Los Angeles Lakers: 30 greatest individual performances in team history: 1. Magic Johnson becomes a star overnight
Magic Johnson was already terrific during his rookie season, he averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.4 steals, shot 53% from the field and 81% from the line. With that said, what the Los Angeles Lakers asked him to do in the NBA Finals seemed downright impossible.
Following a Game 5 win, the Lakers held a 3-1 lead against the Philadelphia 76ers but were up against it as their best player in Kareem Abdul-Jabber went down with an ankle injury. With no one of real substance ready to replace him on the bench, the Lakers asked Johnson to fill in. While he was puzzled by the request, he went out and did it anyway. The results ultimately were impossibly great.
Johnson scored 42 points, grabbed 15 boards, dished out 7 assists and he remained on the court for 47 minutes. The Lakers would go on to beat a star-studded 76er squad that included Moses Malone and Julius Erving. For some players, stardom arrives several years after entering the league and working on your craft until it’s about as perfect as can be. For Magic, he became a bonafide superstar with this performance in his rookie year. His ability to perform when his team needed him and when he was still new to NBA life, rank number one on this list.