden State Warriors 24 58 293 36Record vs opponents edit 1979 80 NBA RecordsTeam ATL BOS CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WASAtlanta 2 4 1 1 4 2 1 1 6 0 2 0 2 4 4 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 4 2 4 2 4 2 1 1 2 0 5 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 3 3Boston 4 2 2 0 4 2 2 0 6 0 2 0 6 0 4 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 5 1 5 1 3 3 1 1 2 0 4 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 4 2Chicago 1 1 0 2 2 0 2 4 1 1 4 2 1 1 0 2 3 3 1 5 1 5 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 5 3 3 0 2 4 2 2 4 2 4 0 2Cleveland 2 4 2 4 0 2 1 1 6 0 2 0 2 4 2 4 2 0 1 1 0 2 3 3 3 3 1 5 1 1 0 2 4 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 3 3Denver 1 1 0 2 4 2 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 6 1 5 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 5 2 4 1 1 3 3 1 5 3 3 1 1Detroit 0 6 0 6 1 1 0 6 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 5 0 2 0 2 1 1 2 4 2 4 1 5 0 2 0 2 2 4 0 2 0 2 1 1 2 4Golden State 0 2 0 2 2 4 0 2 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 5 0 6 2 0 0 2 0 2 2 4 2 4 0 2 3 3 0 6 3 3 0 2Houston 4 2 0 6 1 1 4 2 1 1 5 1 1 1 4 2 0 2 0 2 1 1 3 3 3 3 2 4 1 1 1 1 3 3 2 0 1 1 2 0 2 4Indiana 2 4 2 4 2 0 4 2 1 1 5 1 1 1 2 4 1 1 0 2 0 2 2 4 4 2 1 5 0 2 2 0 2 4 1 1 0 2 1 1 4 2Kansas City 2 0 1 1 3 3 0 2 6 0 2 0 3 3 2 0 1 1 2 4 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 5 1 1 5 1 3 3 6 0 2 0Los Angeles 1 1 2 0 5 1 1 1 5 1 2 0 5 1 2 0 2 0 4 2 3 3 2 0 2 0 1 1 3 3 2 4 2 0 5 1 4 2 6 0 1 1Milwaukee 1 1 0 2 5 1 2 0 3 3 1 1 6 0 1 1 2 0 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 2 4 2 5 1 0 2 4 2 2 4 4 2 1 1New Jersey 2 4 1 5 1 1 3 3 1 1 4 2 0 2 3 3 4 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 2 4 1 5 1 1 0 2 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3New York 2 4 1 5 2 0 3 3 1 1 4 2 2 0 3 3 2 4 1 1 0 2 1 1 4 2 0 6 2 0 2 0 4 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 3 3Philadelphia 2 4 3 3 1 1 5 1 2 0 5 1 2 0 4 2 5 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 5 1 6 0 1 1 2 0 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1Phoenix 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 5 1 2 0 4 2 1 1 2 0 5 1 3 3 2 4 1 1 0 2 1 1 6 0 1 1 2 4 4 2 6 0 2 0Portland 0 2 0 2 3 3 2 0 4 2 2 0 4 2 1 1 0 2 5 1 4 2 1 5 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 6 1 1 4 2 1 5 3 3 1 1San Antonio 1 5 2 4 2 0 2 4 1 1 4 2 2 0 3 3 4 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 3 3 2 4 2 4 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 4 2San Diego 1 1 0 2 2 4 1 1 3 3 2 0 3 3 0 2 1 1 1 5 1 5 2 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 2 2 4 0 2 3 3 5 1 1 1Seattle 2 0 2 0 4 2 2 0 5 1 2 0 6 0 1 1 2 0 3 3 2 4 4 2 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 4 5 1 1 1 3 3 5 1 1 1Utah 0 2 0 2 4 2 1 1 3 3 1 1 3 3 0 2 1 1 0 6 0 6 2 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 6 3 3 1 1 1 5 1 5 0 2Washington 3 3 2 4 2 0 3 3 1 1 4 2 2 0 4 2 2 4 0 2 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 1 5 0 2 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 1 2 0 Game log editRegular season edit 1979 80 game logTotal 60 22 Home 37 4 Road 23 18 October 7 3 home 5 1 road 2 2 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Record1 October 12 San Diego W 103 102 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 29 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 10 3 players tied 4 San Diego Sports Arena8 503 1 02 October 16 Chicago W 105 96 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 29 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 10 Johnson amp Nixon 8 The Forum 2 03 October 17 Seattle L 110 112 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 23 Jamaal Wilkes 9 Norm Nixon 5 Kingdome 2 14 October 19 Portland L 82 99 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 22 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 13 Norm Nixon 7 The Forum 2 25 October 21 Seattle W 106 97 3 players tied 23 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 20 