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7 days ago
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"Just wish I could have been a part of that" - Dominique Wilkins recalls almost getting drafted by the Showtime Lakers
"Just wish I could have been a part of that" - Dominique Wilkins recalls almost getting drafted by the Showtime Lakers originally appeared on Basketball Network. Dominique Wilkins and James Worthy were among the top prospects in the 1982 NBA Draft. Wilkins was the slam-dunking phenom from the University of Georgia, while Worthy was the fast-breaking forward from the University of North Carolina. Worthy ended up becoming the No.1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers while Wilkins was drafted two picks later. But during his recent appearance on the "Jaxxson Podcast", Wilkins revealed that the Lakers had a plan to get both him and Worthy to Los Angeles. "That was close, it was. Actually, what was told to me that they were trying to get both Worthy and myself, and it worked out for both franchises cuz Worthy was a wonderful player I have a lot of respect for, and we both came out of North Carolina at the same time. But yeah, they almost had us both. Can you imagine that?" said Dominique. Wilkins and Worthy on the same team with Magic Johnson? Worthy ended up playing alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a Los Angeles Lakers team dubbed "Showtime" because of their flashy style. Wilkins, known as 'The Human Highlight Film', for obvious reasons, would have been a perfect fit for that team because just imagine Magic running the break with Worthy on one side and Wilkins on the opposite side. But fate had other plans. "Like I said, Worthy was a super player, so he could play both forwards, the power forward and the small forward. I didn't want nothing with power forwards. I'm a small forward, but it just came down to what your team needed, and Worthy worked out great for the Lakers and went on to win multiple championships. He was a major piece of that. And just wish I could have been a part of that early on, so much success early, that was the Lakers," he added. The Showtime Lakers won five NBA championships during the 80s, with Worthy winning Finals MVP honors during their last rodeo in 1988. Wilkins never won an NBA championship but still ended up in the Hall of Fame alongside Worthy and the other Showtime Lakers greats. Nique did not want to play in Utah As to what actually happened on Draft night, Wilkins was selected by the Utah Jazz, but he ended up playing for the Atlanta Hawks, who also picked 10th overall in the Draft, taking Keith Edmonson. Nique explained the draft day trade. "I didn't want to play in Utah at that time," continued Wilkins. "I was drafted by the Jazz. I said, "I'm not going to Utah." Then they said you gonna play power forward and Adrian Dantley small forward. And I said 'Well, you might as well trade me today because I'm not playing power forward.' And it came pretty quickly that this trade was going to happen. So they traded Freeman Williams and John Drew and a million dollars, at that time that was a ton of money, because the Utah franchise was struggling, so that really helped pay some of the salaries." Wilkins averaged 26.4 points per game in 11 seasons in Atlanta, won two dunk contests, earned nine All-Star appearances, and 7 All-NBA selections. He played four more years for four different teams before calling it a career. He ended up in Springfield, too, and save for the championships and NBA 50 snub, everything worked out well for Dominique despite not playing for the story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
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"Magic, at 6'9", had a hard time guarding little quick guards" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reveals how the Lakers always had Magic Johnson's back
"Magic, at 6'9", had a hard time guarding little quick guards" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reveals how the Lakers always had Magic Johnson's back originally appeared on Basketball Network. When discussing the iconic Showtime Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, the most common sentiment revolves around their selfless, pass-first point guard, Magic Johnson. It is often assumed that despite having elite scoring ability, the three-time MVP constantly prioritized setting up his teammates, helping them reach their peak form. Advertisement But as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once pointed out, this dynamic wasn't just about Magic elevating others; instead, it was a two-way street wherein the rest of the players went above and beyond to protect Magic's legacy as arguably the greatest PG. Kareem on how the Lakers helped their superstar point guard Throughout Magic's time orchestrating the Lakers' offense, he evidently made the game easy for several teammates: such as Kareem being able to average over 21 points per game until the age of 38, James Worthy earned his first All-NBA selection, Michael Cooper registered a scoring average in double digits twice and Byron Scott attained his career-scoring high of 21.7 points per game. While it's easy to assume Magic was the engine powering the others, The Cap was quick to dispel this notion. On Michael Cooper's podcast, the six-time MVP emphasized that the other Lakers embraced Magic's style and made sure to consistently score points to make his playmaking count. Ultimately, that is what made Johnson's passing such an elite weapon. Advertisement Furthermore, Kareem also shed light on how others also worked twice as hard on the defensive end to make up for Johnson's shortcomings, only so that the latter doesn't turn into a liability on the