Sacramento Kings guard Quinn Cook, who has won championships with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, recently stirred things up on social media by asking a thought-provoking question about the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers.
Real basketball question: why aren’t Kobe’s Lakers as publicized and talked about like or as much as the Showtime Lakers in the 80s?!? They won 5 championships with Kobe just like they did with Magic and Kareem! Thoughts?
— Quinn Cook (@QCook323) September 3, 2022
Many Twitter users answered Cook, with plenty of them providing compelling arguments as to why teams led by Bryant are not publicized as much as as the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s.
Because Tim was the best player in the same era
— Potts (@PottsJackson) September 3, 2022
Cuz real ones remember how Kobe did Shaq. Kobe wasn't very likeable during the first half of his career.
— Living Off My Art (@VisualsInDC) September 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/casual_spaces/status/1566181812090482688
Cuz Nobody likes Kobe Fr. Besides LA fans and his fans nobody respects what he did for LA. It took the man passing away for people to realize he was that deal
— KobeMuse (@KobeBryantMuse) September 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/srhorning40/status/1566198919922696193
Best question of the day https://t.co/VyEhEO5A4l
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) September 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/lewsidraps/status/1566206301691994112
That makes a lot of sense! Celtics narrative as well! Bird and Magic helped take the league to another level business wise and with the popularity of the game. Time will help too!
— Quinn Cook (@QCook323) September 3, 2022
Cook may have a valid point. After all, HBO recently released a television series that dramatized the professional and personal lives of various members of the Showtime Lakers.
The legacy of the Lakers’ Showtime era, which featured Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, cannot be understated. It helped basketball become more exciting to watch during a time when a more methodical style of play was prevalent in the league.
The five titles Johnson and company brought to L.A. also helped the franchise catch up to the total championship count of the Boston Celtics. For this reason and many others, the Lakers of the 1980s became more esteemed by the Lakers fan base.
While the late Bryant is more beloved nowadays, there was a time when he was not as accepted by many Lakers fans.
It probably stemmed in part from his feud with Shaquille O’Neal during their time together on the Purple and Gold. It should be remembered that L.A. was able to win an elusive three-peat from 2000 to 2002 because of the unstoppable combination of Bryant and O’Neal.
Unfortunately, the partnership had to end in 2004 when the big man was traded to the Miami Heat. The Lakers had to endure a dry spell for a few years after that while O’Neal won one championship as a member of the Heat.
It was only after the organization acquired Pau Gasol in 2008 that the Lakers made it back to the Finals. With Bryant and Gasol leading the way, L.A. clinched two straight championships in 2009 and 2010. Those titles gave Bryant five overall, the same amount that Johnson won during his career.
