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1990–91 Los Angeles Lakers season

The 1990–91 NBA season was the Lakers' 43rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st in the city of Los Angeles.[1] This season's highlight was Magic Johnson leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.[2][3][4][5][6] The Lakers would not return to the Finals until 2000. The season is generally considered the final season of the team's successful, uptempo Showtime era.[7][8]

During the off-season, the team signed free agent Sam Perkins,[9][10][11] and acquired Terry Teagle from the Golden State Warriors.[12][13][14] The Lakers held a 35–11 record at the All-Star break,[15] and finished the regular season with a 58–24 record, but for the first time since the 1980–81 season, did not win their division.[16] Johnson finished second behind Jordan in the voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.[17][18][19][20] Johnson was the league's third-oldest point guard, and had grown more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble.[21] Mike Dunleavy was the new head coach, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense.[22][23]

Johnson averaged 19.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 12.5 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while James Worthy led the team in scoring averaging 21.4 points per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Johnson and Worthy were both selected to play in the 1991 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte.[24][25] In addition, Byron Scott provided the team with 14.5 points per game, while Perkins contributed 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, second-year center Vlade Divac provided with 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, A.C. Green played most of the season off the bench, averaging 9.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and Teagle contributed 9.9 points per game off the bench.[26]

In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Lakers swept the Houston Rockets in three straight games,[27][28][29][30] then defeated the 7th-seeded Golden State Warriors in five games in the Western Conference Semi-finals.[31][32][33][34] In the Western Conference finals, they defeated the top-seeded and Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers in six games to advance to the NBA Finals.[35][36][37][38] Following the season, Mychal Thompson retired.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals was the last Finals game played at the Forum. It was also Magic's last NBA game before his retirement that November due to his diagnosis with the HIV virus,[39][40][41][42][43] although he would play in the All-Star Game in 1992 and the Dream Team that summer. Magic would make a brief return to the Lakers midway through the 1995–96 NBA season.[44][45][46][47] After losing to the Houston Rockets in that year's playoffs, Magic retired again for good.

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

NOTE: Please write the players statistics in alphabetical order by last name.

