European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Title seeking Lokers aging like Fine win sunday april 29,1990 the stars and stripes a a by Sam Mcmanis los Angeles times Inglewood Calif. A one Day the los Angeles lakers will awake look in the bathroom Mirror and see that they have grown old. They will notice crowds feet receding hairlines expanded waistlines. Arteries will have hardened muscle mass softened. Denture paste will stand next to the Cologne on the sink top. That Day obviously is not Here yet. The lakers remain their robust selves heading into the first round of the playoffs against the Houston rockets with the National basketball associations Best record. Clearly it is not time to put them on High fiber diets Send them to Florida for the Winter or explore hair colouring endorsement opportunities. But in their current alignment the lakers must soon face the sobering Prospect of growing old together. They have seven players 30 or older among them starters magic Johnson who says he will retire after the 1992-93 season and Mychal Thompson. James worthy and Byron Scott Are 29 and nursing chronic injuries. Worthy has tendinitis in his Knees and Scott has a hamstring problem. Even after the retirement of Kareem Abdul Jabbar last season at 42, and the unexpected addition of 22-year-old yugoslav Center Vlade Divac the lakers still Are among the leagues oldest teams. The lakers average age is 29 years 4 months a one year and four months younger than last seasons team which had Abdul Jabbar. In the last 10 seasons the oldest team to have won an Aba championship was the 1987-88 lakers with an average age of 29 years 1 month. But that Laker team had Only four players 30 or older. In fact no championship team in the �?T80s had More than four thirty something players. If it is at All consoling to the lakers they Are not alone among the successful aged. The Detroit pistons whose average age was 28 years 4 months when they won the title last season now average 30 years 3 months and have six players 30 or older. The lakers Are not at All concerned about growing old a that would just give them worry lines anyway a and say they can win with their current group for three More seasons. That would be until the end of the 1992-93 season when Johnson swears he will retire. So the Laker thinking is win now and worry about rebuilding a or even just staying reasonably Young a later. A a Laker owner Jerry Buss is very comfortable with this team As it is and he thinks it can win for several More years a said Jerry West the lakers general manager. A i think Buss realizes its a risky thing. But i done to think there a any question this team right now can win  coach Pat Riley was even More Blunt. A sure its win now a Riley said. A a it Sall win now. We re not trying to win in 1995. We want to win this year. We re going to put the Best most experienced team we can on the floor. Maybe age could be a problem. We got Lucky with Vlade. He a Young. . Green is still Young 26. But we definitely Are a team that is  Riley who prefers coaching Veteran players said the lakers have deliberately sought experienced players to surround Johnson. A i Hope Well have this much experience for the next two or three years a he said. A a we be got to do everything we can do while Johnson is still healthy and vital to win championships. Because when Earvin retires it la be very hard. Well have to rebuild  throughout the �?T80s, however the lakers always took measures to avoid turning into doddering geezers in shorts and sneakers. They successfully combined youth and experience. The 197980 Laker championship team had an average age of 25 years 8 months. Even the 1984-85 lakers said by Many to be the developmental team of the �?T80s, averaged Only 27 years 9 months. The lakers have such a Rich history you would think it was West or Bill Shar Man not Branch Rickey who said a a it a better to Trade a player a year too Early than a year too  of course the lakers were Able to build a solid Talent base by using acquired draft choices to select Johnson and worthy As Well As West a own Eye for Talent in selecting Green with the last pick in the first round in 1985. But the lakers also consciously made moves to stay Young. In 1983, they traded shooting guard Norm Nixon then 26 and seemingly still in his prime to the los Angeles clippers for draft rights to Scott then 22, and Swen Nater. After winning the championship in 1984-85, the lakers waived Jamaal Wilkes who had just turned 33, and chose not to offer Bob Mcadoo then 34, a new contract. And after winning consecutive championships in 1987 and �?T88, the lakers chose not to re sign Kurt Rambis who had turned 30. They had committed to Green younger and stronger by that time and Rambis wanted More playing time. At first the lakers got a lot younger after last season. Abdul Jabbar at last had retired and the lakers drafted Divac in the first round. But then they chose not to re sign Tony Campbell 26, and signed Larry Drew 32, and two months into the season Jay Vincent 30. In addition Johnson Orlando Woolridge and Mark Mcnamara All turned 30 within the past year. Initially unsure about Divac and convinced they needed another big Man the lakers tried to Trade first round draft picks and Mcnamara to the Minnesota Timber wolves for another Over-30 player Rick Mahorn but were rebuffed. Outside forces May now prevent the lakers from staying younger than springtime. Burned in the past teams Are not so willing to Trade with the lakers anymore. Other owners besides Buss Are willing to pay extravagantly for free agents. Teams too Are stockpiling draft choices instead of readily swapping them for talented but aging veterans. The lakers seem too to have altered their philosophy. They no longer see anything wrong with keeping players Well into their 30s. The lakers ate $860,000 when they waived Wilkes $922,000 when Mcadoo left. They wanted new blood. Now