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Los Angeles Lakers
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LA Lakers |
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| My favorite sports team of all time is the Los Angeles Lakers. I first moved to California in 1978 and since we were from Michigan my dad was a big fan of Magic Johnson who attended Michigan State University. In his Sophomore year of college Magic won the national championship declared himself for the NBA draft and was then drafted by the Lakers. I have been a Laker fan ever since. |
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 Larry Bird and Magic Johnson |
The Lakers biggest test in the 80's was the Boston Celtics and there all-star forward Larry Bird. Ironically in Magic Johnson's college championship game it was Larry Birds Indiana State team Magic's Michigan Sate team defeated for the title |
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The Lakers lead by Magic, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, James Worthy and Byron Scott won 5 championships in the 80's clearly the most dominant team of the decade. |
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The Lakers were finally dethroned in 1988-89 by the Detroit Pistons which wasn't to bad because I was born in Detroit so I was happy to see them win and I figured the Lakers and Pistons would battle for the championship every year. Boy was I wrong the Lakers bounced back to make the finals in 1990 and face the team that had finally beaten the Pistons in the East. The Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. The Lakers won the first game on a 3 pointer by Sam Perkins at the buzzer and I figured we were in pretty good shape until Michael Jordan turned the finals into a joke. 4 Chicago Bulls blowouts later the Bulls were the new NBA champions. Eventually the Bulls would be even more dominant in the 90's then the Lakers in the 80's winning 6 NBA titles. Three straight titles followed by Michael Jordan Retiring for a year and a half and then returning to add three more straight titles. |
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It was tough being a Laker fan during this time and having to listen to all the new Chicago Bulls fans that sprung up from no where. But like a true fan I stuck by my Lakers through thick and thin and all the laughing until we got the cornerstones of our next championship teams. Shaquille O'Neal signed as a free agent from the Orlando Magic and high school sensation Kobe Bryant. In Addition adding one of the best coaches of all time Phil Jackson the new Lakers won three straight championships. |
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This year (2004) we had to bounce back from getting our butt kicked by San Antonio last year (they eventually won the championship) and sign some more players to help out. So we made two big acquisitions in Gary Payton and Karl Malone. I'm writing this right now as the Lakers prepare to take on the Pistons for the 2004 title. it doesn't get any better then this and since these are my two favorite teams "may the better team win". |
