"Showtime" was the best of times for the NBA and Fans!

[LakeShow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwlhcnoljnM&mode=related&search=

Magic Johnson singlehandily saved the NBA with his unselfish play and pinpoint passing. Back then every game, regular season or playoffs, friends got together to watch the greatest show on earth. The question was never, " Are you watching the game tonight?" it was always " Where are you watching the game tonight?"

Damn, I miss those days!

[SRJ]

A lot of nostalgia posts from Lakers fans lately.

Not hard to figure out why, of course.

[LakeShow]

A lot of nostalgia posts from Lakers fans lately.

Not hard to figure out why, of course.

Remember when the game was actually fun to watch?

Scratch that, I just noticed who you are a fan of. :lol

[SRJ]

Yeah, I'll bet it was really hard running the break during the coked-up, no defense years.

[LakeShow]

Yeah, I'll bet it was really hard running the break during the coked-up, no defense years.

:lol in the days when men were men you mean. Not in the days of pussy ball that we have today.

[duncan228]

Those were the days I discovered NBA basketball. I saw Bird in his rookie year at The Garden, it didn't sell out in those early days and you could get pretty good seats at the door on game night.

Larry Bird will make you a fan. I watched all those great games between his Celtics and Magic's Lakers.

It really was exciting.

[LakeShow]

Those were the days I discovered NBA basketball. I saw Bird in his rookie year at The Garden, it didn't sell out in those early days and you could get pretty good seats at the door on game night.

Larry Bird will make you a fan. I watched all those great games between his Celtics and Magic's Lakers.

It really was exciting.

It was exciting and the greatest show on earth. Nothing beats those days as a NBA fan.

[SRJ]

Yeah, 110 points a night was hard-ass basketball. 23 teams playing like the Phoenix Suns was the ultimate testosterone storm.

Who are you really, Lakeshow? Bill Simmons?

[LakeShow]

Yeah, 110 points a night was hard-ass basketball. 23 teams playing like the Phoenix Suns was the ultimate testosterone storm.

Who are you really, Lakeshow? Bill Simmons?

Obviously you weren't around in those days. The East was known for their defense and the west was primarily an offensive conference. When they got together it was the best the NBA will ever know. No one wants to watch a low scoring defensive game, of course you know that though. :)

[BeerIsGood!]

Coop was a hell of a defender.

That said, the 2007 Spurs would have been applauded as the saviors of basketball, a return of the game to the style of the 70's and 80's if they were in Boston, LA, or NY. The Spurs are the one team who still plays disciplined, fundamental ball so Lakeshow 1 would benefit greatly from actually watching the Spurs play instead of taking his material off Sportscenter.

[LakeShow]

Coop was a hell of a defender.

That said, the 2007 Spurs would have been applauded as the saviors of basketball, a return of the game to the style of the 70's and 80's if they were in Boston, LA, or NY. The Spurs are the one team who still plays disciplined, fundamental ball so Lakeshow 1 would benefit greatly from actually watching the Spurs play instead of taking his material off Sportscenter.

:lol :lol :lol

[duncan228]

That said, the 2007 Spurs would have been applauded as the saviors of basketball, a return of the game to the style of the 70's and 80's if they were in Boston, LA, or NY. The Spurs are the one team who still plays disciplined, fundamental ball...

Having watched the Lakers/Celtics through the 80's, and being a Spurs fan for years now, I agree with you completely.

In a bigger market the Spurs would be treated differently by the media and therefore by the general public.

I find watching the Spurs as exciting as I found watching Showtime.
The game is different, the players are different, but the excitement is still there.

I don't understand how any NBA basketball fan can say the Spurs are boring. Are they not seeing the team play that I see? The respect for fundamentals and teamwork? The dedication to winning?

It's a shame that the marketing of the NBA can't seem to find a way to hold the Spurs up better. No whining, no locker room bs, no off the court bs.

A team that wins. That plays together the way the game is meant to be played. I'm proud to be a Spurs fan.

[BeerIsGood!]

Having watched the Lakers/Celtics through the 80's, and being a Spurs fan for years now, I agree with you completely.