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. ^ 1990-91 Los Angeles Lakers
  2. ^ Barnes, Mike (June 12, 1991). "Bulls Beat Lakers for Title, 108-101". United Press International. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  3. ^ Brown, Clifton (June 13, 1991). "Jordan Crowns Career and Bulls Reign in N.B.A." The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  4. ^ Heisler, Mark (June 13, 1991). "NBA FINALS: LAKERS vs. CHICAGO BULLS: Bulls' Decree: Jordan Rules: Game 5: Chicago Wins First Championship by Sweeping at Forum, 108-101, But Depleted Lakers Go Down Fighting". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Aldridge, David (June 13, 1991). "Jordan, Co. Complete NBA Title Run, 108-101". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  6. ^ "1991 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Price, Victoria (2000). "The Los Angeles Lakers". St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Farmington Hills, Michigan: The Gale Group Inc. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2012 – via HighBeam Research. Some see the big man's retirement as the end of Showtime, others cite Pat Riley's departure the following year, but most Lakers' fans feel that Showtime came to an end when Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV-positive.
  8. ^ "'Magic'al Mystery Tour Over". Times-Union. Warsaw, Indiana. January 30, 1996. p. 7A. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  9. ^ "Free-Agent Forward Perkins Leaves Mavs, Signs with Lakers". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. August 6, 1990. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Lakers Sign Perkins". The New York Times. August 7, 1990. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  11. ^ "Mavericks' Perkins Signs with Lakers". The Washington Post. August 7, 1990. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  12. ^ Barnes, Mike (September 25, 1990). "Lakers Acquire Teagle from the Warriors: NBA: Los Angeles Picks Up the High-Scoring Swingman in Exchange for a First-Round Pick in Next Year's Draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Lakers Pick Up Teagle from Golden State". Deseret News. September 26, 1990. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  14. ^ Heisler, Mark (September 27, 1990). "Magic Caps Off Teagle Deal". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  15. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 7, 1991". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  16. ^ "1990–91 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  17. ^ Brown, Clifton (May 21, 1991). "BASKETBALL; Amid Pressing Matters, Jordan Accepts M.V.P." The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  18. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 21, 1991). "NBA PLAYOFFS: Jordan Is MVP in Landslide Vote". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Smith, Sam (May 21, 1991). "Jordan MVP by a Landslide". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  20. ^ "1990–91 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  21. ^ Perlman, Jeff (2014). Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. Gotham Books. p. 397. ISBN 978-1-59240-755-2.
  22. ^ Brady, Frank (June 12, 1990). "Dunleavy Replaces Riley as Coach of Lakers". The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  23. ^ Springer, Steve (June 12, 1990). "Laker Change a Smooth One: Mike Dunleavy: Former Assistant for Milwaukee Bucks, 36, Again Manages to Get a Lucky Break". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  24. ^ Smith, Sam (January 30, 1991). "Pippen Bypassed for All-Star Team". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  25. ^ "1991 NBA All-Star Game: East 116, West 114". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  26. ^ "1990–91 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  27. ^ Luna, Richard (April 30, 1991). "Lakers 94, Rockets 90". United Press International. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  28. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 1, 1991). "Scott Has What It Takes at the Finish". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  29. ^ "76ers, Lakers Post Sweeps". The Washington Post. May 1, 1991. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  30. ^ "1991 NBA Western Conference First Round: Rockets vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  31. ^ Martinez, Michael (May 15, 1991). "BASKETBALL: THREE TEAMS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS; Lakers Prevail Over Warriors". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  32. ^ Heisler, Mark (May 15, 1991). "Lakers Pull Through in Clinch: Game 5: Campbell Has a Big Fourth Quarter as L.A. Beats the Warriors in Overtime, 124-119, and Advances to the conference finals Against Portland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  33. ^ "Worthy's Overtime Heroics Lift Lakers Over Warriors". The Washington Post. May 15, 1991. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  34. ^ "1991 NBA Western Conference semifinals: Warriors vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  35. ^ Araton, Harvey (June 1, 1991). "BASKETBALL; Magic's Pass to Nowhere Is Ticket to Final". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  36. ^ Heisler, Mark (May 31, 1991). "Lakers Survive Final Threat: Western Conference: Porter Misses, Johnson Passes and Los Angeles Wins Right to Play Bulls, 91-90". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  37. ^ Aldridge, David (May 31, 1991). "Lakers Reclaim the West". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  38. ^ "1991 NBA Western Conference finals: Lakers vs. Trail Blazers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  39. ^ Stevenson, Richard W. (November 8, 1991). "BASKETBALL; Magic Johnson Ends His Career, Saying He Has AIDS Infection". The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  40. ^ Brown, Clifton (November 8, 1991). "BASKETBALL; A Career of Impact, a Player with Heart". The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  41. ^ Heisler, Mark (November 8, 1991). "Magic Johnson's Career Ended by HIV-Positive Test: Sports: The Announcement Stuns His Public. The Lakers Star Emphasizes That He Does Not Have AIDS. 'I Plan to Go on Living for a Long Time,' He Says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  42. ^ Cannon, Lou; Cotton, Anthony (November 9, 1991). "Johnson's HIV Caused by Sex". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  43. ^ "Magic Blames Weakness in Numbers: HIV: He Says He Can't Pinpoint When He Was Infected, Because There Were Many Women. He Says He Had No Homosexual Experiences". Los Angeles Times. November 13, 1991. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  44. ^ Friend, Tom (January 30, 1996). "BASKETBALL; Johnson Finally Says the Magic Words: 'It's On'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  45. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (January 30, 1996). "MAGIC REAPPEARS: It's 'Go Time': Magic Moment Finally Happens". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  46. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (January 31, 1996). "Simply Magical: Johnson Makes Emotional --and Hugely Successful--Return in Laker Victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  47. ^ Claiborne, William (January 30, 1996). "Magic Johnson Returns to NBA". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  48. ^ "Magic Breaks Record for Assists". The New York Times. April 16, 1991.

External links