Editing Magic Johnson (section)

=== Repeat and falling short (1987–1991) ===
[[File:Pat Riley and Earvin "Magic" Johnsonat the Century Plaza (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Johnson with Lakers' head coach [[Pat Riley]] (left)]]
Before the [[1987–88 NBA season]], Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the [[1968–69 Boston Celtics season|Celtics]] did so in the [[1969 NBA Finals]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/rileyrepeat_moments.html |title=Riley Guarantees A Repeat |website=NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition|access-date=May 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512115807/http://www.nba.com/history/rileyrepeat_moments.html|archive-date=May 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6&nbsp;points, 11.9&nbsp;assists, and 6.2&nbsp;rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury.<ref name="stats" /> In the [[1988 NBA Playoffs|1988 playoffs]], the Lakers swept the [[1987–88 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] in 3 games, then survived two 4–3&nbsp;series against the [[1987–88 Utah Jazz season|Utah Jazz]] and [[1987–88 Dallas Mavericks season|Dallas Mavericks]] to reach [[1988 NBA Finals|the Finals]] and face Thomas and the [[1987–88 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit Pistons]],<ref>{{cite web |website=NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition |title=1988 Playoff Results |url=http://www.nba.com/history/playoffs/19871988.html|access-date=May 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512145222/http://www.nba.com/history/playoffs/19871988.html|archive-date=May 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> who with players such as [[Bill Laimbeer]], [[John Salley]], [[Vinnie Johnson]], and [[Dennis Rodman]] were known as the "Bad Boys" for their physical style of play.<ref name="laimbeer">{{cite web |publisher=NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition |title=Bill Laimbeer career summary |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/laimbeer_summary.html|access-date=May 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512152438/http://www.nba.com/history/players/laimbeer_summary.html|archive-date=May 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Johnson and Thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the [[opening tip]] of Game 1, which they called a display of brotherly love.<ref name=thomsen /><ref name=gaydenial /><ref>Lazenby, [https://archive.org/details/showinsidestoryo00laze/page/261 p. 261].</ref> After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP [[James Worthy]] had his first career [[triple-double]] of 36&nbsp;points, 16&nbsp;rebounds, and 10&nbsp;assists, and led his team to a 108–105&nbsp;win.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19871988.html |title=Lakers Capture the Elusive Repeat |publisher=NBA |access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222173733/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19871988.html|archive-date=February 22, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1&nbsp;points on .550&nbsp;shooting, 13&nbsp;assists, and 5.7&nbsp;rebounds per game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1988_finals.html |title=1988 NBA Finals Composite Box Score |website=Basketball-Reference|access-date=February 19, 2008|archive-date=August 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807013857/http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1988_finals.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career.<ref>{{cite book |last=Blevins |first=Dave |title=The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Volume 1 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2012 |page=499 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aB8sCV5nVaoC&pg=PA499 |isbn=978-0-8108-6130-5}}</ref>

In the [[1988–89 NBA season]], Johnson's 22.5&nbsp;points, 12.8&nbsp;assists, and 7.9&nbsp;rebounds per game<ref name="stats" /> earned him his second MVP award,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1989.html#mvp |title=1988–89 NBA MVP Voting |website=Basketball-Reference|access-date=February 19, 2008|archive-date=February 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217094320/http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1989.html#mvp|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers season|Lakers]] reached the [[1989 NBA Finals]], in which they again faced the [[1988–89 Detroit Pistons season|Pistons]]. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 4–0.<ref>{{cite web |website=NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition |title=Waiting Game Ends for Impatient Pistons |url=http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19881989.html|access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222151438/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19881989.html|archive-date=February 22, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Playing without Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1990.html#mvp |title=1989–90 NBA MVP Voting |website=Basketball-Reference|access-date=October 22, 2022|archive-date=March 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301141609/http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1990.html#mvp|url-status=dead}}</ref> after a strong [[1989–90 NBA season]] in which he averaged 22.3&nbsp;points, 11.5&nbsp;assists, and 6.6&nbsp;rebounds per game.<ref name="stats" /> However, the [[1989–90 Los Angeles Lakers season|Lakers]] bowed out to the [[1989–90 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix Suns]] in the [[1990 NBA Playoffs|Western Conference semifinals]], which was the Lakers' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years.<ref>{{cite web |website=NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition |title=1990 Playoff Results |url=http://www.nba.com/history/playoffs/19891990.html|access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210020526/http://www.nba.com/history/playoffs/19891990.html|archive-date=February 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Mike Dunleavy Sr.|Mike Dunleavy]] became the Lakers' head coach in [[1990–91 Los Angeles Lakers season|1990–91]], when Johnson had grown to be the league's third-oldest point guard. He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble.<ref>{{cite book |last=Perlman |first=Jeff |title=Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s |pages=396–7 |year=2014 |publisher=Gotham Books |isbn=978-1-59240-755-2}}</ref> Under Dunleavy, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aldridge |first=Dave |title=Johnson Not Ready To Pass Mantle; For 9th Time, Lakers Show Magic Touch |date=June 2, 1991 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1067923.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328154935/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1067923.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2015|access-date=February 15, 2019 |quote=But after a slow start under new coach Mike Dunleavy, Los Angeles found out that new weapons and new emphasis on defense could take it to the same place as Showtime did during the 1980s.}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Johnson performed well during the season, with averages of 19.4&nbsp;points, 12.5&nbsp;assists, and 7&nbsp;rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the [[1991 NBA Finals]]. There they faced the [[1990–91 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]], led by [[shooting guard]] [[Michael Jordan]], a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html |title=Michael Jordan Bio |publisher=NBA|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902114359/http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html|archive-date=September 2, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/jordan_retires/news/1999/01/13/jordan_greatest/ |title=Praise from his peers |date=February 1, 1999 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=February 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121165849/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/jordan_retires/news/1999/01/13/jordan_greatest/ |archive-date=January 21, 2009}}</ref> Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19901991.html |title=Bulls Finally Get That Championship Feeling |publisher=NBA |access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222162648/http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19901991.html|archive-date=February 22, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><!-- the Laker's leading scorer James Worthy and starting shooting guard [[Byron Scott]] were both injured, and --> Bulls forward [[Scottie Pippen]] defended effectively against Johnson. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 4–1&nbsp;win.<ref name="nbafullbio" /> In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6&nbsp;points on .431&nbsp;shooting, 12.4&nbsp;assists, and 8&nbsp;rebounds per game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1991_finals.html |title=1991 NBA Finals Composite Box Score |website=Basketball-Reference|access-date=November 3, 2008|archive-date=December 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201144624/http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1991_finals.html|url-status=live}}</ref>