Original subtitles

Probably one of the American institutions

oldest in existence

it's in those stores with names like

"Peterson and Sons."

This is a long tradition in American life.

Exactly the same thing is happening here.

This is now "Buss, Sons and Daughters."

My father wanted us to grow up without the difficulties he had.

Very good.

But he didn't want us to grow up like spoiled rich people.

He wanted us to work.

He never wanted to build an empire.

But that's what he did.

It's bigger than a person, than an owner,

than a coach, than a player.

He wanted the Lakers to be great to the city of Los Angeles,

who welcomed him...

and gave him the family he wanted so much.

Okay, there it is!

Let's do it the usual way.

Ladies and gentlemen, Jerry Buss is there!

We never imagined it would evolve to what it is today, not even close.

It didn't even cross my mind.

It's time for sport. There is a big change on the board of directors of the LA Lakers.

The Lakers are in the middle

from a family fight which threatens to dissolve the team.

There's a family fight to see who will manage the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jerry Buss didn't expect it for that to happen

with their own children, because he put them there.

They knew what they had to do.

He put the plan into practice. Only they didn't follow him.

MAN BUYS FORUM, LAKERS AND KINGS

There he is, his 1st image as owner. Do you think he likes it?

Right now, I don't believe it.

What is the future? Do you want to replace your father on the board?

Yes.

"DAD, CAN I HAVE A TEAM?"

There are enough teams for my daughters and sons.

You and the rest of the family Are you in tune?

FRANCHISE IN CONFUSION

The Lakers are in the middle of a family fight.

I think I left them with something.

LEGACY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE LAKERS

Five, four, three, two, one.

Happy 1979!

And the winner is The Sniper.

MOVIE "THE SNIPER"

If you left home on the weekend,

noticed that we had the worst concentration of smoking in five years.

Governor Jerry Brown, from California, went to the White House

ask for help due to the lack of gasoline in the state.

Gas is 61 cents a gallon.

LAST CUSTOMER FOR GASOLINE

Gang war increases in Los Angeles,

which is more violent than ever.

Welcome to ESPN SportsCenter.

Let's keep you up to date of sporting activities

not just the country, but the world too.

The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

The Steelers won with the best Super Bowl game.

Bedford wins!

The Seattle Supersonics won the NBA World Championship.

NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS

SEATTLE ENDS LAKERS SEASON

LAKERS ARE OVER, WEST ALSO?

LAKERS NEED HELP

The team was confused at the time.

We were looking for direction and leadership.

3 TIMES ALL-STAR WINGMAN

JABBAR NEEDS HELP IF LAKERS WANT TO TAKE OFF

When I arrived at the Lakers, I was given a lot of responsibility

because they paid a lot of money for me.

But as soon as I got there, I went...

6 TIMES BEST PLAYER

the best player.

Go back to the game.

And it's Sikma's third, wow! Kareem is upset.

Kareem took the team from 20 to 50 wins.

2 TIMES BEST SCOUNTER

He was 2.20 m, he was unbeatable.

He took the game to victory

and knew how to pass the ball.

He carried the weight and received a lot of criticism.

If they didn't win, it was his fault.

LA NEEDS THE FINAL BLOW

It certainly wasn't a winning team at that moment,

because we had many needs.

MAIN TECHNICIAN

And that changed almost overnight.

REAL ESTATE MOGNATE BUY FORUM, LAKERS AND KINGS

JERRY BUSS BUYS IT

Do you realize what you did?

I'm shocked. I'm in a trance...

NEW OWNER IN THE SPORTS BUSINESS

I think it will take months for me to understand

what was done here.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW KING OF SPORTS

It didn't matter if it was baseball, football or basketball,

My father loved sports.

SON OF JERRY BUSS

How was your first meeting with Jabbar?

Just thinking I could sit with him

and shake his hand It was a dream come true.

It was more of an admiration of faith with your great idol

than a relationship between player and owner.

He often spoke of having enough money for us to have

Lakers tickets, Dodgers and USC Football.

JERRY BUSS' DAUGHTER

And he never lost sight of that.

It was a big risk for my father to bet everything

and buy a team because, at that time, no one in the NBA was making money.

THE NBA IS IN TOUGH

In the 70's, the NBA was not as popular as it is today.

WRITER

THE FASTEST ARM IN THE WEST

Baseball was still very important. The NFL has become very popular.

THE GREAT AMERICAN SHOW

American football has always had a huge audience.

Many people in society were no good

so much attention to basketball.

When he bought the Lakers, Was he making a profit at the time?

No, I wasn't.

I think, at the time,

the Lakers and Kings account together they were at zero to zero.

Maybe even with a small loss.

When we took over the Forum, I didn't think the Lakers would make a profit.

SON OF JERRY BUSS

And the Kings didn't even make a profit.

So the pressure was great.

JUNE 25, 1979 NBA RECRUITMENT DAY

It's exactly noon. Recruitment is officially open.

I want to welcome the fans who helped this to be a success.

A TENSE RECRUITMENT

We had to take the coin to see who chose first.

