Every NBA team’s greatest playoff moment

Los Angeles Lakers: Magic plays center (1980 NBA Finals, Game 6)

Picking a singular moment from the history of the Los Angeles Lakers and calling it their greatest in playoff history is near impossible. It’s so impossible that you could frankly pick one from four different eras in the team and all would be viable options for the top spot in team history. Sadly, there has to be only one. And in the interest of that, it’s not all that shocking that we’re led to the ineffable Magic Johnson.

Though the Lakers had a 3-2 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers heading into Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, they seemed to be in danger of falling apart. One of the cornerstones of the team in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar badly injured his ankle and was ruled out for Game 6 (the injury was severe enough that, assumedly, he would’ve missed Game 7 too had there been one). In the wake of that injury, head coach Paul Westhead called upon his rookie point guard, Johnson, to move to center in the starting lineup.

We all know what Magic did throughout his career and how incredible it was. However, this might be his most incredible feat. Not only was he a point guard asked to play as a big man, he was in his first-ever playoffs. But of course, Johnson looked like an All-Star center when asked to fill in for Kareem.

Playing at the five, the Lakers rookie turned into a white-hot supernova on Julius Irving and the Sixers. After the final buzzer sounded, Johnson had amassed 45 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals en route to clinching the title for the Lakers. Every single thing about the moment seems impossible, but that’s Magic Johnson for you.