Every show comes to an end.
The Lakers’ drafting Magic Johnson 1st Overall in the 1979 NBA Draft, and the subsequent sale of the franchise to Jerry Buss, led to one of the most exciting sports dynasties of all time.
Buss had a clear vision of the play style he wanted his team to follow. The Lakers needed to play fast- to play flashy. He wanted attending a Lakers game to feel as fun and exciting as a night out at the club. With Magic Johnson running his offense, he got just that. The Lakers would win their first championship in almost a decade during the 1979-1980 season.
Pat Riley gives out instructions during the NBA Finals via the NBA
When Pat Riley took over the reins as head coach during the 1981-1982 season, the show truly arrived. Under Riley, the Lakers would go on to win four NBA titles throughout the 1980s- including back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988. The Lakers were a dominant force.
The teams the Lakers were beating to win NBA championships were equally as impressive, too. They topped the 76ers’ lead by Julius Irving and Moses Malone. Later that decade, in 1985, they topped their rivals in the Boston Celtics and the reigning two-time MVP, Larry Bird, in a contested 7 Game Series. The Lakers once again defeated the Celtics in 1987, and in 1988 achieved the aforementioned back-to-back title by topping the Pistons and Isiah Thomas.
Then came along the undeniable superstar who cancelled the show.
Jordan locks into coverage during the 1991 NBA Finals via the NBA on Youtube
By the time the 1991 NBA Finals rolled around, Michael Jordan was all but the crowned prince of the NBA. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1985. During the Showtime Lakers’ era, Jordan would go on to win regular-season awards like the NBA Regular Season MVP in 1985 (a feat he would repeat that season in 1991). He would even win the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1988. Despite those accolades, Jordan had not won an NBA Championship.
Truthfully, the NBA Playoffs had become a battleground for Jordan and the Bulls. After the Celtics denied them a chance at visiting the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals twice in 1986 and 1987, the Pistons would go on to become a thorn in their side through the remainder of the 1980s and even in the 1990 season.
In 1991, though, it all came together. And a changing of the guard was in the air.
After losing Game 1 of the 1991 Finals, the Bulls would go on to win four in a row to win their first-ever NBA Championship.
Jordan celebrates winning his first Championship via the NBA
Jordan, in that series, would win his first NBA Finals MVP Award, averaging 31.2 points, 11.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds. Even though Jordan would go on to win six titles and just as many Finals MVP Awards, the 1991 awards were likely the most impactful. That season, Jordan was finally crowned the face of the league he was destined to be.
More so, that season Jordan finally beat the Pistons, the team that denied them a chance at the Finals twice in the 1980s. He immediately backed that up by dominating one of the most dominant dynasties in sports history.
The 1991 Finals marked the end of the Showtime Lakers. In fact, it would take almost a decade for the Lakers to appear in the NBA Finals again. In their absence, the city of Chicago became the NBA.
And Jordan became must-see-TV for any basketball fan.
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This week, Jordan Brand is launching a special Air Jordan 4 in an Imperial Purple colorway. The pair, of course, feels like a nod to that very Laker team that flipped a switch in Michael Jordan’s career.
This is not the first time Jordan Brand has shown some love to the team that defined such an important part of the NBA’s History. This new rendition in the Air Jordan 4, though, feels like a refreshing take.
Of course, the model is already loved because of its design and history, but this colorway simply executes purple color-blocking masterfully. The deep Imperial Purple upper appears in premium nubuck, while hits of University Gold at the outsole and Air units tie the look together.
The Air Jordan 4 Imperial Purple celebrates the crowning of Michael Jordan. All the while, tipping its hat towards one of the most exciting and frankly important dynasties in the game of basketball.
The Air Jordan 4 Imperial Purple launches tomorrow via Nike, the SNKRS app, and Jordan Brand partners.