Chicago wants man. They will take the coin.

GENERAL MANAGER

It was tails.

ASSISTANT TO THE MANAGER / PRESENTER

At that time, the two worst teams of each championship

Whoever chose first took the coin.

JOURNALIST

The Lakers could choose because of the deal with the Jazz.

WHO WILL THE LAKERS CHOOSE?

The Jazz had the worst record that year.

There was a lot of speculation about who would be chosen.

But my father knew,

when he watched the NCAA tournament, that there was a young player,

Magic Johnson.

1979 NCCA CHAMPIONSHIP

WELCOME TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM

It's a dream come true.

I won the state title in my home state,

and my next achievement went to play in a game like today,

in the finals.

I hope to do our part and win the game.

It's exciting when you're the first chosen in any year.

But Earvin had the X factor.

Magic Johnson with the ball.

He makes the basket. He succeeds, 3 to 1.

- Here he comes. - Air bridge for Greg Kelser.

Magic Johnson had 15 points. He loves hitting that backboard.

Compared to other players, Magic was unique,

because he was a star at 19.

Usually you have to wait until the age of 24, 26.

In the case of Magic, It was obvious he was destined

to become a gaming superstar.

LAKERS START TO BE LUCKY, WOULD IT BE MAGIC?

The Los Angeles Lakers choose

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Michigan State.

Two meters tall and 90 kilos.

What will be your position on the Lakers?

I must be a passer.

Haymaker is assembling the team, trying to get players to score.

Trying to make the show happen.

- Are you excited about being a professional? - Certainly. I'm very excited.

I love the challenge and seeing what I can do.

That's the main thing.

When I was chosen,

I was excited to be the LA Lakers, because it was in Hollywood.

1st RECRUITED

For coming from a small town like Lansing, Michigan,

I had never experienced that before.

It was also a chance to play with the most dominant player

at that time, who was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Tied. Here comes Kareem. It's a draw!

He was the best player in the league for many years before I got there.

If we hadn't won on the coin, we would end up with the second choice,

David Greenwood, and we wouldn't be here today.

2nd RECRUITED, CHICAGO BULLS

The Lakers made the first pick.

They got Earvin "Magic" Johnson, from Michigan State.

But who will coach Johnson?

Jerry West announced which will not return next year.

Being a coach was very difficult for me.

I am an intense person and, Sometimes I don't hide it well.

I didn't want to be a coach anymore and, for me, You have to respect the players.

Sometimes I tried to ask for things that they couldn't do.

It was very frustrating for me.

The great players They are not great technicians.

They have a tendency to judge based on in what they did when they played.

Los Angeles, with the incomparable Jerry West.

He dribbles past Don Nelson and shoots.

This time, Jerry did it all alone.

To get an idea of ​​how Jerry West was influential in the NBA,

he was the logo.

It is the NBA logo.

Not everyone has the same work ethic.

Not everyone understands the game Likewise.

Being a coach was very difficult for Jerry.

Strong defense from Jerry West...

He didn't understand how they couldn't make simple plays.

WING GUARD

"Michael, these sons of bitches They can't even catch the ball."

I felt sorry for the players have to play for me.

Do you have any idea who could be a replacement?

Well, I'm going to apply a theory.

I want a technician with a record of victories.

I received a phone call asking for me to find Victor Weiss,

Jerry Tarkanian's representative.

Jerry Tarkanian was a coach very famous in Long Beach State.

He moved to UNLV in Las Vegas and became a legend in the city.

Before they imagined a professional team in Vegas,

UNLV was the team and Jerry Tarkanian was the coach.

JERRY TARKANIAN AGENT

His representative was Vic Weiss. He was a gambler in Vegas.

There were rumors that he was linked to the mafia.

Victor Weiss and I spoke for about 45 minutes.

He left and...

the next day or two or three days, he disappeared.

TARKANIAN AGENT DISAPPEARS

At the end of the meeting, Vic Weiss would tell Tarkanian:

"The job is yours if you want it."

Unfortunately, they never talked, because Weiss was murdered.

Detectives found him dead.

They shot him in the head and put him in the trunk

of a Rolls-Royce.

Suddenly,

we need police protection, because they didn't know

if the shot was for my father,

because he drove a similar car.

Jerry Buss was scared with the murder,

but Jerry was always calm.

I didn't know him or know

what he had done except for those 45 minutes.

SPORTS PROMOTER FOUND IN CAR

I heard several rumors.

He was involved with people to whom he owed money.

Many things. I had no idea.

My father said, "Don't answer the phone, do not open the door.

We have to think we are under attack."

Owning the Lakers It wasn't supposed to be like this.

There were all kinds of stories. Weiss had been murdered

for something related to the mafia or betting, something like that.

Tarkanian kept thinking that the mafia I didn't want him to leave Vegas.

He was shaken by that.

You have received an offer to be coach of the Los Angeles Lakers?

Yes, I received that offer.

UNLV COACH

- Did you reject her? Why? - Yes.

At the time, for several reasons.

At the time, I still had a case pending in court.

