In the latest episode of ‘The OGs’ show, Miami Heat legend (and former Lakers guard) Pat Riley was asked to pick between the Showtime Lakers and the Miami Heat superteam with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Riley played a massive role in both title pursuits, but he says that the 1980s Lakers would come out on top.
Fan question: “Your Heat vs your Lakers at peak who wins?”
Pat Riley: “I’ll be very honest with you. I think the ‘Showtime’ team of Scott, Cooper, Magic, Worthy, Kareem. Those five guys. It would be hard for any other five to beat them. I say this because of the greatness of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was the one guy that you could not guard. You could double him, but you could not guard him. It’d be a great series and I’d go seven with it. Whoever’s got the home-court advantage would probably win.”
Pat Riley has been on some of the greatest teams in NBA history, both as a player and as a coach/executive. Today, he’s widely respected across the league for his experience, wisdom, and vast array of accomplishments.
Riley’s NBA journey began back in 1967 as the 7th overall pick. After three years with the Rockets, he finally landed with the Lakers, where he quickly became an important rotation player. In 1972, Riley won his first and only championship as a player alongside Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.
Riley took over as the Lakers head coach after retirement and led them during their most prosperous stretch to date: the Showtime era. With Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, Mitch Kupchak, Kurt Rambis, and others, the Lakers were able to win five championships over eight years to establish one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
That’s not to mention Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who Riley admits was the star of the show. His greatness alone made the Lakers nearly unbeatable at the time, with averages of 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on 56.7% shooting. With 38,387 points scored, Kareem ranks second on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The “big three” Miami Heat may not have quite as much firepower but they could certainly put up a good fight in a hypothetical series. LeBron’s arrival in 2010 made the Heat a powerful superteam and, along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, won two championships for the city in four straight trips to the Finals.
The Heat’s famed 27-game win streak in 2013 marked the height of their powers and it’s a level of dominance that hasn’t been replicated since. While that Heat squad did not have Karem Abdul-Jabbar, they did have LeBron James in his prime, who many believe to be the greatest player ever.
LeBron certainly would have posed a problem for the Showtime Lakers, but it wouldn’t have done much to challenge Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Heat, who were historically weak at the center position, would have had no answer to Kareem and his dominance on the post.
When you look at it like that, it makes sense why Riley chose the Lakers over the Heat. Nowadays, of course, he’s a Heat man through and through, but it won’t stop him from calling things as he sees them.
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