Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy appeared on the latest episode of the “Road Trippin'” podcast at the NBA Finals and fielded an evergreen question that every old-school great eventually gets. How would the Showtime Lakers fare in today’s NBA?
While most legends answer the question with chest-thumping, Worthy’s answer was measured and realistic while showing respect to today’s players.
James Worthy Weighs In on How Showtime Lakers Would Look in Modern NBA
Worthy started by giving the modern NBA its due, crediting today’s players for their stamina, athleticism, and preparation.
“The athlete today is a superior athlete. The approach, the stamina, the way they approach the game,” Worthy said.But there was one thing he wouldn’t compromise on. It was his point guard.
“But still, for me, I mean, if I got to pick a point guard to start my team, I’m going Magic [Johnson] every time. And he could play today. He’s got pace. He’s got size,” Worthy said.
But his bravado mostly ended there. Instead of insisting that a Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tandem would steamroll the modern NBA, Worthy chose to be honest.
“I’m not going to say we would dominate,” he said. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, you know, with Kareem and Magic…’ No, I don’t think we’d dominate, but I think we could hold our own.”
Worthy noted that his old Lakers ran structured sets in which everyone had a play to run. But in today’s scenario, that might cause their defense real trouble.
“And you know, we ran plays. You know, everybody had a play. Today’s game, it’s open,” he said. “It’s fluid, and that would be a problem for the way we guarded. Kareem would have to go out and guard some shooters. There would be some disadvantages, but I think we could adapt.”
For all the adjustments the Showtime Lakers would have to make, their case for survival holds up well.
Michael Cooper, Jamaal Wilkes, and Bob McAdoo gave the team length and positional versatility across the lineup. His ability to play both center and power forward gave the team tremendous tactical flexibility during their championship runs.
It’s the same blueprint that makes modern defenses like the OKC Thunder’s so hard to score on. The Showtime Lakers had tall, rangy defenders starting, and more coming off the bench, which is precisely what survives in the switch-heavy era.
Johnson was a three-time MVP and four-time assist champion who shot 52% from the field and knocked down close to 85% of his free throws, all while standing 6-foot-9, a frame built to draw fouls and bend a defense. He was incredibly efficient as an offensive player, known for scoring easily in the paint and in transition.
And Abdul-Jabbar, for his part, retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer on 55.9% shooting, with a skyhook nobody ever figured out how to block. When launching his shots, Abdul-Jabbar turned his body perpendicular to the basket, placing his shoulders and off-arm between the defender and the ball.
He released the ball at a nearly 11-foot mark. So, to block his shots, a defender would have to physically reach through his massive frame and get higher than the rim.
The tandem of Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson can bend to fit whatever an era demands. The only genuine hole was shooting, which Byron Scott filled as a consistent perimeter threat. So, a 2026 version of this team would lean heavily on passing and pace, rather than volume from beyond the arc.
Worthy was a three-time NBA champion and Finals MVP who earned seven All-Star nods and two All-NBA selections throughout his Hall of Fame career. His number is retired by the Lakers, and he was a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
