Kilroy wrote:Magic completely changed the outlook of the Lakers as a rookie... Kareem's Lakers were good but they looked about like Kareems Bucks. He'd been with the Lakers since 75 and they were at best, a WCF contender. They didn't look like a true contender until they drafted Magic in '79. Kareem already had 9 seasons and a full College career under his belt by then. (on Converse all-stars)
As a rookie, Magic basically averages a triple double in the post season (with 3 steels), and we win the Chip....
Check out Magic's post season numbers through his career:
http://bkref.com/pi/shareit/pAhduI get that since his stint as POBO, it's cool to minimize his contributions to the Lakers, but by the time he came Kareem was already on the backend of his prime... Magic extended his career so it seemed like he had this incredibly long prime, but really, it was Magic's team within a couple years of him being drafted. It was fully magic's show by 82... Kareem still anchored the offense and Defense, but Magic was the heart and soul of the team. And Kareem I don't think really minded that... Sure, his ego got rustled a bit here and there... But Kap was never really a limelight kind of guy... He wasn't that approachable to fans and didn't really like doing interviews, etc. He was fine letting Magic do all that as long as Magic gave him the respect he deserved, which to his credit, Magic mostly did... Even if it was clear they weren't really that close.
And we need to stop harping on the couple bad games Magic had in the post season... Kap had plenty of them too... Remember all the Migrane games?
Magic was the NBA's guy.... Kareem was a guy who ruffled the media's feathers in the early 70's with the Black Panther stuff and never really recovered. The NBA was dying when Magic and Bird came in. Drugs, stupid rules (3 for 2 FT's for example) and tape delayed NBA Finals games showed where the game was. Magic resurrected the game along with Bird and then Jordan. Kareem was never they guy who fed off the press. Magic was.
The migraine games and the "AC's broke" games in Boston.... yeah. He also had some stretches in the regular season where he mailed it in. The scene in Airplane wasn't all satire.
The idea that Kareem's extended prime was a result of Magic alone is a stretch. Kareem won a finals MVP at age 37 and averaged over 21 with 7 boards at age 39 in 87's win over Boston. That Boston Series was a slow down physical match up. They were not letting us run and trying to physically hurt anyone who went down the lane. Magic's sweeping hook closed those MF'ers out that year. That may have been one of the most intense finals I've ever seen. Near fights in almost every game.
Who's team it was is kind of immaterial. Kareem was the anchor when we closed close games and Magic was the catalyst when we blew teams out. Kareem had his share of bad games/series (83 for example) but largely he closed most of our playoff wins into the 86-87 season. While not in his prime he was still remarkably consistent.
That 82 season was interesting. The finals that year no one on the Lakers averaged over 20. I think that's only happened one other time (may be wrong but I seem to remember hearing that). That finals was the most balanced we had in that run from a statistical standpoint.
Kareems presence enhanced Magic's game and vice versa. Not a coincidence we didn't win in that run once Kareem declined significantly and not one that Kareem didn't win more without Magic earlier.
As for my focus on game 2 in 84.... everyone has a traumatic sports event where it sticks with you a long time. That game was it for me. That was the team that kept beating us and we had a 0-2 advantage heading home and let it slip away. The smug interviews by the C's after it and Most's call still ring in my head today. Another memory in that series was our game 4 home loss in OT. Kareem fouled out on a silly block attempt and Bird went supernatural in OT while taunting the Lakers bench.
If you're looking for stats in the 80 playoffs.... 31.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.9 blocks per game on 57.2 percent field goal shooting. That includes a game where he hobbled for quarter on a sprained ankle. In the Finals he raised those numbers to 33.4, 13.2, 3.2 and 4.6 blocks.