NBA Champions ·
1982 Los Angeles Lakers
The 1982 Los Angeles Lakers won their second title in three years, sweeping their way to the Finals and beating Philadelphia in six. Magic Johnson took Finals MVP at age 22, his second in three seasons. The year began in chaos when Johnson pushed for a coaching change 11 games in and the Lakers handed the job to Pat Riley.
Los Angeles finished 57-25 and won the Pacific Division. The season's defining moment came in November, when Magic asked to be traded and management instead fired coach Paul Westhead. Riley, an assistant and former broadcaster, took over and the team went 50-21 under him. The fast break became the franchise signature.
Abdul-Jabbar led the scoring at 23.9 a game, with Jamaal Wilkes adding 21.1 and Johnson posting 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. Norm Nixon shared the backcourt. The Lakers added Bob McAdoo, a former MVP, in a December trade, and he gave them frontcourt scoring off the bench.
The playoff run was nearly flawless before the Finals. Los Angeles swept Phoenix and San Antonio to reach the championship round, then beat Julius Erving and Philadelphia in six. Johnson averaged a near triple-double and was named Finals MVP for the second time.
The rivalry with Philadelphia would flip a year later, when the 76ers added Moses Malone and swept the Lakers. For now, Riley had his first title in what became a Hall of Fame coaching run.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Johnson | PG | 94 |
| Norm Nixon | SG | 81 |
| James Worthy | SF | 87 |
| Bob McAdoo | PF | 84 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | C | 89 |
| Michael Cooper | 6th man | 80 |
| Pat Riley | Coach | 88 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaal Wilkes | F | 21.1 points a game, the team's top scorer |
| Kurt Rambis | F | |
| Mitch Kupchak | F | a knee injury ended his season in December |
| Mark Landsberger | F | |
| Eddie Jordan | G |