Tag: Sam Perkins

Unsung Lakers heroes of the past: Sam Perkins

A look back at Sam Perkins, who was a very productive power forward for the Lakers in the early 1990s.

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.

Back in the day, Sam Perkins was a standout power forward in the NBA who was a difference-maker on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He came to the Lakers at a time when they appeared to be in slow decline, and he helped them make one last run at glory at the end of the Showtime era.

Sund had fallen in love with North …

Sund had fallen in love with North Carolina’s recent teams and had dreams of pairing Jordan with his college teammate, Sam Perkins, who had also entered the ’84 draft. If he could finagle the third pick, he’d be able to do it. The Mavericks were already choosing fourth. So, as he puts it, he “dangled” Aguirre. But there was one problem: Thorn and the Bulls had been waiting a long time for this moment, and they weren’t exactly trying to flush it away. “(Rod and I) talked about this a couple weeks ago,” Sund told The Athletic. “And I said, ‘You know, Rod. You’d have won the press conference, but we’d have won NBA championships.’”

Coach Smith asked the Elacquas to serve …

Coach Smith asked the Elacquas to serve as “buddy parents” and he paired the Elacquas with James and Deloris Jordan, parents of a freshman recruit who came to the North Carolina program in 1981 when Perkins was a sophomore. “We knew Michael since he was a skinny 18-year-old kid. We hit it off right away with Michael’s parents. They were so kind and gracious we remained friends with them over the years,” Marlene Elacqua said. The Elacquas socialized with the Jordans and stayed several nights as guests at the Jordans’ home in Charlotte.