Bill Russell Interviews Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jamaal Wilkes (1980)

October 10, 1980 - On opening night of the 1980-81 season, NBA Hall of Famer and CBS correspondent Bill Russell sat down with three critical members of the 1980 NBA Championship Los Angeles Lakers. At age 32, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 31.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks during the 1980 postseason before missing Game 7 of the NBA Finals due to injury. Rookie Magic Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes teamed up to fill the void left by Abdul-Jabbar's absence. Wilkes' 37 points and Johnson's 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists helped propel the Lakers to a 123-107 championship-clinching win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers would fail to defend their title in '80-81, winning 54 games but falling to the Houston Rockets in the first round.
1980 Game 7 Box Score: www.basketball...