How Good Were The Showtime' Lakers Actually

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Before 1979, the Lakers were the biggest losers in the NBA. After moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960, the Lakers appeared in nine NBA finals, but lost eight of them, mostly to Bill Russell and the Celtics. But in 1975, the Lakers added the best player in the world, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, despite Kareem winning two MVPs during his first four seasons in LA, the Lakers only won two playoff series. To make things even worse, the team was losing money, filling only 60% of their stadium's capacity. But to turn things around, all they needed was a bit of magic. With the first overall pick in the 79 draft, the Lakers selected Irvin Magic Johnson. And together with their new owner Jerry Buss, the Lakers immediately transformed into a winning franchise. Between 1980 and 1991, the Lakers made the NBA Finals nine times, winning five championships and leading the league in offensive ratings seven times. The Lakers were called Showtime, and Showtime was the most attractive basketball spectacle on the planet.

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (0:55)
And the one thing Dr. Buss always said is, we guys want you to entertain the entertainers. And that was our role.

**SPEAKER_1** (1:01)
With a fast-paced offense, no-look passes and celebrities sitting courtside, Showtime transformed how the NBA games were consumed, how the game was played, and most importantly, it saved the NBA.

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (1:13)
We won championships, we lost championships. We have a history together that you can't replace.

**SPEAKER_1** (1:19)
This is the story of the Showtime Lakers, the most successful era in franchise history.
The most expensive divorce of all time is that of Bill Gates, who gave up $76 billion to divorce Melinda Gates. But back in 1979, the world record for the most expensive divorce belonged to Jett Kent Cook, who owned the Lakers. To rebuild his capital, Cook decided to sell the Lakers to Dr. Jerry Bus, a successful real estate mogul. Bus acquired the Lakers from Cook in a complex $67 million deal that involved cash and land swaps, and also included the sale of the Forum Arena, the Los Angeles Kings and other assets, making it the largest deal in sports history at the time.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:57)
Dr. Bus, let me ask you first of all, why would you want to buy the Forum?

**Jerry Buss** (2:02)
The Forum is a magnificent piece of real estate, so it's a combination of economics and fun. Upon its purchase, I was probably the most impressed of all the people. Everybody left the Forum to go home that night. The lights were down low.
I took a portable chair, sat it out in the middle of the basketball court, lighted a cigarette and leaned back, and I thought, wow, I've really arrived.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:31)
But before he sold the team to Bus, Cook made arguably the biggest decision in franchise history. Due to the 1976 trade with the New Orleans Jazz, the Lakers were in contention for the number one pick in the 79 draft. And thanks to a lucky coin flip, they won the first pick over the Bulls. And yet, they almost made one of the biggest mistakes of all time. Jerry West, arguably the best general manager ever, wanted to draft Sidney Moncrief, a future two-time defensive player of the year. But Cook disagreed and wisely decided to use the number one pick on Magic Johnson.

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (3:02)
Excited about being a pro?

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (3:03)
Definitely, definitely.

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (3:04)
I'm very excited.

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (3:06)
I love the challenge and to see what I can do.

**Spencer Haywood** (3:11)
And that's the main thing.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:13)
When Bus bought the team, he inherited a talented team. But he still faced serious problems. The NBA was an afterthought, a distant third in viewership behind baseball and football. At the time, revenue from TV rights was miniscule. In many games, even the finals were aired on tape delay.

**Earvin 'Magic' Johnson** (3:29)
Games wasn't tape delayed. I don't even know if you all remember that because I remember in college, I'm watching tape delay games, championship games, not regular season. I mean, I'm watching games in my dorm at 11 o'clock at night for the finals.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:41)
The public perception of the NBA was that it was a league full of drunks, womanizers, and drug addicts, which wasn't too far from the truth.

**SPEAKER_9** (3:49)
There are serious problems that clearly make this a critical year for the NBA.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:56)
When you bought the Lakers, were they making large profits at the time?

**Jerry Buss** (3:59)
No. No, they were not.
I think at that time, the combined statement of the Lakers and the Kings broke even if, if anything, maybe showed a small loss.