backend. "His job is to get… He saw his purpose was to allow us to score (points) and facilitate that. He wanted us to shine because if we shone, he shone. So, it was back and forth. You know, Magic, at 6'9", had a hard time guarding little quick guards. He had to play the point, so we had to help him on that issue, but it never ended up being a problem,"Abdul-Jabbar explained to Cooper. "We just made the adjustments we needed to make to complement each other and just took it from there… Yeah at 6'9", there was nobody who was going to push him out of the way… he could've played Power Forward if he wanted to," Kareem added. Related: Tracy McGrady believes he was never put in the situation to win a ring: "Replace me with Kobe with Shaq... You don't think I can carry the Lakers to a championship?" Players on great teams need to fill in each other's voids This is how dynasties are built - by players filling in each other's gaps and fully embracing one another's strengths. The Lakers understood that Magic's supreme skill was his vision and passing, and they leaned into it. In return, they did the dirty work, played defense, and elevated their games offensively so that Magic's strengths could translate into team victories. Advertisement That being said, perhaps that mutual understanding and unspoken sacrifice is precisely what made the Purple and Gold the greatest team of the 1980s - no egos, no imposition, just trust, hustle and chemistry. That is exactly what modern-day teams also need to do if they don't just want to attain a championship and be a one-season wonder; instead, they should be focused on building a dynasty like the Showtime Lakers. Related: Magic explains why winning a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics means more than NBA or NCAA titles: "I finally got the chance to play with Michael and Larry" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
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"Magic was the greatest team defensive player" - Michael Cooper debunked the notion that Magic Johnson was a defensive liability
"Magic was the greatest team defensive player" - Michael Cooper debunked the notion that Magic Johnson was a defensive liability originally appeared on Basketball Network. Magic Johnson is still at the top of most people's all-time point guard lists. The few who are hesitant to give him that crown point to, among other things, his defensive deficiencies, especially for a guy of his size. Advertisement The 6'9" legend never earned a single All-Defensive Team selection. Meanwhile, his arch-rival Larry Bird, who also wasn't perceived as a great defender, did it three times. Some would even go so far as to say that Johnson was a defensive liability for the iconic "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers. However, his longtime teammate Michael Cooper refuted those claims — and then some. Michael Cooper on Magic's defensive impact The 1980s Lakers were loaded with defensive talent. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the league in blocks on four occasions, Cooper won the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year, Byron Scott was a great perimeter defender and so was Jamaal Walkies, who earned two All-defensive Team selections. Advertisement Johnson, for all his greatness, was never on their level — or that's how most fans feel about him. But Coop explained that while the legendary point guard was never a lockdown defender, head coach Pat Riley turned him into a key piece of the Lakers team defense. "Magic was okay one-on-one, but he wasn't going to stop you if you give him a couple of shakes. But this was the uniqueness and creativity brilliance of Pat Riley — we'll put Magic on just an average player… in the NBA in the '80s, championships were won from the inside-out. You always had the get the ball inside, the ball had to touch the paint," Cooper explained on his podcast. "For us, Magic was the greatest team defensive player, because he was 6'9", he was long, big, was strong too, he had quick hands. So, Magic was the best double team. He was always like, 'Hey, C, force it this way, I'll be there with you.'... Magic was never ever, never-ever, not there," he added. Advertisement Related: When Rick Fox turned down a $33 million deal from Boston only to take a million from the Lakers: "I bet on myself" Magic Johnson was no defensive slouch People expected Magic to dominate both ends of the floor, especially during an era of rugged physicality. But Riley was well aware of his deficiencies—switching wasn't as used as it is today, so he had trouble keeping up with smaller, quicker point guards. That's why he made sure his superstar found his place in the team's defensive context, offering help defense, making smart reads and using his high basketball IQ to break plays before they developed. Today's defensive schemes are much more nuanced. That's why teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo being their best defender, often don't put him on the opposing team's best player, allowing him to control the weak side, help and contest shots in the paint. The same goes for Gregg Popovich and Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. Advertisement Riley knew that when very few did. So, while some might call out Cooper for his bias when praising Johnson's impact on the Lakers' defensive end — the two won five championships together — this might help change the perception of the legendary point guard being a liability on that end of the floor. Related: "Earvin and I came in the league in 1980 and the league wasn't really healthy" - Larry Bird on why he and Magic Johnson will always be in a different category This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