In a bigger market the Spurs would be treated differently by the media and therefore by the general public.

I find watching the Spurs as exciting as I found watching Showtime.
The game is different, the players are different, but the excitement is still there.

I don't understand how any NBA basketball fan can say the Spurs are boring. Are they not seeing the team play that I see? The respect for fundamentals and teamwork? The dedication to winning?

It's a shame that the marketing of the NBA can't seem to find a way to hold the Spurs up better. No whining, no locker room bs, no off the court bs.

A team that wins. That plays together the way the game is meant to be played. I'm proud to be a Spurs fan.


You've got all the pieces here... the dominant big man with strong fundamentals, the flashy playmakers (TP and Manu), the controversial strong nosed 1 on 1 defender, and the smart playing role players. There's a reason this team wins... they're constructed with all the necessary parts to adapt to any game style and win. They can go toe to toe in a D struggle with the Cavs or can go up tempo to beat the Suns. It's all there for the NBA, except for the location. They refuse to push the small market team that wins the right way. The Spurs are the basketball version of the 1960's Green Bay Packers, but the NFL was smart enough to push the Packers even though they are an extremely small market. The NBA isn't so bright.

[Reggie Miller]

I love how all of the clowns from L.A. and New York really do think people in the middle of the country actually give a rat's ass about their overrated teams.

[ambchang]

The Lakers of the 80's sure was fun to watch. They had the best PG of all time, one of the top 3 centers of all time with the most unstoppable shot in the history of the league, one of the best finishers on the break and a top 10 SF, an All star-caliber shooting guard, one of the best perimeter defenders the league has seen, one of the best coach in the history of the league, and an entertaining style where team defense actually means converging on the ball and leaving 2 guys wide open under the basket.
The league has changed, and we will probably never see another team like the 80's Lakers now with the salary cap, every team emphasizing on defense, 30 teams in the league and lack of a mid-range shot.
As for single-handedly ... I believe you are forgetting the Celtics and a guy called Jordan.

[LakeShow]

You've got all the pieces here... the dominant big man with strong fundamentals, the flashy playmakers (TP and Manu), the controversial strong nosed 1 on 1 defender, and the smart playing role players. There's a reason this team wins... they're constructed with all the necessary parts to adapt to any game style and win. They can go toe to toe in a D struggle with the Cavs or can go up tempo to beat the Suns. It's all there for the NBA, except for the location. They refuse to push the small market team that wins the right way. The Spurs are the basketball version of the 1960's Green Bay Packers, but the NFL was smart enough to push the Packers even though they are an extremely small market. The NBA isn't so bright.

You know what, I have to say you make a good point and it does make sense. The spurs are built like the teams of the 80's the problem stems from the rest of the league sucking so badly. In the eighties all of the teams were either copies of the Celtics or Lakers. We had several good teams in the league. The games were competitive. Now we have very few good teams (maybe with all of the player movements that will get better) and a lot of players that wouldn't be in the league if they were players of the eighties. Of course we have to take in mind that the league is slowly trying to eliminate defense from the game to get more offense. So the Spurs aren't too appealing to the casual NBA fans, no fault of theirs but the reality of the situation.

That said, i would have to agree with you!

[LakeShow]

The Lakers of the 80's sure was fun to watch. They had the best PG of all time, one of the top 3 centers of all time with the most unstoppable shot in the history of the league, one of the best finishers on the break and a top 10 SF, an All star-caliber shooting guard, one of the best perimeter defenders the league has seen, one of the best coach in the history of the league, and an entertaining style where team defense actually means converging on the ball and leaving 2 guys wide open under the basket.
The league has changed, and we will probably never see another team like the 80's Lakers now with the salary cap, every team emphasizing on defense, 30 teams in the league and lack of a mid-range shot.
As for single-handedly ... I believe you are forgetting the Celtics and a guy called Jordan.

I can't take anything away from those guys and what they did for the league.

