The Lakers regain supremacy of the NBA in 1981-82, but not without drama worthy of Daytime Soap Opera.  The honeynoon is over for Magic Johnson as he suffers his first taste of negative publicity, when fresh off of his record 25 million dollar Contract extension, his negative comments lead to the abrupt firing of Coach Paul Westhead and the promotion of Assistant Coach Pat Riley. Riley takes the challenge, and with the mid-season addition of Forward/Center Bob McAdoo, Los Angeles returns to Championship form. In the East, Larry Bird and Julius Erving lead their teams to their third consecutive Eastern Conference showdown, another 7  game classic. Magic and Kareem would once again stand between Dr. J and his elusive NBA Title.