Published July 15, 2023
The NBA Time Machine:
1982
Butting Heads
Poison in the Lake
Coming off a bitter end to the 1980-81 season, the air was a tad toxic in the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room. This was a byproduct of disputes between coach Paul Westhead and star player Magic Johnson.
Affairs begun on a decent note, with the team going 7-3 through their first ten games. Following a narrow win against the Utah Jazz in early November, the basketball community was rushed with shocking news as Johnson requested a trade to another team. He was becoming increasingly frustrated with Westhead’s coaching philosophy.
The traditionalist coach preferred to run deliberate plays that involved a patient halfcourt offense designed to feed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Johnson did not necessarily have any ill will towards his teammate and mentor, but his offensive ideologies could not have been more different. His vision involved embracing the fast break and demolishing opponent morale with speed and energy.
Given that Johnson could not realize his potential in this system, he reached a breaking point. It was now up to the front office to choose between their star or coach, and history favored the former. This situation was not exempt, as Westhead was fired less than twenty-four hours after news of the request materialized.
Pat Riley, who was an assistant, was ultimately nominated to take the lead role. His willingness to consider Johnson’s approach ultimately led to a fifty-seven-win season and a near-triple-double statistical average for the guard.
Pay Your Guard
In an era of growing player independence, Gus Williams was yet another talent complacent with dismissing his playing duties. The one-time champion sat out the entirety of the previous year, stripping the Seattle SuperSonics of a primary scoring option. They did manage to acquire the multiple-time All-Star Paul Westphal in a trade, but injury woes rendered that move a failure.
Williams’ primary motive for holding out was financial. The guard claimed he had personal reasons intensifying his choice, but they were not detailed. Seattle ultimately gave in, upgrading from a proposed five-hundred-thousand-dollar deal to a monumental one of three-million.
Due to managing his condition in missed time, Williams was far from rusty. He averaged career highs in scoring and assists, therefore receiving his first All-Star Game selection and the Comeback Player of the Year award. The SuperSonics also improved by eighteen games under his lead.
K.C. Kollapse
During the 1981 off-season, the Cleveland Cavaliers forwarded an offer sheet to Kansas City Kings star Otis Birdsong. The expectation was that the shooting guard would side with Cleveland, who had proposed a five-million-dollar agreement – unless the Kings matched the price or traded him, of course.
The reigning Western Conference Finalists were now met with a harsh ultimatum – fork up some significant funds, or lose the franchise’s best player of the last five years. They ultimately chose the latter in an exchange with the New Jersey Nets – Birdsong and a second-round draft pick were swapped for the young and promising power forward Cliff Robinson.
In further conflicts with Cleveland they also lost former All-Star Scott Wedman. While Kansas City did receive a first-round draft pick as compensation, this ripped apart their timeline – they were now working with a severely inexperienced roster that was unlikely to make any serious noise.
After trading Robinson mid-way through the season – to yes, you guessed it, the Cavaliers – Kansas City ultimately embraced a rebuilding period. They finished the season on a 14-18 run and clinched a bottom-five record in the NBA.
Just a Few Buckets
On March 6, the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs went head-to-head in what was an inconspicuous matchup. Both teams were very good, ensuring a quality show, but there were no particular implications at play.
What instead transpired was a historic moment – a triple-overtime showdown that resulted in the highest-scoring game in NBA history. San Antonio bested their adversaries with a 171-166 finish, witnessing ninety-five combined points from George Gervin and Mike Mitchell. Johnny Moore also dished out sixteen assists while only recording one turnover.
On the other end, Brian Winters and Junior Bridgeman recorded a jointed seventy-three points off the bench, nine of which came from three-point shots. Regardless, Milwaukee was bested and spiraled into a five-game losing streak due to exhaustion.
Calming the Thunder
Due to the established popularity of explosive dunks, the NBA was forced to consider the safety of their resources. They chose to implement breakaway rims – which were better-equipped for strong forces – to avoid ramifications such as player injury or shattered backboards. World-class dunkers, including Darryl Dawkins and David Thompson, were protected most by this decision.
Standout Players
Around the League
Team Standings
Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.