I was impressed with Jerry Buss, but...

WINS: 350 DEFEATS: 82

it wasn't the time.

It wasn't the time and I felt...

He would be the coach if there hadn't been that murder.

I was a little disappointed with this.

TARKANIAN DISMISS LAKERS

I met Jerry a few days ago and I understand...

TARKANIAN REJECTS LAKERS

the situation he is in.

We will try to make some decisions and see if we can get a technician here.

TARK PREFERS VEGAS

It's a pleasure to be here this morning.

The presentation we are going to make It won't just...

ASSISTANT / PRESENTER

spark your interest,

but it will continue for many years with this man's skill.

Jack McKinney is the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

I am very grateful to Mr. Buss for offering me

technician job of the Los Angeles Lakers.

MAIN TECHNICIAN

It's a tremendous opportunity for me.

I'm joining a team that has lots of chance to become extraordinary.

And someday we intend to win an NBA championship.

We had a new owner...

the first of recruitment and a new coach, which is unusual.

And it was inspiring.

But you never know how good a player will become

in the next step.

There are always questions in the air.

This isABC SportsBeat.

The NBA faces a crucial season with many teams

in serious financial crisis.

"Will the NBA go broke?"

No ABC SportsBeat.

There are serious problems

that make this year a critical year for the NBA.

Larry O'Brien is the administrator of the NBA.

He knows there are problems.

Collective losses in the league were eight to $13 million last year.

The NBA would be better off with...

PRESIDENT

16 teams.

HOUSTON ROCKETS MANAGER

There are many games in a week. Fans end up watching bad games.

The advertising, in most cases, it is amateurish.

I think there is a great lack of effort

and ability to disclose appropriately.

My dad and I went to a game right at the beginning,

as soon as we bought the team.

New York came to play and scored a lot of points, and the gym went crazy.

And he said, "What are you doing?

They should be booing, not applauding."

He was furious about it.

I think that's where it all started.

When I arrived at the Lakers, we were on the third page.

LAKERS REACH THE FINAL STRETCH

We haven't won anything in a long time,

so we were after everyone.

LAKERS ARE DEFEATED

USC Football was king, the Dodgers were king.

LAKERS FACE DENVER

We had a lot of work to do to convince LA fans

starting to cheer for us.

Before Jerry arrived and for Magic to join the team...

GENERAL MANAGER, THE FORUM

they almost never had than nine thousand people in a game.

Jerry thought he could improve this.

He could make it profitable.

I NEED A TICKET

When I started working at the Forum,

I took care of ticket sales.

Ticket sales are basically the beginning of everything,

It is the basis for everything to work.

If we don't sell tickets, we have nothing.

We worked on what my father called of the Boiler Room,

as if it were a call center.

We called it the "dungeon" because it had no windows.

SON OF JERRY BUSS

All the offices were in the dungeon.

CELTICS FANS DON'T HAVE A TIME

We had four people working for us.

They convinced potential customers. I did the same thing.

"Hi, this is Jim Buss from the Lakers, I would like to know

if you are interested to buy tickets."

I don't remember my speech, but I probably had one.

Selling tickets is the hardest thing.

So, it became something competitive.

I was too young to work there. I was in high school.

JIM BUSS' DAUGHTER

But it was my father's way to make the family work.

Who else would he trust? except in our own children?

We played with him.

"Just put us to work because we are cheap labor."

But my father wanted to see who was interested

being part of the family business.

I loved that.

I loved staying at the Forum and work with the Lakers

trying to achieve what my father wanted,

your goals.

They wanted to please their father.

They had his attention.

They were part of what he was doing.

The business became an opportunity so we can spend more time with dad.

He began to think about a legacy,

what he could do for his children

which he had not done in the past.

Because not much time had passed with them when they were children.

APARTMENT FOR RENT

My father used to say that,

when I was little, I asked if he was Superman,

because he only appeared when something was happening.

And my father was like that.

He worked a lot. I wasn't always home.

I remember asking a lot: "Where's Daddy?"

You know, "Where's Daddy?"

He didn't go to sporting events.

Not even the activities we did.

Not once. Not in baseball, not in basketball,

not even in the Boy Scouts.

It wasn't my high school graduation not even at my recital in fifth grade.

John probably knew more than we did.

Jeanie and I were the middle children and it felt like we were protected

of difficult moments that happened in our family.

I don't know if she talked about it with the other brothers.

But when I was 12,

my mother told me...

"Your father and I are no longer together."

They were trying not to seem who were separated.

My mother did the best she could in the middle of chaos.

She was very good at hiding things.

She always tried to be present.

She said, "Always love your father.

When he's home, make the most of it."

I think we were euphoric when he was at home.

We competed for his attention

when we played Monopoly,

let's have ice cream or buy a toy in the store.

It was always: "What are we going to do as a family?"

We were attracted to my father like a magnet.

I learned to accept that.

I'm sure it was difficult for my father to see us grow

and he won't be there.

Jerry was busy becoming a millionaire.

And they didn't see much of him.

He wanted them involved with him.

I think he wanted to fulfill a role.