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 3 26 October 23 Utah W 102 87 Abdul Jabbar amp Cooper 17 Jim Chones 16 Cooper amp Nixon 7 The Forum 4 27 October 26 Kansas City W 116 104 Magic Johnson 26 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 16 Norm Nixon 10 The Forum 5 28 October 28 Golden State W 97 90 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 Magic Johnson 10 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum 6 29 October 30 Chicago W 111 105 Magic Johnson 24 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 9 Magic Johnson 6 Chicago Stadium 7 210 October 31 Milwaukee L 106 110 Norm Nixon 24 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 18 Norm Nixon 12 MECCA Arena 7 3November 9 6 home 6 1 road 3 5 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Record11 November 2 Phoenix W 112 110 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 15 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum 8 312 November 6 San Diego W 127 112 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 9 313 November 7 Golden State L 109 126 Jamaal Wilkes 18 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 8 Magic Johnson 6 Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Arena 9 414 November 9 Denver W 126 122 OT Magic Johnson 31 Spencer Haywood 12 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 10 415 November 11 Cleveland W 140 126 Jamaal Wilkes 25 Magic Johnson 16 Magic Johnson 12 The Forum 11 416 November 13 San Diego W 137 91 Magic Johnson 22 Ford amp Haywood 8 Abdul Jabbar amp Johnson 6 San Diego Sports Arena 12 417 November 15 Kansas City L 108 114 Jamaal Wilkes 28 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 12 Magic Johnson 7 Municipal Auditorium 12 518 November 16 Denver W 135 128 OT Kareem Abdul Jabbar 28 Jamaal Wilkes 12 Johnson amp Nixon 11 McNichols Sports Arena 13 519 November 18 Indiana W 127 104 Jamaal Wilkes 21 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 12 Norm Nixon 10 The Forum 14 520 November 20 Portland L 99 114 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 24 Magic Johnson 11 Norm Nixon 6 Memorial Coliseum 14 621 November 21 Seattle L 110 119 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 13 Norm Nixon 11 Kingdome 14 722 November 23 Phoenix L 112 126 Magic Johnson 25 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Magic Johnson 6 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 14 823 November 25 Kansas City W 111 110 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 25 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 15 Magic Johnson 9 The Forum 15 824 November 27 Utah W 122 118 Jamaal Wilkes 29 Magic Johnson 8 Magic Johnson 8 Salt Palace 16 825 November 30 Chicago L 100 107 Norm Nixon 30 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 19 Norm Nixon 8 The Forum 16 9December 12 4 home 8 1 road 4 3 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Record26 December 2 Milwaukee W 116 103 Norm Nixon 25 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Magic Johnson 13 The Forum 17 927 December 4 San Antonio W 127 121 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 29 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Johnson amp Wilkes 9 HemisFair Arena 18 928 December 5 Houston W 116 114 Norm Nixon 26 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 15 Norm Nixon 10 The Summit 19 929 December 7 San Diego L 108 116 Magic Johnson 31 Magic Johnson 13 Norm Nixon 11 The Forum 19 1030 December 9 Denver W 131 118 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Abdul Jabbar amp Chones 9 Magic Johnson 11 The Forum 20 1031 December 14 Detroit W 138 122 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Magic Johnson 9 The Forum 21 1032 December 16 San Antonio W 121 119 Nixon amp Wilkes 27 Jim Chones 11 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 22 1033 December 18 Chicago W 129 118 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 39 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 16 Magic Johnson 13 Chicago Stadium 23 1034 December 19 Atlanta L 112 119 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 