Los Angeles Lakers legends from the “Showtime” era reunited last week in Hawaii to relive some of the moments that made up one of the greatest NBA dynasties.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar launched his skyhook and Magic Johnson dished out dimes just like in the good old times when the Showtime Lakers worked out together in Maui, Hawaii. The place used to be where the Purple and Gold hosted training camp back in the 1980s.
Four decades later, it hosted the Showtime icons as they got together for the first time since their playing days ended. Spectrum SportsNet accompanied the franchise’s legends in Hawaii — and the network has announced it will show the behind-the-scenes from the big reunion in a special episode of “Backstage: Lakers” on Friday, Nov. 4:
The Showtime reunion premieres on Friday, November 4th, on a special edition of Backstage: Lakers.
📺: @SpectrumSN https://t.co/98PzQwUanF pic.twitter.com/8mgO55PFf7
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 20, 2022
“It’s great. It’s like 30 years have just disappeared, guys are coming to the room and they can’t wait to hug each other, just start telling stories like they saw each other yesterday,” Abdul-Jabbar said in a trailer video.
“It’s been a great gathering and memories, and reflecting on success and the relationships that we had,” added James Worthy. “It’s good to see everybody.”
In the video, the Showtime stars are seen playing golf and drinking beverages out of hollowed-out pineapples. Abdul-Jabbar also wears the commemorative T-shirt the former players wore during their “workaround” in the gym, although in black, not white.
After the workout ended, Byron Scott joked the Lakers legends hooped as if nothing has changed since the Showtime era — which brought L.A. five NBA championships.
And Johnson tweeted the L.A. greats “had so much fun running plays and reliving our practice days.”
Lakers icon Abdul-Jabbar criticizes NBA for light punishment of Suns owner Robert Sarver
Around the time of the Showtime reunion, the NBA announced the results of the investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and the toxic work environment within the franchise.
The league suspended Sarver for a year and fined him $10 million after finding him guilty of using racist language and making inappropriate comments toward female employees.
Commenting on the investigation, Abdul-Jabbar said the light punishment of Sarver hurts the NBA’s reputation as the most socially progressive professional league in America. The 75-year-old also asked how Sarver had gotten away with the misconduct for 18 years.
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