He wanted to be their father.

JULY 20, 1979 LOS ANGELES AIRPORT

Magic was initially placed in one of our properties.

So we were the first hosting Magic in Los Angeles.

We went out with him.

We took him to places, because he was new to Los Angeles.

He always liked going to Fatburguer.

I didn't know much about college basketball,

So I didn't know how popular he was.

But, when we went to Fatburguer, everyone already knew him.

LAKERS TRAINING CAMP

When I signed the contract, they said: "We have a flight tomorrow.

You need to travel. We want you to play next week."

The first time I saw Magic It was at training camp.

He said: "Coop, do you know what team means?"

I said, "Yes, we are a team."

WING GUARD

He said, "Time means that together we can achieve more."

That's when I realized that he had something special,

because it wasn't just about him, and yes, the team.

I trained with the team for two days.

And it was time to act. It was time to play.

JULY 27, 1979

I thought: "I'm going to say hi for him, receive him."

ALLAH

I went there and there were thousands of people.

It was confusing, crazy.

We had played several games.

In all, the average was 500, 600 people.

In that game, they opened both floors,

both sides of the gym.

There were probably two thousand people there.

Lakers PR came in and told me:

"There are hundreds of people out there."

I said, "In the gym?"

I was 19 years old, I didn't know what was happening.

He said, "Yes. They came to see you."

Man, as soon as he said that...

JULY 27, 1979

I started to shake.

Magic is really magic. He attracts audiences wherever he goes.

But perhaps the best part of it

It's just that, whenever he's on the court, everyone smiles.

It's contagious.

He begins, and that spreads to the public.

Magic will be a very exciting player for us in Los Angeles.

Mainly the fans, beautiful as they were.

- Will the fans be here? - Yes!

They sold out tickets for summer league.

And I said, "Man, if it's like this when

I play for the Lakers, I'm going to love it."

L.A. ASSIMILATES ITS FIRST MAGIC MOMENT

Days later, the general manager took him It's my father's house,

which was where I lived.

The doorbell rang and there was Magic.

I was amazed when I opened the door and see that smile.

His teeth were like stars.

She said, "You're going to have fun.

You're going to be with the Lakers for a long time. You and me, together."

I said, "No, I'm going to play all five years of the contract, then I'm going to the Pistons."

She said, "What?"

I said, "Okay, I'll be right back," and ran up.

I said, "Dad, you won't believe in what he said.

He said he will play for the Detroit Pistons."

My father didn't lose his poise. He just looked at me and said, "Jeanie...

as soon as he puts on a Lakers jersey and enter the Forum,

It will never go away.”

OCTOBER 16, 1979 1st MAGIC GAME ON THE FORUM

Wilkes approaches Nixon and passes to Spencer Haywood.

Magic Johnson with the ball.

The defense brings Johnson closer to Theus,

and Magic makes his first basket at the Forum.

FIRST ROOM

I was a commentator with Chick at the time.

He made three fouls, Adrian Dantley took him to the laundry.

COMMENTATOR

Parish had 12...

- What? Did he take the shorts to be washed? - Yes, he did.

Magic is so unique.

And so out of the ordinary. He conquered everyone.

Theus presses. He is stopped by Abdul-Jabbar.

Johnson leads the Lakers' breakout. Nixon passes to Wilkes.

With the ball, he was simply a maestro.

Damn. Just look at Magic Johnson We remember one thing:

the guy is two meters tall and runs like a runt.

I paid more attention to him that in most shipowners

because if I were free, he would pass the ball to me.

It's 103 to 96 and 15 seconds left.

Johnson to Cooper, and another reverse tray.

LAKERS DEFEAT BULLS AT THE OPENING IN THE FORUM

When I got here, they thought

that Kareem and I couldn't coexist.

LAKERS TAKE ADVANTAGE WITH TABLE THROWING

When I started covering the Lakers between 1979 and 1980,

I was going on the plane...

JOURNALIST

�and on the bus with them, which gave me incredible access to the team.

When Magic arrived, Kareem was resentful.

"Everyone loves this boy.

Everyone hugs him, everyone praises him. And me? I'm the star of the team."

That bothered him.

There were some personality differences.

Kareem was one way, Magic was another.

They were different lives.

Kareem was more than a player. He was an activist.

He was part of a group of African-American athletes

who came together to speak on social justice in the late 1960s.

And there was Earvin, who had an effervescent personality

and it grew every day.

Kareem preferred jazz and Magic preferred, I don't know,

RandB or soul.

I imagine they didn't pass a lot of time together.

There were a lot of rumors and I wanted to make sure that would finish them off.

The first thing I said was:

"Dude, where do you want the ball?"

I said, "Earvin, Do you see which side the guy is on?

- "Send it to my other hand." - No problem.

Magic waits, countdown in seven, six, five, four, three...

"What else do you like?"

"I don't like low balls. I don't want to go down."

"Understood."

Pass it to Magic Johnson, Cross the court, Kareem.

I wish he knew that I wasn't there

to take over Kareem's team, because it was his team.

