Beginning in 1979, when the Lakers drafted a star player from Michigan State named Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, and continuing over the next decade, the Lakers went to nine championship series – and won five. But it wasn't merely the triumphs that made the '80s Lakers into a national phenomenon. It was how they won. Through a combination of electrifying open-court, fast-break, no-look-pass offense, and theatrically staged games complete with Laker Girls dancers, courtside Hollywood celebrities, and the hottest nightclub in L.A. right inside their home arena, the '80s Lakers transformed routine NBA games into neon-lit entertainment events.

In Showtime, former Sports Illustrated senior writer Jeff Pearlman presents the complete, no-holds-barred story of the remarkable individuals who came together to form pro basketball's most legendary dynasty: Johnson, the revolutionary 6-foot-9 point guard who charmed an entire nation with his megawatt smile and incomparable basketball wizardry; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the unstoppable skyhooking center whose transcendent career was often obscured by coldhearted surliness; and head coach Pat Riley, whose GO-worthy style and perfectly coiffed hair reflected his basketball genius.