The 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors have yet to win a championship, and already they are being hailed as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. But if you ask Magic Johnson, this edition of the Warriors is nowhere near as dangerous as his “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers were.
At an event sponsored by American Express in L.A. Friday night, Magic Johnson and Pat Riley discussed how the Lakers of the 1980s might fare against Steve Kerr’s team. Magic seemed confident his team would have dominated Golden State.
Magic Johnson says the "Showtime" Lakers would have swept today's Golden State Warriors. pic.twitter.com/D9wm2T35ZA
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 6, 2017
“We would probably sweep them,” Magic said. “They’re too small.”
Riley, who coached the Lakers to four of their five titles in the 80s, made sure to note that it’s “not personal,” but Johnson was quite emphatic.
Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar would give the Warriors all they could handle, but even one fellow member of the Showtime Lakers recently paid Golden State an enormous compliment. The teams play two different styles and were from two different eras, so it’s impossible to say which would come out on top. That’s what makes these debates so fun.