29 Abdul Jabbar amp Chones 8 Norm Nixon 10 Omni Coliseum 23 1135 December 21 Golden State W 114 108 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 29 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 8 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum 24 1136 December 22 Denver L 128 130 Jamaal Wilkes 24 Jim Chones 8 Magic Johnson 9 McNichols Sports Arena 24 1237 December 23 Seattle W 102 97 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 32 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum 25 1238 December 26 Kansas City L 111 118 Johnson amp Wilkes 24 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 15 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 9 Municipal Auditorium 25 1339 December 27 Utah W 124 116 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 10 Magic Johnson 11 Salt Palace 26 1340 December 28 Boston W 123 105 Magic Johnson 23 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 18 Norm Nixon 8 The Forum17 505 27 1341 December 30 Phoenix W 113 105 Jamaal Wilkes 30 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Norm Nixon 8 The Forum 28 13January 10 4 home 5 0 road 5 4 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Record42 January 2 Indiana W 127 120 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 32 Abdul Jabbar amp Haywood 7 Jamaal Wilkes 8 Market Square Arena 29 1343 January 6 Milwaukee L 103 113 Jamaal Wilkes 24 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 12 Norm Nixon 8 MECCA Arena 29 1444 January 9 Washington L 101 103 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 24 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Norm Nixon 6 Capital Centre 29 1545 January 11 Detroit W 123 100 Jamaal Wilkes 27 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Magic Johnson 7 Pontiac Silverdome 30 1546 January 13 Boston W 100 98 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 33 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 12 Norm Nixon 9 Boston Garden 31 1547 January 15 Utah W 112 99 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 24 Jamaal Wilkes 10 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 7 The Forum 32 1548 January 16 Golden State W 97 96 Jamaal Wilkes 27 Spencer Haywood 11 Norm Nixon 9 Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Arena 33 1549 January 18 Atlanta W 108 102 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 28 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 15 Norm Nixon 12 The Forum 34 1550 January 21 New York W 132 114 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 25 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 35 1551 January 24 Portland L 103 111 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 30 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 16 Norm Nixon 7 Memorial Coliseum 35 1652 January 25 Philadelphia W 124 103 Jamaal Wilkes 30 Michael Cooper 13 Norm Nixon 11 The Forum 36 1653 January 27 Milwaukee W 112 102 Magic Johnson 25 Jim Chones 12 Norm Nixon 8 The Forum 37 1654 January 29 Cleveland L 153 154 4 OT Kareem Abdul Jabbar 42 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 17 Magic Johnson 8 Richfield Coliseum 37 1755 January 31 Chicago W 107 97 Jamaal Wilkes 28 Jim Chones 12 Magic Johnson 11 Chicago Stadium 38 17February 9 2 home 5 1 road 4 1 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance RecordAll Star Break56 February 5 New York W 116 105 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 22 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 17 Magic Johnson 11 Madison Square Garden 39 1757 February 8 New Jersey W 125 120 OT Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Magic Johnson 13 Johnson amp Nixon 13 Rutgers Athletic Center 40 1758 February 10 Philadelphia L 104 105 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 38 Jamaal Wilkes 8 Norm Nixon 10 The Spectrum 40 1859 February 13 Portland W 129 100 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 32 Magic Johnson 9 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 The Forum 41 1860 February 15 Kansas City W 114 100 