No one was quite sure what to make of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1991. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired, leaving Magic Johnson and James Worthy as the veteran leaders.
Additionally, teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs were looking to take over the Western Conference after L.A. had dominated throughout the 1980s. The Lakers would not go down quietly, however as they advanced back to the Western Conference Finals.
They would face off with the top-seeded Trail Blazers, who were led by future Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler. L.A. immediately sent a message, taking the first game of the series on the road before dropping Game 2.