This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/30/2006
From 1967 through 1991 The Great Western Forum was home to six NBA World Championships eleven Western Conference Titles and was the birthplace of the "Showtime" era. The birth of that era came through a unique set of circumstances whereby the Lakers found themselves holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. Los Angeles picked Earvin "Magic" Johnson an electrifying 6-9 point guard who had led Michigan State to the 1979 NCAA Championship. "Showtime" had arrived and a dynasty was established almost overnight. The 1979-80 NBA Finals pitted the Johnson/Jabbar led club against the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers and the two teams split four close games to start the series. Abdul-Jabbar sprained his ankle in Game 5 but still scored 40 points to give the Lakers a 108-103 win. Kareem was unable to play in Game 6 but Johnson stepped up to turn in one of the most remarkable performances in NBA Finals history. Still just a 20-year-old rookie Johnson moved from guard to center and tallied 42 points 15 rebounds and 7 assists single-handedly carrying the Lakers to a 123-107 victory and the NBA Championship. Johnson earned the first of three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards. The fruit of that historic 1979-80 campaign is offered here in the form of the actual Championship banner that hung from the rafters in The Great Western Forum. The nylon banner measures an impressive 11.6 by 17 feet. It is ultimate symbol of basketball's greatest achievement. It is a piece of history the likes of which seldom reach private hands. A letter of provenance from the Los Angeles Lakers accompanies.