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 Jamaal Wilkes 10 Norm Nixon 10 The Forum 42 1861 February 17 Washington W 111 107 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 25 Magic Johnson 12 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 43 1862 February 20 Denver W 116 103 Magic Johnson 30 Magic Johnson 12 Norm Nixon 6 McNichols Sports Arena 44 1863 February 22 New Jersey W 132 110 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 22 Abdul Jabbar amp Chones 14 Norm Nixon 7 The Forum 45 1864 February 24 Houston W 112 100 Jamaal Wilkes 29 Magic Johnson 8 Norm Nixon 11 The Forum 46 1865 February 26 Seattle W 131 108 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Abdul Jabbar amp Wilkes 11 Magic Johnson 13 The Forum 47 1866 February 29 Milwaukee L 117 126 OT Norm Nixon 30 3 players tied 11 Norm Nixon 13 The Forum 47 19March 13 3 home 7 0 road 6 3 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Record67 March 2 Phoenix L 115 123 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 13 Norm Nixon 9 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 47 2068 March 4 Milwaukee W 127 124 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 28 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 10 Norm Nixon 11 MECCA Arena 48 2069 March 5 Kansas City W 117 101 Magic Johnson 28 Magic Johnson 16 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 7 Kemper Arena 49 2070 March 7 Chicago W 101 99 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Magic Johnson 18 Magic Johnson 9 The Forum 50 2071 March 9 Portland L 121 142 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 Magic Johnson 12 Magic Johnson 8 Memorial Coliseum 50 2172 March 11 San Diego W 123 106 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 28 Abdul Jabbar amp Johnson 12 Magic Johnson 8 San Diego Sports Arena 51 2173 March 12 Portland W 102 94 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 30 Magic Johnson 16 Norm Nixon 9 The Forum 52 2174 March 14 Denver W 132 126 Jamaal Wilkes 27 Mark Landsberger 16 Michael Cooper 8 The Forum 53 2175 March 16 Phoenix W 128 106 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 30 Magic Johnson 13 Magic Johnson 13 The Forum 54 2176 March 18 Golden State W 118 100 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 23 Jamaal Wilkes 11 Norm Nixon 8 The Forum 55 2177 March 19 Phoenix L 108 112 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 29 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Norm Nixon 9 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 55 2278 March 22 Seattle W 97 92 Norm Nixon 23 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 9 Norm Nixon 10 Kingdome 56 2279 March 23 Utah W 101 96 Jamaal Wilkes 22 Jamaal Wilkes 11 Norm Nixon 12 The Forum 57 2280 March 27 Utah W 97 95 Jamaal Wilkes 21 Abdul Jabbar amp Johnson 11 Norm Nixon 7 Salt Palace 58 2281 March 28 San Diego W 126 88 Magic Johnson 22 Mark Landsberger 10 3 players tied 5 The Forum 59 2282 March 30 Golden State W 95 93 Norm Nixon 18 Magic Johnson 12 Magic Johnson 10 Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Arena 60 221979 80 schedulePlayoffs edit 1980 playoff game logTotal 12 4 Home 7 2 Road 5 2 Conference Semifinals 4 1 home 3 0 road 1 1 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Series1 April 8 Phoenix W 119 110 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 30 Abdul Jabbar amp Johnson 12 Magic Johnson 16 The Forum15 892 1 02 April 9 Phoenix W 131 128 OT Kareem Abdul Jabbar 32 Magic Johnson 13 Norm Nixon 12 The Forum14 286 2 03 April 11 Phoenix W 108 105 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 37 Magic Johnson 13 Norm Nixon 8 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum12 660 3 04 April 13 Phoenix L 101 127 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 25 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Magic Johnson 13 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum12 660 3 15 April 15 Phoenix W 126 101 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 35 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 16 Norm Nixon 13 The Forum17 505 4 