Lakers News: Showtime Lakers To Reunite For A Summer Practice
A wild tidbit was unveiled during a recent episode of The Lowe Post podcast, featuring ESPN's Zach Lowe and Ramona Shelburne.
The Showtime Lakers have been enjoying something of a pop culture renaissance over the last year or so. In that time, the world has been inundated with two documentary series, one scripted HBO show, and at least two new podcasts from former players.
Now, it appears that even the Showtime Lakers themselves are pining for their glory days. Shelburne revealed on the podcast that Showtime head coach Pat Riley, Hall of Fame players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy, longtime starting shooting guard Byron Scott, 1987 Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper, and center Mychal Thompson (a Lakers radio commentator for 19 seasons running) are going to reunite in Maui. Shelburne reported that these Laker legends would be meeting possibly as early as this past weekend. “Remember, they used to go to Hawaii for training camps," Shelburne noted.
The Showtime Lakers enjoyed a robust championship run. Across an amazing 12-year run, the team won five titles in nine Finals appearances. That's a uniquely bonding experience, and it's always fun to hear that so many of the key folks involved stay in touch.
Perhaps the most surprising news about the get-together is this anecdote from Shelburne:
"And apparently, there’s going to be a practice. Mychal says it’s gonna be a walkthrough. They’re just gonna, you know, get out there and pretend. But I don’t know if a 75-year-old Kareem is gonna get out there and do the Skyhook again or Magic, who’s older [Johnson is 63]… But, you know, when Pat Riley is on the court and the Showtime Lakers are on the court, and they’re doing a walkthrough — like, they’re going to play right?”
As Lowe noted, that Skyhook is probably pretty intact. Abdul-Jabbar was a Lakers assistant coach under Phil Jackson from 2005-2011, specializing in his work with the team's big men.
Here's hoping more chatter emerges in the coming days about this Hawaiian excursion.
