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“Lakers and Spurs haven’t missed Playoffs since Julius Erving lost to Bill Walton”: How either one of the two historic franchises made the postseason until 2022

Samir Mehdi
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“Lakers and Spurs haven’t missed Playoffs since Julius Erving lost to Bill Walton”: How either one of the two historic franchises made the postseason until 2022

Both the Lakers and the Spurs have missed the Playoffs this season, making it the first time since the NBA/ABA merger. 

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were lauded as being near locks for the Western Conference Finals at the very least during the 2021 NBA offseason. Getting 6 Hall-of-Famers on one team seemed like the perfect way to do that but unfortunately for Los Angeles, their team not only missed the Playoffs, but missed the play-in that would give them a chance to get into the Playoffs. 

The San Antonio Spurs were the team to leapfrog the Lakers this season as they snagged the 10th seed after the purple and ‘gold’ succumbed to the Phoenix Suns. Them making the 10th seed meant they had a date set up with the Pelicans to see who faces the loser of between the Timberwolves and the Clippers.

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Gregg Popovich’s rode his ‘never tank’ philosophy till the very end as had his young Spurs give it their all in the final quarter against the Pels but would eventually fall, getting eliminated from the play-in. 

A historic moment between the Lakers and the Spurs. 

The last time that both the Lakers and the Spurs missed the NBA Playoffs was during the NBA/ABA merger. This was also the season that brought Julius Erving to the NBA and had him lose to Bill Walton and his Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals.

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It has been well over 40 years since what happened today happened in the NBA and marks a semi-historic moment for the league. 

It makes sense as to why the Lakers made the Playoffs in the 80s as they had Magic and Kareem. It also makes sense as to how they along with the Spurs continually made the Playoffs all throughout the 21st century as they had guys like Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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