Los Angeles Lakers: Biggest enemies of the 1980s

5. San Antonio Spurs

Before the two teams became fierce rivals in the new millennium, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs faced each other four times in the playoffs during the 1980’s.  Though it ended up being a one-sided affair with the Lakers winning all four series, if the Lakers wanted to get to the NBA Finals the Spurs were usually there to face them.

At the beginning of the decade the Spurs were still in the Eastern Conference but when they moved over to the Western Conference they joined the Lakers as one of the top teams in the Conference. In 1982 and 1983 the Spurs and Lakers faced each other in Western Conference Finals.

The Spurs were led by one of the best pure scorers in NBA history in George “Iceman” Gervin who made the All-NBA First Team and led the NBA in scoring averaging 32.3 pts in 1982.  The Lakers sheer star power was just too much that year as the Lakers swept the Spurs in a series where Magic Johnson almost averaged a triple double in the series.

In 1983 the Spurs upgraded significantly by adding Artis Gilmore at center, Gilmore led the league in field goal percentage that year. The addition of Gilmore made the Spurs a tougher out as this series went six games, but the Lakers still triumphed.  The Spurs were down one point in game six with ten seconds left but Magic Johnson made a key blocked shot that ended the series.  The Lakers swept the Spurs in first round series in 1986 and 1988.