sportingpage.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/@sportingpage
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when they told stories
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“I am not going to fly your [obscene] airline.”
-Wilt Chamberlain
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He caught a United flight to Philly later that night.
📅 December 13, 1972
Back on the court, Wilt & the defending champs handled business again — this time vs. the lowly 76ers.
Wilt: 15 boards
Goodrich&West: 55 points combined
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💬 “I fly 500,000 miles a year, and I appreciate the fact that these guys have to do this job,”
-Chamberlain said calmly — a quote that NEVER made it to the NEWSPAPER.
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The Lakers had to be in Philly the next night & the flight to Chicago was delayed 3 hours. During a delay at O’Hare, Wilt reportedly made an offhand comment “about a gun” — which led to a full-on confrontation with TWA officials and federal agents. The FBI pulled him from the plane for questioning.
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I interviewed Kareem many years ago. He talked about how his career in Milwaukee would have been much different had Julius not been poached from the #Bucks by the ABA. He might not have forced his way out of the city if he was playing with Erving.
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wow!! Is there any way I can find that interview??
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Haha yup!! The Bucks selected the Doctor 12th overall in '72 draft. What a run they would have had!
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This puts them in the conversation with some of THE GREATEST TEAMS OF ALL-TIME.
COACHES: Jack McKinney, Paul Westehad, Pat Riley (Assistant)
OWNER: Dr. Jerry Buss (first year)
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#HoopsHistory
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Magic and Wilkes both elevated in the playoffs as well.
*Magic led the playoffs in assists and steals.
Bottom Line: The 1980 Lakers didn't just win — they ran a gauntlet of 50+ win teams, blended youth & experience & played a brand of efficient, unselfish basketball
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Despite being just 19th in free throw attempts, they were 1st in field goals made — a testament to their ball movement and efficiency.
Playoff Elevation:
*Kareem: 31.9 PPG in the playoffs (up from 24.8 in the season). Led all players in blocks (3.9 BPG).
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Unselfish, Efficient Offense: This team shared the ball beautifully — leading the NBA with 29.4 assists per game while ranking JUST 15th in field goal attempts.
* Shot Distribution:
Kareem: 16.9 FGA
Wilkes: 16.6 FGA
Nixon: 14.7 FGA
Magic: 12.3 FGA
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*Norm Nixon, not Magic, led the team in assists (and the league in minutes played) while playing the point guard role. He ranked 3rd in the NBA in assists; Magic ranked 7th.
*Michael Cooper, elite defender, only 23 yrs old
*Spencer Haywood, future HOF accepting a bench role
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*Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in peak form, winning MVP and leading the league in blocks (280 total, 3.4 per game) and Win Shares (14.8)
*Magic Johnson, the electric rookie, won Finals MVP and led the NBA in triple-doubles
*Jamaal Wilkes, already a champion; star SF, future HOF
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Rarely Mentioned, But Truly Great: The 1980 Lakers are criminally underrated in "Greatest Teams Ever" debates, but they’re near the top of The Sporting Page's All-Time Greatest Teams Pyramid.
Let's Break Down the 60-22 Lakers Properly...
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the best weapon in the NBA during that time period