1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers season
| 1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Pat Riley |
| General manager | Jerry West |
| Owners | Jerry Buss |
| Arena | Great Western Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 57–25 (.695) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Finals (lost to Pistons 0–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KHJ-TV Prime Ticket (Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz) |
| Radio | KLAC (Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz) |
The 1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 43rd season for the Los Angeles Lakers as a franchise, their 41st season in the National Basketball Association, and 29th in Los Angeles, California.[1] This would also be the final season for All-Star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[2][3][4] During the off-season, the Lakers signed free agent Orlando Woolridge.[5][6][7] The Lakers entered the regular season as the 2-time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Detroit Pistons in a full seven-game series in the 1988 NBA Finals.
With the addition of Woolridge, the Lakers got off to a fast start by winning 15 of their first 18 games of the regular season, which included a seven-game winning streak between November and December, and later on holding a 32–15 record at the All-Star break.[8] The team posted a six-game winning streak in March, and won their final five games of the season. The Lakers finished in first place in the Pacific Division with a 57–25 record, and earned the first seed in the Western Conference.[9]
Magic Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 12.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year,[10][11][12] and was also named to the All-NBA First Team, while James Worthy averaged 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and Byron Scott provided the team with 19.6 points and 1.5 steals per game. In addition, A.C. Green provided with 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Abdul-Jabbar contributed 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Woolridge provided with 9.7 points per game, while Mychal Thompson averaged 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and defensive guard Michael Cooper contributed 7.3 points and 3.9 assists per game, and led the Lakers with 80 three-point field goals.[13]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Johnson, Worthy and Abdul-Jabbar were all selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team, while head coach Pat Riley was selected to coach the Western Conference.[14][15][16] However, Johnson did not participate due to a hamstring injury, as Abdul-Jabbar was selected as his replacement; it would also be the final All-Star appearance for Abdul-Jabbar.[17] Riley also finished tied in seventh place in Coach of the Year voting.[18][19]
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the 8th–seeded Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, All-Star center Kevin Duckworth, and Terry Porter. The Lakers won the first two games over the Trail Blazers at home at the Great Western Forum, before winning Game 3 on the road, 116–108 at the Memorial Coliseum to win the series in a three-game sweep.[20][21][22]
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 4th–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, a team that featured All-Star guard Dale Ellis, All-Star forward Xavier McDaniel, and second-year forward Derrick McKey. After winning their first two games over the SuperSonics at the Great Western Forum, the Lakers won the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 win over the SuperSonics at the Seattle Center Coliseum, 97–95 to win the series in a four-game sweep.[23][24][25]
In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers then faced off against the 3rd–seeded Phoenix Suns, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Tom Chambers, Sixth Man of the Year, Eddie Johnson, and second-year star, and Most Improved Player of the Year, Kevin Johnson. The Lakers won the first two games over the Suns at the Great Western Forum, and then won the next two games on the road, including a Game 4 win over the Suns at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 122–117 to complete another four-game series sweep, and advance to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.[26][27][28]
In the 1989 NBA Finals, The Lakers once again faced off against the top–seeded Detroit Pistons, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer, and who they defeated in last year's NBA Finals in a hard-fought seven game series.[29] However, after injuries to their starting backcourt of Magic Johnson and Scott,[30][31][32] the Lakers lost the first two games to the Pistons on the road at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and then lost their next two home games, including a Game 4 loss to the Pistons at the Great Western Forum, 105–97, despite a 40-point performance from Worthy. The Lakers lost the series in a four-game sweep, as the Pistons won their first ever NBA championship in franchise history. After the Finals concluded, Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement at the age of 42, and after twenty seasons in the NBA.[33][34][35]
The Lakers finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 717,349 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season.[13][36] Following the season, Tony Campbell signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Timberwolves expansion team.[37][38] The 1988–89 season marked an end to a run of eight consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances for the Lakers, the most since the 1968–69 Boston Celtics, as in the following season, the Lakers would lose in the conference semifinals to the Phoenix Suns in five games.[39][40][41]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | David Rivers | PG | United States | Notre Dame |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
|
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 35–6 | 22–19 | 25–9 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 | 35–6 | 20–21 | 23–11 |
| x-Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | .573 | 10 | 31–10 | 16–25 | 20–14 |
| x-Golden State Warriors | 43 | 39 | .524 | 14 | 29–12 | 14–27 | 15–19 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18 | 28–13 | 11–30 | 17–17 |
| Sacramento Kings | 27 | 55 | .329 | 30 | 21–20 | 6–35 | 12–22 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 | 17–24 | 4–37 | 7–27 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Los Angeles Lakers | 57 | 25 | .695 | – |
| 2 | y-Utah Jazz | 51 | 31 | .622 | 6 |
| 3 | x-Phoenix Suns | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | .573 | 10 |
| 5 | x-Houston Rockets | 45 | 37 | .549 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Denver Nuggets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 13 |
| 7 | x-Golden State Warriors | 43 | 39 | .524 | 14 |
| 8 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18 |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 10 | Sacramento Kings | 27 | 55 | .329 | 30 |
| 11 | San Antonio Spurs | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 |
| 12 | Los Angeles Clippers | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 |
| 13 | Miami Heat | 15 | 67 | .183 | 42 |
Game log
Regular season
Playoffs
| 1989 playoff game log Total: 11–4 (home: 6–2; road: 5–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Conference First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Conference Semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Conference Finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Finals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- On June 28, 1989, after twenty professional seasons, Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement. On his "retirement tour" he received standing ovations at all the games, home and away.
