12-19-1981. Rare game footage from the Lakers' 1982 championship season. Joe Jellybean Bryant, father of the late, great Kobe Bean Bryant (1978-2020), in some action. Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers' FA acquisition of the prior summer suffers what was a well-known (at the time) ACL injury. Jellybean took an elbow to the puss by Mitch on his way down. Back then an ACL tear was a career-threatening injury and he was a noted comeback story. He didn't return to play until 84 and he was never the same player. Kurt Rambis got more play and became the starting PF due to this injury. --- During his long rehab, Mitch got more business schooling and later became Jerry West's assistant GM. Mitch was with the Lakers org from 1981 to 2018. This was a forgotten title season for the Lakers in many ways. This game and most of their wins at any level in those years depended on them fast breaking as much as possible and most teams couldn't slow it down. Even Philly in the 82 Finals had a 50-9 run against them in one of the games at The Spectrum. There were other fast break teams out West, including GS, PHX, and DEN, but the Lakers were the best at it. They could win a title as a fastbreak team unlike all the others. They had Kareem as a low post scorer and intimidator and Cooper as a perimeter defender and not only Magic who was already the best PG in the league, but Norm Nixon who was a star combo guard who could constantly keep the ball moving upcourt. A rare example of a team that won two titles with dual star PGs as starters. Jamaal Wilkes was a nightly perimeter scorer with his boomerang release and they later picked up Bob McAdoo to replace the scoring of Mitch. The 82 Lakers had a very solid squad with all the facets that a championship team usually has. Wealth of talent.

• published: 09 Apr 2020
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