Magic Johnson’s First Season as an NBA Coach
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In his first season as an Nba Coach Magic Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA Finals
Johnson’s playing career
Magic Johnson’s playing career began when he was drafted first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He won a championships as a rookie, and helped lead the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances. He also won three MVP Awards nine Finals MVPs, and was an eleven-time NBA All-Star
Johnson’s coaching career
Magic Johnson’s coaching career began in the 1993-1994 NBA season when he was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers He replaced Randy Pfund as Head Coach after the Lakers had started the season with a 6-5 record. Johnson led the Lakers to a 55-27 record over the rest of the season. The team finished in second place in the Pacific Division and qualified for the NBA playoffs They defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in four games in the first round, but lost to eventual champion Houston Rockets in seven games in the second round.
The Lakers’ season
The Lakers’ season started off strong, with the team winning their first nine games. They continued to play well throughout the season and ended up winning 58 games, finishing first in their division. In the playoffs, the Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual champion Houston Rockets
The NBA’s season
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the season is when play among the 30 franchised teams takes place. The regular season is played from October to April each year. The NBA playoffs which is a single-elimination tournament among the 16 best teams in each conference, follows the regular season and culminates in the NBA Finals where the two remaining teams from each conference compete for the NBA Championship
Johnson’s first season as an NBA coach
After a successful career as a professional basketball player Magic Johnson decided to become a head coach Although he had no prior experience coaching at any level, he was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1994. His first season as an NBA Coach was marked by several milestones.
The Lakers’ first season under Johnson
In his first season as the Lakers’ Head Coach Johnson led the team to a 56-26 record, good for second place in the Western Conference The team made it to the playoffs, where they were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
The NBA’s first season under Johnson
In the 1990-91 season, Johnson became the Head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers succeeding Pat Riley He had been asked to take over the team by Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss. Johnson led the team to a 55-27 record, good for fourth place in the Western Conference standings and a berth in the 1991 NBA Playoffs The team lost in the first round to eventual conference champion Portland. Following his debut season as coach, Johnson was named Coach of the Year by both Sporting News and CBS SportsLine.com (then known as sportsline.com).
Johnson’s impact on the Lakers
In his first season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers former All-Star point guard Magic Johnson led the team to a 52-30 record and the sixth seed in the Western Conference Prior to Johnson’s arrival, the Lakers had struggled mightily, winning just 26 games in the previous season. Johnson’s infectious attitude and leadership helped turned things around for the franchise, and they would go on to make the playoffs in each of his five seasons as head coach
During his tenure, Johnson also had a profound impact on the development of young stars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Both players would go on to have Hall of Fame careers, and it is often said that Johnson was instrumental in their growth as players.
Johnson’s impact on the NBA
In his first season as the Lakers head coach Johnson led the team to a record of 52-20. The following season, the team finished with a 63-19 record and won the NBA Championship Johnson was named the NBA coach of the Year.
Under Johnson, the Lakers became one of the most dominant teams in the NBA. He led them to eight NBA Finals appearances and five championships between 2000 and 2010. In addition, he helped them to rebuild after the retirement of Kobe Bryant in 2016.
In his first season as an NBA head coach Johnson had a major impact on the league. He led the Lakers to one of the most successful stretches in franchise history and helped to shape the modern NBA.
The future of Johnson’s coaching career
Johnson was named the head coach of the Lakers on February 21, 1994, becoming the first former player to be named head coach of the team. He replaced Kurt Rambis, who had been serving as interim Head Coach since November 1993. In his first season as head coach Johnson led the Lakers to a 54–28 record and a first-place finish in the Pacific Division The team advanced to the Western Conference Finals where they lost in seven games to Houston Rockets