I just wanted to do my part and fit in.

And all I wanted was to win.

NOVEMBER 9, 1979 13 GAMES IN THE SEASON

Things weren't the same today here on the Forum.

The Lakers will play Denver tonight because it is already marked.

Right now, the team's concern is health

and well-being of Jack McKinney.

ACCIDENT TAKES LAKERS COACH AT THE HOSPITAL

When I found out, They didn't tell us what his condition was,

but they said it looked bad, so we got worried.

LAKERS COACH SUFFERS IN ACCIDENT

It wasn't just a bicycle accident.

But no one talked about the severity nor about when he would return.

The Lakers will need representation on the bench tonight,

and whoever will do this will be assistant coach, Paul Westhead.

Jack McKinney introduced me.

We were friends. So I went to the hospital.

They said they would run tests on him.

ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN

And that they would only know

the severity of his injuries in a day or two.

The next day, I went to training at 10am.

In the past, in the NBA, there was only one assistant.

If I weren't there, there would be no training.

It was my first season in the NBA.

I had nine years as head coach at La Salle College.

But I had no experience in coaching professional players

and what that meant.

And I didn't have an assistant coach.

The only person I knew in the NBA It was Pat Riley.

He was in the NBA as a player.

But I had never trained anyone.

I learned from my professional technicians, colleagues and high school technicians.

I knew the basics.

I knew what they were talking about and how to move around the court.

I went to Jerry Buss and said:

"I want to offer assistant to Pat Riley."

In his classic way, he said: "Well, why don't we think about it?"

When Jerry Buss says to think about it,

means: "I don't think it's a good idea, but I don't want to tell you that."

A week or two passed, and he finally said:

"Fine, if that's what you want."

He made it very clear: "If that's what you want."

Jack McKinney was not physically fit to return.

So I followed his offensive scheme.

Paul Westhead inherited What does coach McKinney

I had already implemented it.

He kept the ball and the players moving at the same time.

There was no stopping us. It was a beautiful offensive.

And Westhead did a wonderful job keeping that.

Ten seconds to break, It's 60 to 42, the Suns are losing.

Lakers shoot from 6m, not good.

It's a break at the Forum. We'll be right back.

I went to a Lakers game before Magic appeared,

and the event wasn't very important.

There wasn't even a halftime show.

ACTOR AND LAKERS FAN

The break was snack time.

Dr. Buss made it important.

When my father bought the team,

he wanted to create an atmosphere that pleased him.

"If I like, other people should like it too."

There he is, his 1st image as owner. Do you think he likes it?

One of the places he liked to go It was in Santa Monica.

Welcome to Live at The Horn, right here at The Horn.

The oldest cabaret and nightclub from Los Angeles.

They put on a show.

They turned off the lights and said: "It's show time."

It was what he wanted to create.

He wanted all the focus on the show while it happened.

And that became showtime.

You will see the best of the game.

Sit back and relax. It's show time.

� SHOWTIME IN THE NBA

On the court, we were creating the "Showtime" movement.

And guess what happened?

Dr Buss said: "I'm going to create something that's sensual."

And he invented the Laker Girls.

THE LAKERS GOLDEN GIRLS

My dad invented the idea of ​​Laker Girls

because he was a big fan of American football.

Oh, no. He takes the pass as soon as it reaches the finish line.

While the game was going on, the men were on the main stage.

When they took a break, women took the stage.

The Lakers were the first team in the NBA to have dancers.

The Laker Girls were extraordinary. Being single in LA at that time...

A lot of attention wasn't in the basketball game itself.

I remember being fined 50 dollars when I was with the Detroit Pistons.

DETROIT PISTONS WING

I was leaning over looking at the audience, looking at the Laker Girls.

They said "Sal", and I turned and they were all looking at me.

The coach said, "Fifty dollars!"

My father brings entertainment.

He wanted to have the show.

He wanted a show that would work.

He made it fun.

And of course we became a team very successful.

Sex, entertainment and our style of play, all together.

When you put all this together, there is an explosion.

WITH KAREEM AND MAGIC, LAKERS ARE UNBEATABLE

Jerry changed everything. Track chairs were $10.50.

He told me: "I think we need to raise the price."

We went up to US$65.

Other owners in the league thought that we would lose fans.

RICH PEOPLE WILL PAY MORE ON THE FORUM

I've been to more than five thousand NBA games.

Dr. Buss must have made me spend millions of dollars.

NUMBER ONE FATHER IN THE NBA

He was the first owner to notice

which could increase the price by 400%

and crazy people like me they would still buy tickets.

In 1972, Jack Nicholson and I began going to Lakers games.

MUSICAL PRODUCTOR LAKERS FAN

We sat up there. Then some records were successful,

some films were successful, and we went down.

Suddenly, we were up front.

We were sitting on the edge of the court, in 1979, when prices rose.

Don't forget that he gave us the Laker Girls.

That kind of paid off.

My father said, "I'm going to charge more here and less up there,

for everyone to enjoy show time."

LAKERS WIN 15TH GAME IN A ROW

It was so exciting. So exciting. We sold out tickets.

