80's Michael Jordan dominates the Los Angeles Lakers - A HOF Battle in Chicago

The Lakers & Celtics were the 2 most dominant championship forces of the 1980's. Every team's fanbase in the NBA measured how good, or not good, their favorite team was, based on how well they performed against the Celtics & Lakers. If they could compete with the Celtics & Lakers, you now knew that your favorite team was a championship contender. Well, the Chicago Bulls hadn't won at HOME since 1982, against the Los Angeles Lakers. If you think beating even a short-handed Lakers team meant nothing, just listen to the fans in the arena, late in the contest, because they certainly would have disagreed with you. This was another one of those hurdles that Michael Jordan needed to jump over, before he could reach that championship level.

As for the match-up of Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson, Magic had to leave the game after just 10 minutes when he re-injured his groin. Michael was defending Magic, but Magic was not defending Jordan. The Lakers still had 2 Hall of Famers in the lineup with Kareem & James Worthy, prime Byron Scott, prime A.C. Green, and some nice contributions off the bench from Thompson & Wagner.

This game featured some epic 1 v 1 moments with Michael Jordan & Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, and James Worthy. Michael also proved to be a disruptive force to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the post as he crashed down or threatened to crash down, throwing off the timing of Kareem's amazing sky hook. Definitely a very memorable performance featuring one of Michael's more underrated dunks, against a double team!

(1987-88 Season)

TIMESTAMPS:
0:34 - Game begins
1:55 - Byron Scott pull-up jumper
2:06 - Byron Scott drive to the basket
2:22 - James Worthy post up finger roll
3:01 - Michael Jordan post up fadeaway jumper
3:16 - James Worthy fast break dunk
3:25 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reverse pivot lefty hook
3:39 - Michael Jordan steal & fast break layup
4:30 - Magic Johnson post up scoop layup
4:35 - Michael Jordan pull up fadeaway jumper over Kareem
5:04 - Magic Johnson elite ball handling & lefty layup (re-injures groin)
5:25 - Magic Johnson load management (respect for paying fans)
6:39 - Byron Scott transition jumper
7:22 - James Worthy nasty reverse pivot move on Brad Sellers for the layup
7:52 - Byron Scott tough fadeaway jumper
8:07 - Michael Jordan post up turnaround fadeaway jumper
8:15 - Byron Scott top of key jumper
8:30 - James Worthy blocks Michael Jordan's reverse layup
9:38 - James Worthy blocks Jordan again
9:48 - James Worthy hook over Scottie Pippen
10:05 - James Worthy jukes Scottie Pippen
10:28 - Scottie Pippen alley-oop dunk
10:52 - Scottie Pippen great baseline move for the layup
11:07 - Mychal Thompson fadeaway jumper, and 1
11:24 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reverse pivot off the glass
12:40 - Milt Wagner top of key jumper
12:51 - Michael Jordan back door cut & layup
14:04 - James Worthy fadeway jumper over MJ
14:35 - Michael Jordan breakaway 2 hand dunk
14:52 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sky hook
15:42 - Horace Grant put back on the offensive glass
15:55 - Milt Wagner jumper
16:28 - Michael Jordan pump fake leaner jumper, and 1
17:22 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sky hook
19:00 - Magic Johnson with 1980's medical equipment
19:45 - "Sweetness" Walter Payton in the crowd with Gary Matthews
20:39 - Kareem sky hook
20:56 - Michael Jordan jumper
21:22 - Michael Jordan stutter step crossover & layup
21:44 - Michael Jordan baseline 2 hand dunk on Kareem
22:20 - Kareem sky hook
22:48 - Mychal Thompson baseline jumper
23:01 - Michael Jordan breakaway dunk
24:03 - Byron Scott top of key jumper
24:30 - Milt Wagner jumper
24:36 - Byron Scott post up fadeaway over MJ
25:20 - Mychal Thompson turnaround fadeaway jumper
25:42 - Michael Jordan elbow jumper
26:35 - Michael Jordan layup over Mychal Thompson, and 1
27:29 - James Worthy jumper
28:30 - Michael Jordan dunks on BOTH Byron Scott & Milt Wagner
28:55 - Replay of Michael Jordan dunking on a double team
29:09 - James Worthy reverse pivot baseline jumper, and 1
29:51 - Kareem to A.C. Green for the dunk
32:04 - Byron Scott face up jumper over Horace Grant
32:20 - Horace Grant baseline jumper
32:33 - James Worthy overpowers Scottie Pippen
32:45 - Scottie Pippen scoop layup
33:21 - Average salary of NBA All-Stars in 1988
34:05 - Michael Jordan 2 hand dunk
34:29 - Scottie Pippen put back dunk
35:55 - Michael Jordan knocks it away from Kareem
36:43 - Brad Sellers gets booed
37:21 - Michael Jordan jumper over double team
37:37 - Michael Jordan breakaway leaner dunk

Michael Jordan greatest games series playlist (games in chronological order here):    • Michael Jordan's Greatest 1980's Regu...  

Hope you enjoyed the show.

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