Game officials
Preseason
Regular season
| Game | Date | Opponent | Officials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 11–26–1988 | @ Detroit | No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 4 Ed T. Rush |
| 48 | 2–14–1989 | Detroit | No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 24 Bill Saar, No. 56 Don Vaden |
Playoffs
| Game | Round | Date | Opponent | Officials | Alternate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NBA Finals | 6–6–1989 | @ Detroit | No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell | |
| 2 | NBA Finals | 6–8–1989 | @ Detroit | No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 42 Hue Hollins | |
| 3 | NBA Finals | 6–11–1989 | Detroit | No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 4 Ed T. Rush | |
| 4 | NBA Finals | 6–13–1989 | Detroit | No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 12 Earl Strom |
Awards and honors
- A.C. Green, NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Magic Johnson, NBA Most Valuable Player
- Magic Johnson, NBA All-First Team
References
- ^ 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers
- ^ McManis, Sam (April 23, 1989). "A LAST HURRAH: For Abdul-Jabbar, a Season of Farewells Will Be Capped Today". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ McManis, Sam (April 24, 1989). "A Fitting Farewell to Kareem: Lakers Beat Seattle in Center's Goodby". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Berger, Phil (June 14, 1989). "Abdul-Jabbar Winds Up 20 Years to Warm Goodbye". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Edes, Gordon (August 10, 1988). "Lakers to Announce Signing Today of Free Agent Orlando Woolridge". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Sports People; Lakers Sign Woolridge". The New York Times. August 11, 1988. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Pete (August 11, 1988). "Lakers Boost Bench by Signing 6-9 Woolridge". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "NBA Games Played on February 9, 1989". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ "1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Johnson Is M.V.P. for a Second Time". The New York Times. May 23, 1989. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (May 23, 1989). "Magic Is the MVP This Time: Jordan Finishes Second in Closest Voting in 8 Seasons". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "NBA MVP & ABA Most Valuable Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (February 12, 1989). "Today's All-Star Game May Lack the Usual Magic: Without Johnson and Bird, NBA Showcase Just Won't Be the Same". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "1989 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "1989 NBA All-Star Game: West 143, East 134". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (February 9, 1989). "Magic Has Partial Tear of Hamstring: He May Be Sidelined for at Least a Week; Lakers Fall". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Fitzsimmons Coach of Year". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 25, 1989. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ "1988–89 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ McManis, Sam (May 4, 1989). "Lakers Shake Their Lethargy, Finish Sweep: Win Over Portland Extends First-Round Streak to 18-0". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ "Abdul-Jabbar Leads Lakers to Sweep". The Washington Post. May 4, 1989. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ "1989 NBA Western Conference First Round: Trail Blazers vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ McManis, Sam (May 15, 1989). "NBA Playoffs: Deep Down, Lakers Knew They Could: L.A., Losing by 29, Runs to 97-95 Win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (May 15, 1989). "Jordan Digs a Deeper Hole for Knicks". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "1989 NBA Western Conference Semifinals: SuperSonics vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Clifton (May 29, 1989). "Lakers Make a Full Sweep Into Final". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (May 29, 1989). "NBA PLAYOFFS: Sundown Comes Early in Phoenix: Lakers Sweep Into NBA Finals Again, 122-117". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "1989 NBA Western Conference Finals: Suns vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "Can Lakers sweep Pistons in Finals?". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. Valparaiso, Indiana. June 6, 1989. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McManis, Sam (June 9, 1989). "NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: Lakers Caught with Guards Down: Magic Joins Scott on Sideline After Straining Hamstring in 108-105 Game 2 Loss to Pistons". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Clifton (June 10, 1989). "BASKETBALL; Johnson's Leg Injury Hurts Lakers". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (June 10, 1989). "NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: Magic Says Pain Won't Stop Him: Laker Star Would Play Despite Injury, But Not at Risk of Career". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 14, 1989). "Pistons Earn First Title by Sweeping Lakers". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (June 14, 1989). "Pistons End a Reign, Cap a Career: Detroit Sweeps Lakers, 105-97". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "1989 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Pistons". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "1988–89 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Lakers Free Agent Campbell Signs Deal with Timberwolves". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. September 13, 1989. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ^ McManis, Sam (November 21, 1989). "THE NBA: Campbell Gets Shot(s) With Timberwolves". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ Brady, Frank (May 16, 1990). "Suns Rally to Beat Lakers, Earning Trip to West Final". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ McManis, Sam (May 16, 1990). "Lakers Let Season Trickle Away: Game 5: Magic Johnson Scores 43, But the Suns Come Back from 15-Point Deficit to Clinch Series, 106-103". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "1990 NBA Western Conference Semifinals: Suns vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 21, 2023.