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Magic Johnson is without a doubt one of the top 10 players of all time, and, if we are being honest, only the uninformed would try and argue to keep him outside of the top 5. He is the best Laker of all-time unless the longevity of Kobe's career sways you towards the Mamba.
Magic immediately came into the NBA as a 20 year old rookie and proved to be the perfect complement to the best player in the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. Throughout the course of his career, Magic went from perfect second banana to unquestioned leading man, helping the Lakers to nine Finals appearances in his career while winning five times. He played with flair and exuberance that helped drag the NBA out of the doldrums of the 1970s and captured a city and nation in ways few players have in any sport.
Magic was exactly what his nickname said, a magician on the court who dominated with tempo and passing, slowly adding in more and more scoring as his career went on.
#5 1981-82 season defeated Philadelphia 4-2 in the Finals
This was a year of some early turmoil for Lakers, as Magic led a small coup against head coach Paul Westhead, resulting in coach Westhead's ouster after only 11 games. Westhead was replaced with Pat Riley and what commenced was one of the best runs of a player-and-coach in NBA history.
Riley helped stabilize the team morale and refocus a very talented team on the ultimate prize. With the likes of Kareem, Jamaal Wilkes, Magic, and Norm Nixon leading the way, the Lakers were stock full of talent who could defend and score with high efficiency. Nixon allowed Magic the easier defensive assignment and both guards along with Wilkes knew they could always funnel the ball handler to the waiting Kareem. With this said, this team was only an average defense and really made their bones on the offensive end.
Also see: Magic Johnson's net worth
The Lakers top four all averaged over 17.6 points per game, with no one shooting below 49%. They were the second-best offense in the league, as Magic and Nixon set the table for everyone, averaging 9.5 and 8.0 assists respectively. While only the 4th best team based on win projection during the regular season, the Lakers ripped through the two rounds of the Western Playoffs before facing off the formidable 76ers in the Finals. The Lakers used an extremely balanced attack, six players averaged over 13 points per game, to knock off the 76ers 4-2.
#4 1987-88 season defeated Detroit 4-3 in the Finals
The only time a Magic led Lakers team repeated as Finals winners and a playoff run that was very hard fought. This was a team bridging eras, as they still had some holdovers from early titles (Kareem, Michael Cooper) while also having younger, in their prime players (James Worthy, Byron Scott) to keep Showtime going. The one constant from the first title to this, the last of the Magic era, was Johnson. He finished 3rd in the MVP voting this year and his superb play in the Playoffs is the reason they were able to prevail.
Despite winning 62 games on the year, the reason this title checks in at #4 is the playoffs were a test round after round. After a sweep of the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, the Lakers went the distance in each of the next three series, including winning the last two games of the Finals by a total of four points.
This team was almost a carbon copy of the 81-82 title team, being led by one of the best offenses in the league while having a slightly above average defense. It seems like the older Kareem, 40 years old during this season, made the Lakers slightly more vulnerable than previous years. But the consistency of Pat Riley and Magic, now in their 7th season working together, had a perfect symbiosis that allowed them to adjust and cover for any hole that sprang up during the season. This consistency proved very valuable for them in the playoffs.
#3 1979-80 season defeated Philadelphia 4-2 in the Finals
Magic's rookie year proved to be a foreshadowing event for how his and the Lakers fortunes would go throughout his career. He immediately helped Kareem make them one of the top teams in the league. The team improved from 47 wins the previous season to 60 wins during this campaign, weathering the storm of replacing head coach Jack McKinney for Paul Westhead 14 games into the season.
Despite slightly outperforming their projected win total based on scoring margin, this Lakers team was still a force to be reckoned with. During the early 80s, as long as the Lakers had a slightly above average offense, Magic and Kareem would take the reins on offense and produce one of the best offenses in the league. Just like 81-82, they also relied heavily on Norm Nixon and Jamaal Wilkes to help with the offensive load, as none of the four shot under 50% or averaged under 17.
This Laker team ran away with the West, besting the 2nd place Milwaukee Bucks by 11 games and then only losing two games in two rounds in the Western Conference playoffs. By the time they got to the Finals, this team was rolling, but had to clear one final hurdle, a 76ers team ripe with playoff experience.
Despite Kareem rolling his ankle in game 5 and not making the trip to Philadelphia, Magic saved the day and made sure the series ended in game 6. He started at center and notched 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, effectively letting the world know there was a new superstar in LA.
#2 1984-85 season defeated Boston 4-2 in the Finals
This season culminated with the first Finals win for the Lakers franchise over their arch nemesis the Boston Celtics. This was also the culmination of a small makeover by the team, as gone were previous championship mainstays, Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon. In their place emerged James Worthy and Byron Scott, adding some younger, fresher legs to help a now, in his prime Magic take over as the team's leading star.
This was one of the most balanced teams in all of Magic's tenure, as they paired the league's best offense with the 7th best defense. There were athletes all over the court to wreck havoc on defense and then kick-start the beautiful Showtime fastbreak that became synonymous with the mid-80s Lakers. They played with an overwhelming amount of pace, looking to avoid the half court if at all possible, and if they did find themselves having to run a half-court offense, they could just dump the ball down to Kareem for a skyhook. The Lakers finished the season with the best point differential in the league.
This team was once again the class of the West, running away with the conference by 10 games and the division by 20 games. They ripped through the West Playoffs, only losing 2 games en route to the Finals against the hated Celtics. It looked early on as though the Lakers would once again lose a Finals to the Celtics after losing game 1 by 34 points, but after tying the series 2-2, the combo of Magic and Kareem led the Lakers over the hump in games 5 and 6, with Worthy coming up big in certain moments.
#1 1986-87 season defeated Boston 4-2 in the Finals
This season is on the short list for one of the best seasons in NBA history. You had a Lakers team that was completely comfortable with each other and their head coach, a superstar at his absolute zenith, and collective revenge on their minds after getting upset in the Western Conference Finals the previous year by the Houston Rockets. Magic would go on to win his first MVP this year, averaging 23.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 12.2 assists, finally wrestling the award away from Larry Bird.
This team played very good defense, best for 7th in the league, but what set them apart was their offense. They had seven, I repeat seven, players average in double figures on the season, as Magic had perfected all the arts of Showtime and James Worthy and Byron Scott were fully comfortable getting out on the break and running with the superstar. Currently, this season is the highest ever record offensive efficiency by basketball-reference.com, giving it claim to the best offensive season produced by a team ever.
This Laker team was the class of the league, owning the best record by six games and besting the best West team by 10. They were never sufficiently challenged due to their superiority. They ripped through the Playoffs, losing a total of three games and outscoring the Celtics in the Finals by 4.1 points per game.
This was an easy call for number one on the list and could be debated as the best team of all time.
