Ranking Magic Johnson's 5 Titles

#3 1979-80 season defeated Philadelphia 4-2 in the Finals

Magic kisses the trophy after one of the most memorable Finals performances.

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.