NBA
Magic, Kareem’s ‘Showtime’ Lakers Reunion in Hawaii Coached by Pat Riley
A wonderful moment unfolded in Maui, Hawaii after the Lakers of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott and other ’80s team members had a reunion and even trained under the direction of their then-coach Pat Riley.
It was way back in 1989 when the Lakers’ “Showtime” got its credits removed. In the finals of the 1988-89 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired at the age of 42, officially coming full circle with the team that, along with Larry Bird’s Celtics, changed the NBA in the 1980s.
33 years later, the Lakers of Magic Johnson, Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, Mikal Thompson, Kurt Rambis, Issy Green and – of course – Pat Riley reunited. And it wasn’t… your typical reunion. It was a meeting of giants.
The players who led the Lakers to 5 championships from 1979-1988 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988) and brought Jerry Buss’ vision of “Showtime” fame to the stage (then owner) were there. Basically, they were all there, meeting on the field, where they would prepare before each season. Yes, that’s right: Magic and Abdul-Jabbar’s Lakers trained in Hawaii! And there they returned after 33 years, with – the current Miami Heat president – Pat Riley showing he remains the same after… coaching them!
Nostalgia was at the forefront of this incredible reunion, and people enjoyed and reminisced about the photos Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared on social media.
But for the record, the famous “Showtime” actually began in the 1981-82 season when Pat Riley was promoted from assistant coach to head coach.
See contributions by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
Source: sport 24
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