Magic was a pass first point guard, he didn't care about scoring and that made the game for those who watched and those who played the game fun again. He changed how the game was played on every level. Of course when Jordan took over everybody went back to gunning! :lol

[duncan228]

Just found this, posted the whole article in the Spurs Forum.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75725

But here's Duncan in his own words on Magic's game.

Did you look up to any basketball players or other idols when you were growing up in St. Croix?

Duncan: I was always a big Magic Johnson fan growing up. I love that he embodied the whole team concept. The Lakers of the 80s were the kind of team I wanted to play for and had the kind of players I wanted to be like. Magic started that whole team concept. Although he was the best, it wasn’t just him out there. He had a bunch of guys around him, and that’s how they got it done.

Did you model your game after Magic’s—spreading the ball and doing it all?

Duncan: (laughs) Sure, we play different positions, but I would love to be able to say that about my early career. We play two different kinds of games, but the concept is the same—moving the ball and getting everyone involved. We both understand that we can’t do it alone.

[dallasmavsnfuego214]

Obviously you weren't around in those days. The East was known for their defense and the west was primarily an offensive conference. When they got together it was the best the NBA will ever know. No one wants to watch a low scoring defensive game, of course you know that though. :)

yeah i do miss those days. i paid little attention to the Mavericks cause they sucked but anyone who thinks those days were all offense, pussy ball, should've seen the Portland vs Detroit Finals, Detroit vs Boston series, or Lakers vs Boston.

Lakers vs Boston finals really were two heavy weights that we will not see anytime soon. it gave me chills watching the Lakers walk into the Garden were most teams lost by 20+ and were still able to execute their showtime offense. i remember when Magic passed down to Kareem and he jammed on McHale for an And1, i jumped out of my chair, seeing that Boston had met their match.

props to you for posting this stuff

[dallasmavsnfuego214]

New York really do think people in the middle of the country actually give a rat's ass about their overrated teams.
the Knicks are still in existence?

[Suns_Rule]

the new showtime is the SUNS bow down bitches

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lol Suns Troll # 134,631,914,853

[Johnny RIngo]

the new showtime is the SUNS bow down bitches

Showtime Lakers actually played defense.

The current S0ns are really just a modern version of the '82 Nuggets:

Gimmick offense, no defense, early playoff exits, etc

[spursfan09]

You mean it was the best time for the Lakers and thier fans. But I guess this era will be edited out of Lakers fans minds because there is a new dynasty prolly no one expected.

[LakeShow]

yeah i do miss those days. i paid little attention to the Mavericks cause they sucked but anyone who thinks those days were all offense, pussy ball, should've seen the Portland vs Detroit Finals, Detroit vs Boston series, or Lakers vs Boston.

Lakers vs Boston finals really were two heavy weights that we will not see anytime soon. it gave me chills watching the Lakers walk into the Garden were most teams lost by 20+ and were still able to execute their showtime offense. i remember when Magic passed down to Kareem and he jammed on McHale for an And1, i jumped out of my chair, seeing that Boston had met their match.

props to you for posting this stuff

No doubt! Philly vs. Boston, Philly vs LA, Houston vs. LA. They had good teams and intense competition for just about any game. The game was just so much better, it was fun to watch. Magic Johnson had a lot to do with that, his love for the game rubbed off on a whole Country. Kareem was rejuvenated, L.A was rejuvenated and The NBA was rejuvenated.

It's not just the playoffs series either. The regular season was just as fun to watch. I remember Sleepy Floyd scoring 51 on Michael Cooper like it was yesterday. Sleepy was in a zone and Coop was all over him, but it didn't matter he couldn't stop him. Great game and performance by both. It was great to see as a basketball fan.

[LakeShow]

You mean it was the best time for the Lakers and thier fans. But I guess this era will be edited out of Lakers fans minds because there is a new dynasty prolly no one expected.

It was the best time for the NBA. Sure as a Lakers fan it meant more because we were up close and personal but as a fan you had to admire the game.


You mean it was the best time for the Lakers and thier fans. But I guess this era will be edited out of Lakers fans minds because there is a new dynasty prolly no one expected.

Nor cares about! :lol Hey man, why does everything have to be about the spurs? It's cool, you're champs!