they have Thompson 35, and Michael Cooper 34, under contract for next season and say they have no intention of letting either go. A you have to have the opportunities to do things first off a West said. A also you have to be willing to take the risk. Page 25 a magic Johnson has led . To 5 titles. Says he will retire after 1992-93 we know what we have for players now and we re Happy with it. A a we have explored a number of things before the draft to get younger and before the feb. 22 trading deadline but its Tough to get teams to Deal with you. Its the Price you pay for winning. If we can risk take and not destroy the team we have now Well make a Deal. Before in the Early �?T80swe Haven to had to give up anything to get a number of our players. That a  the lakers Core players a Johnson worthy and Scott a say they like having Veteran teammates. And As might be expected they Are a Tad sensitive about being called old. They prefer such euphemisms As mature seasoned even wizened. They no longer worry about building for the future because Well they wont be a part of it. A a we be got to take advantage of this situation a Scott said. A a we be got six or seven Guys 30 and Over and myself and James Are 29, so you try to be As Good As you can while the going is Good and while you have that team intact. We be got the team to win now. We want to win  Johnson compares the lakers to footballs san Francisco 49ers, a Talent Laden team that simply adds experienced accessories every season. A you can never worry about rebuilding a Johnson said. A a what a that going to do for you the philosophy is to win every year right now. You add the players As you go on. A you want the experience and the hunger of Guys that have played and Haven to tasted it before. Its like the 49ers. They bring in a few veterans that Haven to won. I think our franchises Are the same. We look to win now and not worry about tomorrow. With the free Agency situation and the draft you always have a Chance to be  but does no to Johnson fear growing old together As Many say the celtics have done a it could be but we re not an old team like in the upper 30s,�?� Johnson said. A a we re a mature team. We still got a few More years. A when we started off we were real Young. But that does no to help you win championships. You done to want to have a lot of Guys that have never really been there because you May have to count on Guys that Haven to gone through it. Now we got Larry and Jay. They be been there. That a what a going to help  Aba from Page 21 by Jim Paxson and two baskets by 1 Ewis made the score 49-40. A Oakley followed with a tip in but Boston got the next eight Points on a tip by Parish John Bagley a Layup two free throws by Paxson and Parish s jumper. Kiki Vandew Chc Sank a free throw for the kicks before Parish closed the run with a 12-foot jumper that made the score 59-43 with 6 16 left in the half. Fridays games lakers 101, rockets 89 a Glenwood Calit. A James worthy bounced the Ball off his foot and out of Bounds. Twice. Magic Johnson threw a couple of passes to vacant spots on the court. Los Angeles the a bad a Best team during the regular season got off to a Keystone kops Start in the playoffs. But the lakers finally settled Down and wound up beating Houston for a 1-0 Lead in their bust of five series. The lakers Lead the bust of five series a that was the worst i Ever played a Johnson said shaking his head Over his poor Start. A there was no timing off balance  Quot i thought our two leaders Earvin Johnson and James were just too excited at the Start a lakers coach Pat Riley said. A we did no to have the kind of poise and efficiency i thought we would  worthy and Johnson were both poised and efficient in the second half after the lakers trailed most of the first two quarters. Worthy finished with 34 Points on 17-of-22 shooting and Johnson had 23 Points and 14 assists. Worthy had eight Points As the lakers took control in the first 2 44 of the final Quarter. Los Angeles reeled off a 12-1 string to go ahead 81-68. A we played our game in the second half a Riley said. A the second half is what Laker basketball is All about. The second half was excellent and the fourth Quarter even  Riley is one Victory away from becoming the first Aba coach to win 100 playoff games. His 99 victories tics him with former Boston coach red Auerbach. The lakers manhandled Houston Center Akcam Olajuwon literally and figuratively. He was held to 13 shots and 13 Points and also required three stitches. Olajuwon had to leave the game with 3 06 left in the first half with a Cut above his left Eye obtained in a collision with worthy. Olajuwon returned with his fresh stitches to play the second half. Jazz 113, suns 96 Salt Lake City a stomach flu limited Phoenix guard Kevin Johnson to nine minutes and no Points allowing Utah to pull away in the first first round playoff series since 1974 Matching teams with More than 50 victories. The jazz Lead the bust of five series 10. Karl Malone held to four Points in the first half and 21 Points 10 under his season average for the game ignited a 90 third Quarter run that carried the jazz to a 72-58 Lead with less than four minutes remaining. Bulls 111, Bucks 97 Chicago a Chicago beat Milwaukee for the 12th time in 13 meetings and took a 1-0 Lead in the series behind Michael Jordan a 38 Points and Scottie pippens 17 Points 13 assists and 10 rebounds. A you work hard All year to get the Hom court advantage and you done to want to lose it in one game a bulls coach Phil Jackson said. A i was impressed with our Overall performance. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were  Milwaukee coach Del Harris complained about the Chicago stadium floor which had wet spots and caused Jay Humphries to pull a Groin muscle. A it was Slippery. It Wasny to in a professional condition a said Harris who added that he would file a protest with the league Over the condition of the floor