LAKERS GO TO FIRST PLACE

Jerry Buss was the director. Magic was the star.

The movie was showtime. And it was a great success.

You must be excited with the way your team played.

Do you like animation and created an exciting atmosphere

for basketball, and his team, Lakers, is exciting.

I think all these things They need to be fun, Eddie.

I am very pleased because, Obviously, the house is full,

and the fact that we are on TV makes me very satisfied.

Dr. Buss was always innovating.

All the other team owners thought: "Oh, okay, I have to wear a tie."

Buss said, "I'm not wearing a tie."

Everyone said, "You need to wear a suit." Buss said, "I'll wear jeans."

"Date someone your age." "I'm going to date someone who's 20."

Dr. Buss was like this: "No matter what they do,

that's the way I am."

My parents were separated,

so my father took advantage every minute of the life he had.

He wanted to take advantage of her

and use all the time I had to leave his mark.

Dr. Buss and I had the same personality.

He loved people, so did I.

He loved talking, so did I.

He saw the innocent boy I was

and he noticed I didn't have anyone.

I think he thought: "Hey, I'll have a role if he wants it."

And I wanted that.

Starting, possession of the ball...

We met every Saturday,

we had coffee and went to the game USC football team together.

Foul in the middle of the field, the flag was raised.

He took me to horse races.

I didn't know anything about that.

Only four horses compete for the lead.

He loved Italian food. Me too.

ITALIAN CUISINE

We were to his favorite Italian restaurant.

He took me to the Playboy Mansion once,

and I looked like a kid in a candy store.

He said, "Calm down, Earvin."

He could be older than me, but he was always new in spirit.

Always.

He became a second father to me.

I don't know if my father treated him like a son.

But it was different. I knew that from the beginning.

The number of women who came to them...

it was as if Elvis Presley or the Beatles had entered the place.

If I was jealous of that? Perhaps.

When we went to the Playboy Mansion, we felt it, and he kept analyzing it.

"Which one do I want?"

He knows? And he started hunting to catch the girl.

He always got what he wanted.

It was like dating at high speed.

Many of the girls were models.

They always made a point for him to take photos.

So he started putting together an album.

Most girls in Los Angeles

typically wanted to be models or actresses.

Actress, yes.

And if you went out with them, of course,

they always sent photos.

So I thought:

"Wouldn't it be nice to keep each of these encounters with a photo?"

He was an almost shy man, which surprised me.

He says little about it.

He has this extravagant life, with all these things,

including models, girlfriends and such.

And the cars.

But I found it surprisingly reserved in his personal conduct.

I learned very quickly about the playboy lifestyle.

But it didn't change how I felt by my father.

He enjoyed the company of attractive women.

I think many women fell in love with him.

But as time passed, There was always a new girl,

and then another.

I don't like it very much

of items from his beauty collection.

He doesn't look at women like...

Greek statues, he collects them...

No. I talked to him about it.

I asked: "Would you like your daughter,

who is 20 years old, dated someone like you?"

And he said, "I think I would.

Because I'm interested in my daughter

become a company executive."

What we see with Christie Hefner and Hugh Hefner,

in Playboy Magazine,it exists there. He is very close to Hugh Hefner.

I have the impression that his daughter is very interested

in what happens in his father's organization.

Her IQ is high.

There is a big difference between generations.

This is Today on NBC.

1980 WEST CONFERENCE FINALS LAKERS VS. SONICS

The Los Angeles Lakers are the new champions of the Western Conference.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 38 points.

Magic, come here. Dude, congratulations.

- Thank you. - It looks like you're out of breath.

I am. I'm so happy, you know?

And ecstatic to have had the chance to play in the championship. It was beautiful.

Now comes Philadelphia and Dr. J. Are you going to mark him?

- Yes, I'll tag Julius and... - It's better to rest, right?

Yes. I'm going to rest.

But I won't worry about that now. I will taste the victory.

Are you ready for Dr. J?

I'm ready for Dr. J. But Hi, Mom. Hi Dad.

Great. Good luck and see you Sunday.

I knew we had a special team.

We didn't know if we won a championship,

but we knew we had a chance.

We were killing it. We were together.

We knew we could win.

But when you play against Julius Erving and company,

We knew it would be complicated.

They call him Doctor. Dr. J, Julius Erving,

who always surprised and delighted his fans

with your quick movements and unpredictable paths to the basket.

Now, the Doctor operates out of Philadelphia, as leader and captain of the Sixers.

When we arrived at the confrontation, we knew in which positions

we had advantages.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS WING

The position where we didn't have advantage was the central one.

We had to take into account Kareem's strength.

I chose him as the best of all time.

I want to win.

LAKERS PIV�

I have a lot of confidence that we can beat the 76ers.

But that doesn't mean anything if we don't go there

and let's see it on the court.

Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the NBA World Championship.

The NBA Championship has been around for eight seasons

in the LA sports scene.

Remember: in 1972, the Lakers beat the Knicks for the title.

Today, the Lakers started with intention

to win the championship again.

