One thing that former NBA players enjoy doing is speculating about how a team from today’s era would fare against another from past decades. It’s always an intriguing thought exercise, especially when it comes to teams as dominant as the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers from the 1980s.
Byron Scott, a key member of those legendary Lakers teams, recently shared his thoughts on how he would lead one of today’s powerhouse squads against his former team. In a candid conversation with former NBA big man Olden Polynice, he shared that divine intervention might be needed to beat the likes of Magic Johnson and his Purple & Gold squad.
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Problematic match-ups
Using the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, as an example, Scott joked that the only way that team would have a shot at beating the Lakers of the ’80s would be if Jesus Christ deemed it so.
“We would have a lot of prayer sessions,” B-Scott said when asked how he would coach the Thunder to a victory over the Showtime Lakers.
Turning more serious, Byron explained that the Lakers would have a significant advantage given the match-ups in this hypothetical showdown.
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“You’re talking about like Chet Holmgren guarding Kareem? That ain’t going to happen,” Scott surmised. “You’re talking about Mr. (Jalen) Williams, who was a great player, had a great series, won a championship — guarding a guy like James Worthy? That ain’t going to happen.”
B-Scott may be up to something. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the league’s most potent scorers who used the sky hook to devastating effect. James Worthy was equally as talented, with his remarkable athletic ability and knack for getting to the basket.
The Lakers were certified legends
Polynice was on the same boat as Scott, saying that Johnson alone posed a difficult match-up for the Thunder. Although OKC features a tough-as-nails defense bannered by Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and the NBA’s reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Magic’s unique combination of size, ball handling and court vision will undoubtedly give the Thunder nightmares.
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“Again, we’ve had this conversation, man. I’m going to be perfectly clear today — we need to stop with the bull,” O.P. asserted. “You’re not beating the Showtime Lakers. You’re not beating Magic Johnson, the greatest player to touch a basketball at the guard position.”Â
“You’re not touching Cap — the greatest center. Okay? Then you’ve got one of the greatest defenders in Michael Cooper. Then you got this dude over here (alluding to Byron) knocking down threes. And do I need to say any more about Big Game James? Come on, man,” he continued.
Another factor that Polynice claimed would tilt the table in the Lakers’ favor is maturity and toughness. It’s no secret what the game was like in the ’80s and he doubts the Thunder would hold up against the physicality of that era.
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“These guys today are kids. The thing I hate about all this ‘who would beat who’ talk is that it’s all crap anyway, because we’ll never know. But if you look back and see how the Showtime Lakers played — and I haven’t even mentioned Rambis, A.C. Green, all those guys — these are children trying to compare,” Polynice added.
To be perfectly fair, the current Thunder squad is a lot tougher than most people give them credit for. At the same time, these are the Showtime Lakers they’ll be facing in a mythical match-up — a team that won four championships in that era, and an opponent that would push them to their absolute limits.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.