1Conference Finals 4 1 home 2 1 road 2 0 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Series1 April 22 Seattle L 107 108 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 26 3 players tied 8 Norm Nixon 11 The Forum17 505 0 12 April 23 Seattle W 108 99 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 31 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 16 Norm Nixon 12 The Forum17 505 1 13 April 25 Seattle W 104 100 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 33 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 13 Cooper amp Johnson 10 Hec Edmundson Pavilion8 524 2 14 April 27 Seattle W 98 93 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 25 Johnson amp Wilkes 13 Norm Nixon 8 Hec Edmundson Pavilion8 524 3 15 April 30 Seattle W 111 105 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 38 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum17 505 4 1NBA Finals 4 2 home 2 1 road 2 1 Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists LocationAttendance Series1 May 4 Philadelphia W 109 102 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 33 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum17 505 1 02 May 7 Philadelphia L 104 107 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 38 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Magic Johnson 11 The Forum17 505 1 13 May 10 Philadelphia W 111 101 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 33 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 14 Norm Nixon 7 The Spectrum18 726 2 14 May 11 Philadelphia L 102 105 Magic Johnson 28 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 11 Magic Johnson 9 The Spectrum18 726 2 25 May 14 Philadelphia W 108 103 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 40 Abdul Jabbar amp Johnson 15 Magic Johnson 10 The Forum17 505 3 26 May 16 Philadelphia W 123 107 Magic Johnson 42 Magic Johnson 15 Norm Nixon 9 The Spectrum18 726 4 21980 scheduleMagic Johnson editHaving won everything possible at the college level Johnson decided to leave college two years early and declared himself eligible for the 1979 NBA draft The New Orleans Jazz originally had the first draft pick but they had traded the pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for NBA star Gail Goodrich As a result the Lakers drafted Johnson with the first overall pick 2 signing him for a sizable salary of US 600 000 a year 3 Johnson joined a franchise which had gone through major changes The Lakers featured a new coach in Jack McKinney a new owner in Jerry Buss and several new players However Johnson was most excited about the prospect of playing with his personal idol the 7 2 center Kareem Abdul Jabbar who would go on to become the second leading scorer in NBA history 3 From the first game Johnson displayed his trademark enthusiasm for the game When Abdul Jabbar hit a last second free throw line hook shot to win against the San Diego Clippers Johnson ran around the court high fiving and hugging everybody causing concern that the Buck as Johnson was called by Lakers announcer Chick Hearn for his youth would burn himself out However in that 1979 80 NBA season the rookie proved them wrong Johnson introduced an uptempo style of basketball which the NBA described as a mix of no look passes off the fastbreak pinpoint alley oops from halfcourt spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams 2 Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper even stated that There have been times when he Johnson has thrown passes and I wasn t sure where he was going Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores and I run back up the floor convinced that he must ve thrown it through somebody 2 This style of basketball became known as Showtime Given Johnson was also a prolific scorer and rebounder he soon led the league in triple doubles racking up 10 points 10 rebounds 10 assists games in a rate only second to NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson 2 In addition he expressed a raw childlike enthusiasm which further endeared him to the fans 4 Johnson s average of 18 0 points 7 7 rebounds and 