Unsung Lakers heroes of the past: Bob McAdoo

A look back at Bob McAdoo, who was the final piece the Lakers needed in the early 1980s to become “Showtime.”

In this ongoing series, we will take a trip to yesteryear to highlight some Los Angeles Lakers players whom some fans may have forgotten. These players didn’t get the billing that some others enjoyed, but they were very instrumental to the Lakers’ success.

In the 1970s, Bob McAdoo was a legitimate NBA superstar, but his stock declined toward the end of the decade, and in the early 1980s it looked like his career may have been over. But the Lakers took a flyer on him, and it turned out to be a decision that helped them go from a one-hit wonder to “Showtime.”