The 1980-81 Los Angeles Lakers season was a pivotal period for the franchise as they aimed to defend their NBA Championship title won in the previous season. Under head coach Paul Westhead, the Lakers finished with a solid regular-season record of 54-28, securing first place in the Pacific Division.
The team was led by the dynamic duo of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who continued to be a dominant force in the league, and Magic Johnson, who was in his sophomore season. However, Magic faced a major setback early in the season due to a knee injury, which saw him miss a significant portion of games. This injury challenged the team’s depth and resilience, testing the leadership and performance of other key players such as Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon.
Despite their strong regular-season performance, the Lakers faced disappointment in the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by the Houston Rockets in a three-game series, losing 2-1. This early exit was unexpected considering their championship aspirations, highlighting the impact of Magic’s injury and the challenges of maintaining consistency through the postseason.
The 1980-81 season was a learning experience for the Lakers, emphasizing the importance of health and depth in pursuing sustained success. It set the stage for future adjustments and improvements as the team sought to regain their championship form in subsequent seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 54-28
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 1-2
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1980-81 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 80 | 26.2 | 10.3 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 3 | 26.7 | 16.7 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| Jamaal Wilkes | 81 | 22.6 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 7.7 | 3 | 18.0 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Magic Johnson | 37 | 21.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 17.6 | 3 | 17.0 | 13.7 | 7.0 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Norm Nixon | 79 | 17.1 | 2.9 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 16.7 | 3 | 19.3 | 3.7 | 8.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Jim Chones | 82 | 10.8 | 8.0 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 3 | 8.0 | 5.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| Michael Cooper | 81 | 9.4 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 21.1 | 3 | 10.7 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mark Landsberger | 69 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 3 | 1.7 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Butch Carter | 54 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 30.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Eddie Jordan | 60 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 25.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Brad Holland | 41 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 33.3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Brewer | 78 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Alan Hardy | 22 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Myles Patrick | 3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Tony Jackson | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1981 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Houston Rockets
In the 1981 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers faced a surprising early exit in the first round against the Houston Rockets. Despite having a strong regular-season performance, the Lakers struggled to contain the Rockets' star center, Moses Malone, who dominated the series. Houston's 2-1 victory marked a significant upset, highlighting the unpredictability of the playoffs.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 01, 1981 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 111-107 | |
| Apr 03, 1981 | @ Houston Rockets | W 111-106 | |
| Apr 05, 1981 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 89-86 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1980-81 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1980-81 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 1980 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 99-98 | |
| Oct 12, 1980 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 114-103 | |
| Oct 15, 1980 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 112-107 | |
| Oct 17, 1980 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 116-109 | |
| Oct 19, 1980 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 125-107 | |
| Oct 21, 1980 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 107-103 | |
| Oct 24, 1980 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 104-98 | |
| Oct 25, 1980 | @ Utah Jazz | W 127-99 | |
| Oct 26, 1980 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 108-102 | |
| Oct 28, 1980 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 131-101 | |
| Oct 31, 1980 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 107-98 | |
| Nov 02, 1980 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 123-121 | |
| Nov 04, 1980 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 119-118 | |
| Nov 07, 1980 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 126-102 | |
| Nov 08, 1980 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 112-109 | |
| Nov 11, 1980 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 126-97 | |
| Nov 12, 1980 | @ Houston Rockets | L 107-104 | |
| Nov 14, 1980 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 113-100 | |
| Nov 16, 1980 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 110-102 | |
| Nov 18, 1980 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 107-94 | |
| Nov 20, 1980 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 102-99 | |
| Nov 21, 1980 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 116-88 | |
| Nov 23, 1980 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 110-94 | |
| Nov 27, 1980 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 128-119 | |
| Nov 29, 1980 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 124-123 | |
| Nov 30, 1980 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 122-108 | |
| Dec 03, 1980 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 120-114 | |
| Dec 06, 1980 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 119-103 | |
| Dec 07, 1980 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 113-100 | |
| Dec 09, 1980 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 103-92 | |
| Dec 10, 1980 | @ Houston Rockets | W 109-108 | |
| Dec 12, 1980 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 113-107 | |
| Dec 14, 1980 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 122-113 | |
| Dec 16, 1980 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 97-92 | |
| Dec 19, 1980 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 110-106 | |
| Dec 21, 1980 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 135-122 | |
| Dec 23, 1980 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 108-102 | |
| Dec 26, 1980 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 116-115 | |
| Dec 27, 1980 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 116-106 | |
| Dec 28, 1980 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 122-116 | |
| Dec 30, 1980 | @ Utah Jazz | L 110-100 | |
| Jan 02, 1981 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 118-112 | |
| Jan 06, 1981 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 107-98 | |
| Jan 09, 1981 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 92-87 | |
| Jan 11, 1981 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 117-108 | |
| Jan 13, 1981 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 108-104 | |
| Jan 14, 1981 | @ Washington Bullets | L 114-104 | |
| Jan 16, 1981 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 113-111 | |
| Jan 18, 1981 | @ Boston Celtics | L 98-96 | |
| Jan 21, 1981 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 116-106 | |
| Jan 23, 1981 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 110-105 | |
| Jan 26, 1981 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 124-112 | |
| Jan 27, 1981 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 111-104 | |
| Jan 29, 1981 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 118-104 | |
| Feb 04, 1981 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 102-96 | |
| Feb 06, 1981 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 111-102 | |
| Feb 08, 1981 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 102-99 | |
| Feb 11, 1981 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 105-91 | |
| Feb 13, 1981 | @ Houston Rockets | W 114-105 | |
| Feb 15, 1981 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 107-99 | |
| Feb 17, 1981 | vs. New York Knicks | W 96-87 | |
| Feb 20, 1981 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 110-107 | |
| Feb 22, 1981 | @ New York Knicks | W 96-93 | |
| Feb 24, 1981 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 107-97 | |
| Feb 25, 1981 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 126-108 | |
| Feb 27, 1981 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 107-103 | |
| Mar 01, 1981 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 101-96 | |
| Mar 03, 1981 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 99-98 | |
| Mar 04, 1981 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 123-114 | |
| Mar 10, 1981 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 118-104 | |
| Mar 12, 1981 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 122-116 | |
| Mar 13, 1981 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 116-101 | |
| Mar 15, 1981 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 122-118 | |
| Mar 17, 1981 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 114-109 | |
| Mar 18, 1981 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 126-114 | |
| Mar 20, 1981 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 133-119 | |
| Mar 21, 1981 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 117-111 | |
| Mar 22, 1981 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 120-118 | |
| Mar 24, 1981 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 110-103 | |
| Mar 27, 1981 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 97-90 | |
| Mar 28, 1981 | @ Utah Jazz | L 112-110 | |
| Mar 29, 1981 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 148-146 |