HBO’S new series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, sheds light on an era when NBA games transitioned from being all about basketball to being engineered for true entertainment.
Laker Girls were introduced, and in their second-ever season on the court, Paula Abdul came onto the scene in the early 1980s.
In 2018, Abdul told late-night host James Corden that she was rejected during her first tryout with a pool of over 1000 candidates.
She changed her outfit and tried out again, going by her middle name, only to be rejected again.
She tried one more time, with another new outfit and name, and finally made the cut.
Within a year, she became the head choreographer of the dance-cheer crossover squad.
According to Abdul’s website, she said: “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.”
Paula Abdul left the group after being scouted by The Jacksons.
The group hired her to choreograph their music video for the release of their single, Torture.
Paula was so successful that she went on to choreograph Janet Jackson’s videos for Nasty, Control, and What Have You Done For Me Lately?
All of the videos were released in 1986.
Another door opened for Abdul when she was chosen to be the choreographer for The Jacksons’ Victory tour.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Paula Abdul is worth $30million.
Abdul has been a multi-faceted entertainer for four decades, from her time as a choreographer and dancer to a singing career and eventually a reality TV host.
One of her most notable roles includes her time as a judge on American Idol.
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