The opening of the season was marked by turmoil for the 1982 Los Angeles Lakers, but the ending was drenched in champagne, as a healthy and rejuvenated Magic Johnson led the franchise to its second NBA title in three years. GREAT 1980s SPORTS MOMENTS Start reading today. Magic had been injured in the 1981 regular season […]
The Philadelphia 76ers fans must have felt like they were re-living a nightmare in the 1982 NBA playoffs. Because they were. Just like in 1981, they and the Boston Celtics were far and away the best teams in the East and were on a collision course to play in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 1982 Los Angeles Lakers got off to a rocky start. They were coming off a disappointing season in 1981 and an early first-round playoff exit, and before we got out of December in this season, tensions between Magic Johnson and head coach Paul Westhead had reached the point that Westhead was fired. Considered a spoiled coach-killer at the start of the year, Magic had a chance for redemption in the 1982 NBA Finals.