'Winning Time' Episode 5: Was Paula Abdul the first Laker girl married to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
To answer the question in one word, no. Paula Abdul, the first Lakers girl was not related or married to basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty' episode 5 sheds light on the creation of the Lakers girl who with their sensual and delightful moves light up The Forum during the Los Angeles Lakers 1979-80 NBA season. Abdul (Carina Conti) is seen as the first Lakers girl.
In an interview with the LA Magazine, the singer relived the way the gig came about. "I had gone to a couple of Lakers games when they were beginning to have cheerleaders. I’d taught cheerleading at dance camp with a few girls who were part of the new squad. They said, “You really should try out.” I auditioned. There were close to 1,000 girls. I was 756th. When I made it as a Laker Girl, almost immediately it became my responsibility to choreograph. My whole goal was to get rid of the pom-poms and make us a dance team."
RELATED ARTICLES
'Winning Time' Episode 5: Did Lakers star Spencer Haywood really circumcise himself?
'Winning Time': Why did Jack McKinney's career as Lakers coach come to an abrupt end?
Were Paula Abdul and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar related?
As mentioned above, they weren't, but the topic was discussed quite frequently where the dancer had to clarify that they weren't related in any manner except for the name Abdul. Plus, she was linked to the Lakers, the same team Abdul-Jabbar played for. "I wouldn’t have to do much to change my name if we were married,” said Abdul to the Los Angeles Times. “I’d just tack on Jabbar to my name. Because of my name, people used to ask me if we were married all the time.”
She also added that she joined the Laker girls for fun.“I joined the Laker girls for fun. But those games aren’t just games. There’s a heavy show-biz scene there too. There’s a lot of people in the entertainment business in the stands.” She also relived how she and the Lakers legend spoke about public opinion that they were married. "It was Magic Johnson’s second season, and all of the greats were there. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would talk to me while he was at the free-throw line. People assumed I was married to him because of my last name," she said.
"Five years ago we had this reunion with all the old Lakers, and I saw Kareem. He said, “Come here.” I sat on his lap, and he goes, “Remember when they used to think we were married? You know what I get now? People saying, ‘You must be proud of your daughter!’ ” I think he was joking."
'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty' airs Sundays at 9 pm on HBO.