On June 30, 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Jack McKinney as head coach and quickly implemented a fast-paced attack that changed the NBA.
The Los Angeles Lakers have more than a significant share of NBA legends, but the guy who turned them into “Lake Show” often doesn’t get the credibility he deserves.
In 1979, the Lakers drafted Magic Johnson overall, and despite Normnixon being an already established point guard, they chose to share floor and playmaking duties with the two facilitators.
Under Johnson, the Lakers won five titles, and Pat Riley coached four of them. However, the man who invented “Showtime” Jack McKinney rarely gets the credibility he deserves.
On July 30, 1979, new owner Jerry Bass hired a longtime assistant and college coach Jack McKinney to take over the Lakers. Stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are already in place, and the magic looks ready to run the show. McKinney quickly implemented a run-and-gun attack that he had never seen before in the professional ranks.
Los Angeles jumped to a 9-4 start of the season. McKinney replaced Jerry West that summer, and there were concerns that his unorthodox style would not translate into victory, but he quickly proved that the doubters were wrong.
With just 13 games in the season, McKinney was involved in a bicycle accident and was unable to return to the bystanders. The Lakers promoted Paul Westhead to head coach and continued to win the finals of that season, but McKinney earned his credit.
“Essentially, I’m still building the same thing as Jack and we talked at training camp. It’s a running game and I’m playing four strong defensive periods,” Westhead said after taking over in 1980. “The Lakers are stable for most of this season.”
McKinney only coached 13 games in Los Angeles and began the following season with the Indiana Pacers. His influence was one training camp and 13 games, but he built the blueprint for one of the best dynasties in all sports.
Under Westhead, the Lakers won the title, but were fired midway through the 1981-82 season. Pat Riley took over and the Lakers quickly won the final.
McKinney preached a fast-paced style. Westhead only went on one season before implementing his style, slowing down the game. Johnson complained, and Bass fired him and Riley took over and returned to the “Showtime” style that will be completed in the upcoming season.
Riley quickly admits that his initial success came from playing McKinney’s faster offense.
“If he hadn’t had an accident, he could have won five or six titles for the Lakers in the ’80s,” Riley said in 2006.
While Magic, Kareem and Riley were the faces of the Lakers’ success, first-year head coach Jack McKinney took enough risks in just 13 games to help the franchise build over the next decade or more.