The Start of Showtime: Magic and the Glamorous Lakers

"Showtime" was not a slogan but a precise description of the 1980s Lakers: high-tempo pushes, no-look passes, behind-the-back feeds, and a tidal wave of transition offense. The engine of that system was Magic Johnson.

After the 1980 title, the Lakers became the most dominant and most watchable team of the decade. Kareem provided a steady low post and the skyhook; James Worthy finished in transition; and Magic was the brain that connected everyone. When Pat Riley took over in 1981, the fast-break system was sped up and ritualized—the Forum's lights and music, paired with the Lakers' blur of a fast break, became the signature of a Los Angeles night.

Across the 1980s the Lakers won five championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), trading blows with the Celtics, 76ers and Pistons. Magic himself took three regular-season MVPs and three Finals MVPs, the era's most successful point guard. He redefined the position—no longer merely the man who brought the ball past half court, but the offense's director, tempo-setter and joyous spark.

Showtime mattered beyond the trophy count. It pulled the NBA away from a relatively sluggish half-court game toward a faster, television-friendly style. In a sense, today's high-pace, broadcast-driven league traces one of its roots to Magic and that glamorous Lakers team.

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