The NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers of 1983
Contents
- The NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers of 1983- A team to remember
- The players that made up the 1983 Lakers
- The Lakers’ path to the 1983 NBA Championship
- The impact the 1983 Lakers had on the NBA
- The 1983 Lakers- A team for the ages
- The legacy of the 1983 Lakers
- Why the 1983 Lakers are considered one of the best teams ever
- The challenges the 1983 Lakers faced during their season
- The 1983 Lakers- A team of destiny
- How the 1983 Lakers cemented their place in NBA history
The Los Angeles Lakers of 1983 were one of the best teams in NBA history They had a great mix of veteran players and young talent.
The NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers of 1983- A team to remember
The Los Angeles Lakers of 1983 were one of the most dominating teams in NBA history They won the championship that year, led by MVP Magic Johnson and Finals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar The team also featured future Hall of Famers James Worthy and Bob McAdoo, as well as All-Star Norm Nixon. The Lakers were so dominant that they won the title with a 12-2 record in the playoffs, becoming the first team to ever do so.
The players that made up the 1983 Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers of 1983 were an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles California. They finished the season with a 62–20 record, second in the Western Conference behind the rival San Antonio Spurs. The team is remembered for having one of the most dominant starting lineups ever assembled in NBA history
The Lakers had five players averaging in double figures scoring, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy Abdul-Jabbar, at age 38, was still the anchor of the team, leading them in points (17.5), rebounding (6.7), and blocked shots (2.6) per game while playing over 34 minutes per game. Worthy averaged 16.6 points and 8 rebounds per game while being named Finals MVP while Norm Nixon (15 points and 7 assists per game), Michael Cooper (12 points and 5 assists per game), and Byron Scott (10 points and 3 assists per game) rounded out the starting lineup sixth man Mitch Kupchak averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.
The Lakers’ path to the 1983 NBA Championship
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 1982-83 NBA season as defending champions, having won the title in 1982. They would go on to win the championship again in 1983, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals.
The Lakers started the season strong, winning their first seven games. They then suffered a setback, losing four in a row. However, they quickly regained their winning form and finished the season with a 57-25 record, good for first place in the Western Conference
In the playoffs, the Lakers easily dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and then took care of the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the second round. They then faced a tough test in the Western Conference Finals against the defending champion San Diego Rockets, but they prevailed in seven games to reach the NBA Finals
In the Finals, they faced off against an up-and-coming Philadelphia 76ers team led by Julius Erving The Lakers won Game 1 handily, but then proceeded to drop Games 2 and 3. They bounced back with two wins to take a 3-2 lead and then closed out the series with a 108-103 victory in Game 6 to win their second consecutive championship.
The impact the 1983 Lakers had on the NBA
The Los Angeles Lakers of 1983 were a force to be reckoned with. With an impressive 62-20 record, they dominated the competition and won the NBA Championship This was the first time in franchise history that the Lakers had won the title, and it would not be their last. The impact that the 1983 Lakers had on the NBA was significant. They proved that they were a force to be reckoned with and set the standard for future teams.
The 1983 Lakers- A team for the ages
The 1983 Los Angeles Lakers were a team for the ages. With a starting lineup that featured future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson the team also had key role players such as Michael Cooper, James Worthy, and Kurt Rambis. The Lakers were a force to be reckoned with, winning the NBA Championship in 1983.
The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley who would go on to have a successful career as a Head Coach in the NBA. The team was ruthless on both ends of the court, and their fast-paced style of play resulted in many blowout victories. The Lakers won 63 games in the regular season and they cruised through the playoffs with ease. In the Finals, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in four games to win their ninth NBA Championship
The 1983 Lakers are considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history and their run of success helped propel the league to new heights of popularity.
The legacy of the 1983 Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers of 1983 were one of the most dominant teams in NBA history They won 63 games in the regular season 12 more than any other team, and then cruised through the playoffs with a record of 15-3. They were led by a Hall of Fame trio of Magic Johnson Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, and had arguably the best coach in NBA history in Pat Riley. The Lakers were so good that they were expected to win the championship easily.
And yet, they didn’t. The Lakers lost the first two games of the Finals at home, and it wasn’t until Game 5 that they finally won a game. They ended up winning the series in six games, but it was far from easy.
The Lakers of 1983 left a legacy as one of the greatest teams ever assembled. They were a team of superstars who came together and achieved greatness. They are remembered fondly by Lakers fans, and their impact on the NBA is still felt today.
Why the 1983 Lakers are considered one of the best teams ever
The 1983 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most dominant teams in NBA history They won the championship by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in four games, and they did it with relative ease. The Lakers won the first three games by an average of 16 points, and then cruised to a 120-104 victory in Game 4 to clinch the title.
This was a team that was loaded with talent. Their starting five consisted of Future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson as well as All-Stars James Worthy and Michael Cooper. Off the bench, they had another future Hall of Famer in Norm Nixon, as well as key role players like Bob McAdoo and Jamaal Wilkes.
This team was so good that they were able to overcome the retirement of Abdul-Jabbar midway through the season and still win the title. That’s a testament to their greatness.
If you’re looking for a reason why the 1983 Lakers are considered one of the best teams ever, you don’t have to look very far. They were incredibly talented, they had great chemistry, and they got the job done when it mattered most. There’s no doubt that they deserve their place among the all-time greats.
The challenges the 1983 Lakers faced during their season
The 1983 NBA season was the 37th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their 9th NBA championship beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals
The Lakers had an incredible season, led by Finals MVP James Worthy. They finished the Regular Season with a 62-20 record, which was good for first place in the Western Conference However, they did not have an easy road to the Finals. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced a very tough Portland team that had won 52 games during the regular season The Lakers were able to win that series in 5 games, but it was very hard fought.
In the second round of the playoffs, they faced another tough opponent in the San Antonio Spurs The Spurs had won 56 games during the Regular Season and were led by George Gervin who averaged 26 points per game The Lakers were able to win that series in 6 games, but again it was very hard fought.
Finally, in the NBA Finals they faced a Philadelphia team that had won 58 games during the regular season and were led by Julius Erving, who averaged 22 points per game The Lakers were able to win that series in 6 games to become NBA champions
It was a great run for the Lakers and it is considered one of their best teams ever.
The 1983 Lakers- A team of destiny
The 1983 Los Angeles Lakers were a team of destiny. After losing in the NBA Finals the year before, the Lakers were determined to make it back and win the championship. Led by star players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson the Lakers went on an amazing run, winning 62 games in the regular season They then won their first twelve Playoff Games becoming the first team in NBA history to do so. In the Finals, they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that had won 65 games in the Regular season The Lakers won the series in four games, cementing their place as one of the greatest teams in NBA History
How the 1983 Lakers cemented their place in NBA history
The 1983 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers were led by two future Hall of Famers in head coach Pat Riley and center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They also had one of the best players in the world in guard Magic Johnson who was in his third season. The team also featured veterans Norm Nixon and Michael Cooper, as well as young players James Worthy and Byron Scott. The Lakers were the defending NBA champions having defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1982 Finals.
The 1983 season was a struggle for the Lakers, as they lost nine of their first 14 games. Riley took over as Head Coach midway through the season and led the team to a 58-24 record, which was good for second place in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers made it back to the Finals for the third straight year, facing off against the Sixers again. This time, Los Angeles was victorious, winning the series 4-2. Johnson was named Finals MVP after averaging 22 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds per game
The 1983 championship cemented the Lakers as one of the greatest teams in NBA history They would go on to win two more titles under Riley, in 1985 and 1987.