Broadcaster Hearn recalls the confidence the team developed. “It was incredible,” he said. “I mean, 33 in a row. It can’t happen. In my opinion, of all the records in sports, that one won’t be equaled. Can you imagine anything like that today? With all the good teams and all the travel. I can’t.”
Tag Archives: Happy Hairston
The Year the Los Angles Lakers Won Their First Championship, 1972
“You know, Jerry,” said Wilt Chamberlain, “you stick around with me, and we may make a hell of a basketball team.”
What They Say About Lew Alcindor, 1968
What follows is a sampling of what people—players, writers, coaches, and teammates—have to say about Lew Alcindor.
The Laker Roadshow . . . Starring Wilt Chamberlain, 1972
They affectionately call him “Big Fella.” Wilt Chamberlain is a proud man in the twilight of his career at 36, going on 40. But sometimes his moods are almost childlike.
Dave Bing: Sight, Sealed, and Delivered, 1971
Unlike others around him, Bing said he has no fear about returning. The doctors have assured him that playing basketball will not cause a reoccurrence of the injury.
Jim McMillian Picks His Shot, 1970, 1973
Despite his size, McMillian can break in at forward because, with the menace of Wilt Chamberlain at center, the Lakers really don’t need strong rebounding cornermen.
Bill Sharman: The Game I’ll Never Forget, 1972
“I don’t think there’s any way we could have won the title—or even gotten into the final round—if we had not defeated the Bucks in that second game. The last few seconds of that game were among the most unusual and dramatic I have ever seen in my many years in professional basketball.”
Bill Sharman’s Longest Season, 1975
Sharman has had a full, rich life, spiced by stardom in two sports, by team championships and individual honors. But it has not been a perfect life, an idyllic life.
The Quiet Rebellion of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1972
His new name translates from the Arabic into the generous servant of the all-powerful—Kareem (generous), Abdul (the servant), Jabbar (all-powerful or subduer).
Happy Hairston: Oh, Happy Days, 1971
The superstars get the headlines, and nobody knows it better than Harold Hairston, the 6-foot-7 forward of the Los Angeles Lakers.