Los Angeles Lakers: Biggest enemies of the 1980s

The 1980s were some of the best years in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers. During this marvelous stretch, who were the Lakers biggest enemies?

The Los Angeles Lakers that played in the 1980’s were defined by “Showtime.”  When Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the team in 1979 he envisioned making a Lakers home game an experience with music, dancing, and an up-tempo game on the floor.

That same year Dr. Buss brought in rookie Magic Johnson to push his up-tempo game and bring an infectious enthusiasm to the game.  Magic was paired with the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and they were the best one-two punch of the decade.

Along with future Hall of Famers James Worthy and a Hall of Fame coach in Pat Riley the Lakers would dominate the decade in the Western Conference going to the NBA Finals eight out of ten years during the decade.

Along the way the Lakers renewed rivalry with the Boston Celtics would take the NBA to new heights in terms of population and changed the perception of the league that struggled to find a national audience in the late 70’s.

During the decade the Lakers faced many challenges and had fierce competitive games on their way to 5 NBA championships, this list chronicles the “Showtime” decade that defined the Lakers.