The game begins. Controlled by Dawkins, nice move.

1980 NBA FINALS-GAME 1 LAKERS VS 76ERS

That championship remained a draw until the end. It was a seesaw.

Two teams going back and forth.

We didn't know who would win that.

In the fifth game, they were tied at 2-2, and anyone could win.

LAKERS AND SIXERS CONTINUE THE TIED GAMES

Mike and Jim Capers, the backup, will be in the table.

And here they are. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Caldwell Jones.

1980 NBA FINALS-GAME 5 LAKERS VS 76ERS

For Kareem, throwing weapon.

Forty-two.

skyhook throw is great. Julius tags Cooper.

Kareem makes a smooth jump to the left.

I thought he was going left.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is hurt.

There are no doubts.

You can tell when he twists his ankle. It's not something we discover later.

I went to the locker room and they said:

"You twisted badly."

When we lose someone like Kareem in a crucial game like the fifth,

we were devastated.

He was the most valuable player in the league that year.

He was dominating the championship.

I looked at our pivots and I thought, "We have the advantage here."

But my coaches always taught me that we can't celebrate

until the game is over and we won.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Kareem returned.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is returning for the last time.

I ignored the pain and I focused on finishing the game.

I had already been through that. Go to the locker room to sew up your mouth,

sew the eye and go back.

We are from the generation that if we didn't go there to play,

someone was going to take our place, you know?

We are from that generation.

They must be thinking. "My God, he's back."

We were all happy when he came back.

Kareem arrives in Caldwell. Skyhook.

I knew I could beat Dawkins and Caldwell Jones with a sprained ankle.

- Magic makes an air bridge for Kareem. - He had the winning play.

Dawkins will face Kareem. Lob to Kareem and from behind.

He buried and was fouled at the same time, and we knew the game was over.

Los Angeles takes the lead 3-2 in this championship.

That night, the doctors were there, and we were waiting

because we want the results.

I looked at my foot and it was hard to tell if it was my foot

or an elephant.

I wanted to go home, undergo treatment for two days

and try to recover for the next game.

MAY 15, 1980 LOS ANGELES AIRPORT

The next day, We were heading back to Philadelphia,

and he didn't show up at the airport. We knew it was bad.

At that time, we had to take commercial flights. I will never forget.

We were sitting at the airport and suddenly we heard music.

Frankie Beverly, "That's the Golden Time of Day."

Magic got on the plane with a speaker on his shoulder.

He walked around the airport singing loudly.

I got on the plane and wanted to increase staff confidence.

He asked everyone: "What's your problem?"

And everyone was like... He said, "Do not be afraid.

Motherfucker Earvin 'Magic' Johnson It's here."

We are live with a full gym at Spectrum in Philadelphia.

NBA FINALS – GAME 6

It's the 76ers' sixth game against the Lakers.

Magic, without the big one here, you'll have to go to the basket.

You made 15 baskets last game.

Yes. I'll have to take over his job.

Without him at the center, It's going to be difficult for me,

- for Jim Jones and Jamaal Wilkes. - And the tag on Julius Erving?

I wanted to go to the game. I wanted to be there.

I hoped they had a decent game,

and gain respect.

He wasn't there and suddenly it was a team

that we had never seen.

There he is. Wilkes will shoot from distance.

Jamaal Wilkes now with 28 points for the Lakers.

Without Kareem, we had to play very quickly.

We had to rebound very well and play good defense.

Everyone had to contribute.

Wilkes passes to Nixon.

What was going to make us win? Stay together.

Jamaal gets it right at the end of the clock.

In an inattentive pass, the rookie steals the ball.

Magic assists Wilkes this time.

Everyone was committed to that sixth game.

Magic was incredible, but I wouldn't have done it alone.

Magic comes out of the bottom. Dawkins cuts him off.

It wasn't a loss...

Great pass to Cooper with Magic Johnson.

Here comes the newbie in the middle.

Dawkins took him down on the baseline.

Ready. It ended.

And the most valuable player is Magic Johnson.

42 POINTS 15 REBOUNDS - 7 ASSISTS

He takes the Los Angeles Lakers to the World Cup without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Suddenly, I had three months to heal.

Kareem was there with us. He got us to that point.

When you win something like this,

you feel that, suddenly, your life has changed.

I thought that could happen several times. Why not?

It's your first year and you're here.

How many more of these Would you like to conquer?

About 20.

I want to give the trophy to the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers,

the new world basketball champion.

I'm proud of that.

Here you go, Jerry Buss. It's yours.

And it is permanent. You can stay with him.

Forever!

Speech!

I never had a team who tried as hard as this.

Every minute, every week, every month.

I think we played 108 games.

They gave everything they had, and this is the result.

- Thanks. - Coach Westhead.

- Put your hands here. - Paul, come.

It was rookie season.

What Jerry Buss Did the 1st year was incredible.

SIXERS ELIMINATED LAKERS WIN

There is no other person that has had such an impact

in the NBA so quickly.

LAKERS WIN THE NBA TITLE

After the Laker Girls, there were dancers in every league.

