The 1978–79 Los Angeles Lakers season was the Lakers' 31st season in the NBA and 19th season in Los Angeles.
The Lakers improved their win total from the prior year to 47–35, but lost once again in the postseason to division rival Seattle, who would win the title that year.
It was the final season for the team under the ownership of Jack Kent Cooke, who sold the team to Jerry Buss the following summer. It was also the final season for former Laker legend Jerry West as coach; he returned to the organization three years later as general manager.
Offseason
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 26 | Ron Carter | United States | Virginia Military |
| 2 | 38 | Lew Massey | United States | North Carolina |
| 3 | 60 | Michael Cooper | United States | New Mexico |
| 4 | 82 | Harold Robertson | United States | Lincoln University |
| 5 | 104 | Carlos Terry | United States | Winston-Salem |
| 6 | 126 | Kim Stewart | United States | Washington |
| 7 | 147 | Larry Paige | United States | Colorado |
Roster
| Pos. | No. | Player | Height | Weight | DOB | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 33 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 1947-04-16 | UCLA |
| SG | 24 | Ron Boone | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1946-09-06 | Idaho State |
| PF | 2 | Kenny Carr | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 1955-08-15 | NC State |
| SG | 15 | Ron Carter | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1956-08-31 | VMI |
| SG | 21 | Michael Cooper | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1956-04-15 | New Mexico |
| SF | 4 | Adrian Dantley | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 208 lb (94 kg) | 1955-02-28 | Notre Dame |
| PF | 35 | Don Ford | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 1952-12-31 | UC Santa Barbara |
| SG | 23 | Lou Hudson | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1944-07-11 | Minnesota |
| PG | 10 | Norm Nixon | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1955-10-11 | Duquesne |
| PG | 5 | Jim Price | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1949-11-27 | Louisville |
| C | 40 | Dave Robisch | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | 1949-12-22 | Kansas |
| SF | 52 | Jamaal Wilkes | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1953-05-02 | UCLA |
Players Coaches
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
Roster
Updated: October 27, 1978
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Seattle SuperSonics | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 31–10 | 21–20 | 11–9 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2 | 32–9 | 18–23 | 11–9 |
| x-Los Angeles Lakers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 5 | 31–10 | 16–25 | 11–9 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 7 | 33–8 | 12–29 | 8–12 |
| San Diego Clippers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 9 | 29–12 | 14–27 | 11–9 |
| Golden State Warriors | 38 | 44 | .463 | 14 | 23–18 | 15–26 | 8–12 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Seattle SuperSonics | 52 | 30 | .634 | – |
| 2 | y-Kansas City Kings | 48 | 34 | .585 | 4 |
| 3 | x-Phoenix Suns | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Denver Nuggets | 47 | 35 | .573 | 5 |
| 5 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 5 |
| 6 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 7 |
| 7 | San Diego Clippers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 9 |
| 8 | Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 14 |
| 9 | Milwaukee Bucks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 14 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 38 | 44 | .463 | 14 |
| 11 | Chicago Bulls | 31 | 51 | .378 | 21 |
- z - clinched division title
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
Playoffs
| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location Attendance |
Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 10 | @ Denver | L 105–110 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (12) | Norm Nixon (11) | McNichols Sports Arena 16,011 |
0–1 |
| 2 | April 13 | Denver | W 121–109 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (32) | Jamaal Wilkes (13) | Norm Nixon (16) | The Forum 14,182 |
1–1 |
| 3 | April 16 | @ Denver | W 112–111 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (29) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16) | Norm Nixon (12) | McNichols Sports Arena 16,181 |
2–1 |
| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location Attendance |
Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 17 | @ Seattle | L 101–112 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (25) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11) | Norm Nixon (7) | Kingdome 26,377 |
0–1 |
| 2 | April 18 | @ Seattle | L 103–108 (OT) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (31) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15) | Norm Nixon (10) | Kingdome 26,862 |
0–2 |
| 3 | April 20 | Seattle | W 118–112 (OT) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (32) | Jamaal Wilkes (9) | Norm Nixon (11) | The Forum 17,505 |
1–2 |
| 4 | April 22 | Seattle | L 115–117 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (31) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (13) | Norm Nixon (19) | The Forum 17,505 |
1–3 |
| 5 | April 25 | @ Seattle | L 100–106 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (25) | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (14) | Abdul-Jabbar, Nixon (8) | Seattle Center Coliseum 14,098 |
1–4 |
1979 playoff game log
First Round: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)
Conference semifinals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
Awards and records
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, All-NBA Second Team
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA All-Star Game