Showtime

The best nicknames not only capture a team, but an entire city. And if it is so perfect that it totally encapsulates a style of play one that had never been seen before, to boot then it becomes the stuff of legend. When Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss bought the team in 1979, he not only wanted to win, but the games also had to be entertaining. With the drafting of Magic Johnson and the hiring of Pat Riley, Buss accomplished just that. Employing a run and gun, free flowing style of play that brought fans out of their seats, the Showtime Lakers became a national story. Winning four NBA championships in the 1980s, the team s celebrity fanbase, purple and gold uniforms and star studded roster screamed Fun and perfectly captured the Hollywood life. No nickname has ever been more tailored to its team.