NBA WINNING LAKERS

There was entertainment throughout the league, everyone was copying that.

And he did it all in one season.

When we both won as rookies, It was my proudest moment

for both of us, you know?

At the hotel, we talked: "Do you believe that?

You are new. Me too.

And we won the NBA Championship. And you're wearing jeans.

No socks.”

When the Lakers won

and the cup was handed over

Tell me: what happened next?

The last four weeks of the season were exhausting for me.

I wanted so much take a few weeks off

to relax and get back to work brand new.

But that's not how it works.

We were very agitated at that moment.

It took two months before it started

to get back to normal again.

During this period, my parents divorced,

What a humbling experience for anyone.

I remember the day my mother said: "Let's sign the divorce."

I knew she had passed for bad things

and that she was upset, But she hid a lot.

She did the best she could to talk about it with me,

but I didn't know how to feel about it.

My father wanted my mother was a trophy wife.

But my mother was very introverted.

Get ready and stay by his side It wasn't something she felt comfortable with.

She wasn't comfortable with that.

She wanted him to stay at home all the time.

A newspaper said you are very fast.

Fast with women, cars and business.

Now, I like fast cars.

They are beautiful.

I am single.

So I'm going to the club like any other single person.

Fast deals...

Sometimes business needs to be closed immediately to be consummated.

But I don't necessarily do a business for the speed with which it is executed.

I feel like I'm as cautious as anyone.

But I'm willing to bet if the condition is favorable.

� THE BATTLE OF CONFRONTS AT THE FORUM

ROCKERS WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK THE LAKERS' NEW COMBINATION?

Direct combat, without fail.

FIRST ROUND OF THE ELIMINATORIES

They need a three-point basket.

He just said, "Without fail." It's 89 to 86. Kareem will try

reach the greatest distance possible without starting the timer.

Jamaal Wilkes, three points.

Let's have a new world champion this year in the NBA.

The Houston Rockets won.

The 1980 and 1981 season It was a disappointment.

That year, Magic hurt and it did not return to its form.

In the following season, We started off a little shaken.

And we begin.

I hope you like this game and the NBA campaign on CBS.

OPENING OF THE 1981 AND 1982 SEASON

The Lakers control. Magic Johnson is out.

If I had just won a championship, as a coach,

you wouldn't want to change things drastically.

But the beginning of that season was different, because the Westhead coach

began to see us differently.

Pat Riley and Paul Westhead are on the Lakers bench.

Paul implemented a new system in which he was the one running the show,

not Magic Johnson.

No one hated him more than Magic. But nobody liked that.

He wanted to become a coach with its own style and offensive.

And that didn't work out for us.

Paul was taking the team in a direction that I didn't want.

CONFUSED, LAKERS LOSE THEIR MAGIC

He slowed down the offensive. They were becoming so standardized

what a lot of the excitement began to disappear.

I started to wonder if the team was being well trained or not.

That demanded a lot from us, it was difficult, rigorous.

This was pushing it to the limit every day in training.

I didn't realize at the time that players

they would openly resist.

The basketball IQ on our team it was very loud.

There was no need to hold our hands.

We knew how to read the plays. We managed to adjust.

If those instincts are taken away from you...

The technician was trying extrapolate training.

It wasn't working.

Basketball is nothing more of a game of spontaneity.

It was like, "What is he thinking about?

What's going on here?"

As an athlete, we know when the coach knows what he does.

He didn't know.

He just didn't know. And that's okay.

As soon as you start losing your players, you are gone.

I wish Jerry West would become the technician.

I was going through a difficult time. I was getting divorced.

I said, "Jerry, that would be the worst thing that could happen.

The worst thing."

I said, "Okay. I'll give it a week to get a new coach."

And on Wednesday or Thursday,

Magic made his famous pronouncement, which was in all the newspapers.

We entered the locker room, We went to Earvin, as always,

"How are you today?"

He had scored 21 points.

He stood up, like a politician,

and said, "I'm not having fun. I want to be exchanged." Out of nowhere.

We went to talk about the game and he said, "I have to go.

Paul and I don't see eye to eye.

I would like to be exchanged. I'm going to talk to Dr. Buss today.

I would like to go to New York, Chicago.

We don't get along,

I'm not having fun and I haven't had fun all season."

It's the first emotional crisis that we saw from Magic,

who is only 22 years old. It was in very bad taste.

UNHAPPY, MAGIC WANTS TO BE EXCHANGED

That came out of nowhere. I was in the locker room in Salt Lake

and the press, suddenly, was all over me,

telling me what Magic had said.

I didn't have the slightest idea.

It was the end of me. I couldn't take it anymore.

They are going in the wrong direction.

Oops, are you all ready? Ready?

All ready? Magic, of course,

We want to know if you still feel the same

What did you feel last night?

I have nothing to comment until I talk to Dr. Buss.

Only then can you ask whatever you want, right?

- What's the matter, Magic? - No questions now.

I'll just talk later to talk to him. Thanks.

Subtitles: Andr�a Landell