Who Is Mitch Kupchak? The Lakers' New Player, Stats & NBA Career In Winning Time Season 2

Mitch Kupchak's NBA career has spanned decades, beginning as a college star that won two titles with the Lakers before becoming their long-term GM.

Summary

• Mitch Kupchak played a crucial role in the success of the Showtime Lakers, contributing to their two NBA championships in 1982 and 1985.
• Kupchak's career as a player was cut short by injury, but he returned to the court and took on a supportive role for the team.
• After retiring as a player, Kupchak transitioned into a successful career as the Lakers' general manager, making significant contributions to the team's success in the 2000s.

HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty explores the real-life acquisition of NBA player Mitch Kupchak. Kupchak was an impressive college basketball player who played for the prestigious Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1972 to 1976. He was selected in the first round as the 13th overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets. Kupchak would go on to with one NBA Championship with the Bullets and two more as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers alongside their star franchise player, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Kupchak was also a member of the gold-medal-winning 1976 Olympic U.S. men's basketball team.

One of the biggest inaccuracies in Winning Time season 2, episode 3 is how Mitch Kupchak ultimately made it on the Showtime Lakers roster during the 1980s. In the series, Coach Paul Westhead is portrayed as the main proponent in getting Kupchak on the Lakers, willingly trading Jim Chones to the Washington Bullets for the impressive and sizable power forward. In reality, Magic Johnson pitched the idea to Lakers owner Jerry Buss during the 1981 off-season, saying that he believed if they got a player like Kupchak then the Lakers would be on their way to another NBA title.

Mitch Kupchak Played On The Lakers From 1981–1986

Kupchak landed on the Lakers roster from the Washington Bullets for the 1981-82 season. However, tragedy struck for Kupchak when an injury limited him to playing in only 26 regular season games. Kupchak wouldn't;t be able to return to the court in full health until the 1983-84 season after signing a long-term contract with the Lakers in which he was to be compensated an average of $325,000 over the course of seven seasons. Kupchak was a central figure of the Showtime Lakers squad and helped them win two NBA Championships in 1982 against the Philadelphia 76ers and in 1985 against the Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics.

Kupchak made an incredible statistical contribution to the Lakers in 1981 when he first joined the team. Before his injury, Kupchak averaged nearly 32 minutes per game with 14.3 points and 8.1 rebounds, quickly becoming one of the Lakers' most valuable offensive assets. When Kupchak returned from injury in the 1983-84 season, his performance decreased significantly and played more of a supportive role playing position for the Lakers. In the Lakers' 1985 championship season, Kupchak averaged a modest 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game over 58 games.

Mitch Kupchak Helped The Lakers Beat The Celtics In The 1985 NBA Finals

With valuable assets on the 1985 Lakers championship team such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and Byron Scott, Kupchak was not relied upon as heavily for his career-defining high offensive output. During the 1985 playoffs, the 30-year-old Kupchak averaged 4.7 points off the bench. He played in 16 of 19 total games that brought the Showtime Lakers to their ninth franchise NBA championship. While Kupchak's offensive production decreased toward the latter half of his career, his leadership responsibilities and the support he had from Magic Johnson earned him consideration for management positions with the Lakers after his retirement in 1986.

Mitch Kupchak Became The Lakers General Manager From 1986–2017

Mitch Kupchak anticipated a transition to the management side of the NBA while he was still an active player on the Lakers' roster. He transitioned instantly into an apprenticeship under General Manager and former NBA player Jerry West upon retirement. Kupchak would officially become the Lakers Assistant General Manager in 1986 and eventually succeeded Jerry West himself, although he was not given the full reins of power as the Lakers' GM until the year 2000 when West went to work for the Memphis Grizzlies. Kupchak formed a strong relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss despite some of his decisions resulting in disapproval from another Laker legend, Kobe Bryant.

Kupchak's NBA managing career far surpassed the duration of his playing career and still continues to this day. Kupchak was directly responsible for bringing a number of incredible talents to the Lakers during the 2000s, including Laker Hall of Famer Pau Gasol in 2008. Under Kupchak's leadership, the Lakers would reach the NBA Finals five times between 2000 and 2008. Kupchak's career as GM with the Lakers continued under the transition of ownership from Jerry Buss to his daughter Jeanie following Jerry's death in 2013. Jeanie would ultimately fire Kupchak in 2017 and hire Magic Johnson in a full circle moment that put Johnson at the helm of all Lakers basketball operations. Kupchak, who will be depicted in future episodes of HBO's Winning Time, is currently the GM of the Charlotte Hornets.