7 3 assists per game was enough to make the All Rookie Team and become a starter on the All Star Team even though the NBA Rookie of the Year Award went to his rival Larry Bird who had joined the Boston Celtics 5 The Lakers compiled a 60 22 win loss record and with Paul Westhead replacing coach McKinney as a coach after a serious bicycle accident 13 games into the season the Lakers reached the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers Against the fierce resistance of Sixers Hall of Fame forward Julius Doctor J Erving and Darryl Dawkins the Lakers took a 3 2 lead before Abdul Jabbar went down with a sprained ankle Coach Westhead decided to put point guard Johnson at pivot instead and on the Sixers home court the rookie dominated with 42 points 15 rebounds seven assists and three steals lifting the Lakers to a 123 107 win and winning the NBA Finals MVP award The NBA regards Johnson s clutch performance as one of the finest individual games ever 6 Although only twenty years old he had already won every trophy at the high school college and professional levels Johnson also became one of only four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years Player statistics editRegular season edit Player GP MPG FG 3FG FT RPG APG SPG BPG PPGKareem Abdul Jabbar 82 38 3 604 000 765 10 8 4 5 1 0 3 4 24 8Ron Boone 6 17 7 350 NA 857 1 8 1 2 0 8 0 0 5 7Marty Byrnes 32 6 1 500 NA 867 0 8 0 4 0 2 0 0 2 0Kenny Carr 6 17 7 438 NA 1 000 3 4 0 2 0 4 0 2 3 2Jim Chones 82 29 2 489 000 740 6 9 1 8 0 7 0 8 10 6Michael Cooper 82 24 1 524 250 776 2 8 2 7 1 0 0 5 8 8Don Ford 52 11 2 508 000 821 1 9 0 7 0 2 0 3 3 0Spencer Haywood 76 20 3 487 250 772 4 6 1 2 0 5 0 8 9 7Brad Holland 38 5 2 423 200 938 0 4 0 6 0 4 0 0 2 8Magic Johnson 77 36 3 530 226 810 7 7 7 3 2 4 0 5 18 0Mark Landsberger 23 16 3 482 NA 518 7 1 0 6 0 4 0 2 7 0Butch Lee 11 2 8 308 NA 857 0 7 0 8 0 1 0 0 1 3Ollie Mack 27 5 7 420 000 500 0 8 0 7 0 1 0 0 1 9Norm Nixon 82 39 3 516 125 779 2 8 7 8 1 8 0 2 17 6Jamaal Wilkes 82 37 9 535 176 808 6 4 3 0 1 6 0 3 20 0 Stats after being traded to the Lakers Stats before being traded from the Lakers Playoffs edit Player GP MPG FG 3FG FT RPG APG SPG BPG PPGKareem Abdul Jabbar 15 41 2 572 NA 790 12 1 3 1 1 1 3 9 31 9Marty Byrnes 4 2 0 333 NA 667 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 5Jim Chones 16 27 4 407 NA 676 6 5 1 8 0 5 0 4 7 4Michael Cooper 16 29 0 407 000 861 3 7 3 6 1 5 0 7 9 1Spencer Haywood 11 13 2 472 000 813 2 4 0 4 0 0 0 5 5 7Brad Holland 9 3 6 500 000 1 000 0 6 0 3 0 6 0 0 1 6Magic Johnson 16 41 1 518 250 802 10 5 9 4 3 0 0 4 18 3Mark Landsberger 16 12 2 362 000 833 4 3 0 1 0 2 0 1 3 4Butch Lee 3 2 0 NA NA 1 000 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7Norm Nixon 16 40 5 477 200 804 3 5 7 8 2 0 0 2 16 9Jamaal Wilkes 16 40 8 535 176 815 8 0 3 0 1 5 0 3 20 3Awards and records editKareem Abdul Jabbar NBA Most Valuable Player Award Magic Johnson NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award Kareem Abdul Jabbar All NBA First Team Kareem Abdul Jabbar NBA All Defensive First Team Kareem Abdul Jabbar NBA All Star Game Magic Johnson NBA All Star Game Magic Johnson NBA All Rookie Team 1st TeamReferences edit 1979 80 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats a b c d Earvin Magic Johnson NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition Archived from the original on December 14 2007 Retrieved December 22 2007 a b Bork 1994 pp 56 66 Schwartz Larry Magic made Showtime a show ESPN com Retrieved December 22 2007 Magic Johnson Statistics Basketball Reference com Archived from the original on December 21 2007 Retrieved December 22 2007 NBA s Greatest Moments Magic Fills in at Center NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition Archived from the original on February 10 2012 Retrieved September 13 2007 Lakers on Database Basketball Lakers on Basketball Reference That Magic Season Documentary on the 1979 80 Los Angeles Lakers on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1979 80 Los Angeles Lakers season amp oldid 1177407582, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
