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The 1979-80 season would be the first year of a prosperous era for the Los Angeles Lakers. They did their work to land Magic Johnson in the NBA Draft, and paired him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Norm Nixon, and Jamaal Wilkes. This lineup alone is worth checking the 1980s Lakers stats and seeing how they stack up against other rosters.
The results on the court were even better than expected, with the Lakers winning 60 games for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The playoffs were a breeze, as the Lakers needed just two five-game series’ to get the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 1980 NBA Finals was home to one of the most iconic moments in Lakers franchise history. Abdul-Jabbar was unable to play in game six, with the Lakers holding a 3-2 lead.
Fully expecting to come back for a Game 7, the Lakers started rookie point guard Johnson at center. He would go on to score 42 points and grab 15 rebounds in a Lakers win, securing their first championship of the Showtime era.
Let’s take a closer look at the 1979 80 Lakers roster, stats, schedule, and playtime results.
1979 Lakers Roster
Check out who made up the Lakers in 1979-80 and where they played before joining the NBA.
1979-80 Lakers Stats
See how the 1980 Lakers roster stacked up against each other.
Lakers Schedule for the 1979-80 Team
Here’s where and when the Lakers played during the regular season schedule.
1979-80 Lakers Playoff Statistics
Check out the 1980 Lakers stats during the playoff season.
1979-80 Lakers Playoffs Schedule and Results
Here’s how the team did during the playoffs.
