My dad had a saying he would recite when I didn’t want to throw another bullpen session on the backyard mound he had built for me to improve my fastball: “Hard work always has a payday.” I admit, this axiom sounds embarrassingly archaic in the internet age where celebrities are made in mere minutes. That doesn’t mean it’s not true. What follows is a story of a group of guys who worked hard and had their moment in the sun. The time: December 5, 1982. The place: Los Angeles. The storied Showtime-era, Lakers, coming off an eight-game win streak, were facing the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time since defeating them four games to two in the previous season’s championship series. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar opened up scoring with a signature sky-hook before Dyan Cannon had even reached her seat. It might have been a normal Sunday evening at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood. But it wasn’t. Moments after the first-half buzzer … Continue reading The True Story of One of the NBA’s Most Outrageous Halftime Moments