[2] But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. Its been more than 4 decades but this incident still feels like one of the greatest robberies of sports history. The Wizards' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. Johnson, who had played point guard all season, was tasked to replace the captain of the Purple and Gold as the starting center. The show began with the Lakers drafting. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. So my friend who is a huge Magic Johnson fan (refuses to place LeBron near him because 5 rings > 3 rings ) was watching the 1980 finals game 6 and obviously Magic went off in that game. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. Press J to jump to the feed. Along with Jamaal Wilkes' 37 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper chipped in 16. Rookie of the Year. As for Howard, he started the season with one team and would end the season with a totally different team. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle. After a hard-fought battle against the 76ers in Game 6, the Lakers emerge victorious. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. For those interested in the Jeanie Buss drama, that is almost entirely a series-created fiction. So while I acknowledge that I agree with the pick of Rose, I don't think it is as open and shut as has been reported. It was his first full season without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and he maintained a sustained level of excellence for the Lakers despite the retirement of the team's hall-of-fame center. The chemistry between the three was evident early on, as the Lakers eliminated the Phoenix Suns and defending champions Seattle SuperSonics in a pair of five-game playoff series to advance to the NBA Finals. Surprised, he says, because he was certain LeBron. The 6-foot-9-inch Johnson rose to the occasion and stepped into the center position for Game 6. Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern). Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning . However, Magic was not even close in terms of defense when compared to Kareem. Behind Johnson's passing, Abdul-Jabbar's post play and Michael Cooper's perimeter shooting and defense, the trio formed the core of the Lakers' Showtime-era teams. He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. Kareems 14 4th quarter points on a bad ankle gave him 40 for the game, along with 15 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks on 16-24 from the field. According to "Showtime,"the idea was suggested by Lakers head coach Paul Westhead (played by Jason Segel in the series),and Johnson loved it. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. He would return however to start the 4th quarter and was playing amazing in the clutch, scoring 11 points and blocking 2 huge shots. It was the decisive game, which came after the Lakers pulled ahead 3-2 in a game 5 where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar badly sprained his ankle. The Lakers pulled out a 108-103 victory. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. Please refresh the page and try again. The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in the 1980 season. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. Basketball isnt just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. Should Have Been: LeBron James or Dwight Howard. Johnson had no say in the matter. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. Moreover, Abdul-Jabbars 40-point haul in the fifth game, which he played with a sprained ankle, had handed the Lakers a 3-2 lead in the series. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time. Something about a 42/15/7 game from your rookie PG filling in for your injured MVP center in a series clinching game might have something to do with it. Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar was crowned the regular season MVP. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once again had a big game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three assists as the Lakers cruised to a 111101 win. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar (who called the series "deliberately dishonest") and former Laker superstar and general manager Jerry West have criticized the show's portrayals. The scene is a fictionalized account of the debate surrounding Johnson's finals MVP win. So Magic just got it for his amazing game 6. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was originally voted as the Finals MVP. And his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. In a People (opens in new tab) article that Haywood penned himself, he credits an old college friend, Vern DeSilva, and another unnamed friend for kidnapping him and dragging him away from the party influences in his life at that time. Wilkes had a career-high 37 points and added 10 rebounds. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? To read our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here. Western Conference Finals MVP. So here they are, theeight most controversial MVP winners. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. But with Abdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV.. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series, have remained friends on and off the court. Did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson win the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? When critics defend Rose they will acknowledge that his statistics are technically not better than James', and they won't argue that he is as dominant a force as Dwight Howard. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. Kareem was very clearly the best player in 4 out of the 5 games he played in, and had the absolute monster numbers and heroic Game 5 performance that shouldve gotten him the Finals MVP, but he ended up being denied the award because of one game in which he wasnt there. In the 197980 season the 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. There was a point early on in the episode when Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) hears that Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) was selected as the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year. It also benefited Johnson that he added a new weapon to his arsenal this season (3-point shooting), which the voters appreciated. The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 197980 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. But after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals, the 76ers realized that a fancy and one-on-one style of play will not take them all the way. 9. Winning Time unveils a brief controversy in which Abdul-Jabbar, not Johnson, was originally named NBA Finals MVP (via USA TODAY): In his memoir, Kareem, Abdul-Jabbar cites sportswriter Bill Livingston, who publicly said the voting NBA writers had originally chosen Abdul-Jabbar as finals MVP but the group was pressured either by the network (CBS) or the league to change the vote. That led to one of Magic's finest hours in the NBA as he slotted in at center and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and a block as the Lakers won the game and the championship.That performance led to Johnson winning Finals MVP over Kareem which was somewhat controversial and it seems Magic tried to give the award to Kareem, but the big man refused the offer. In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. His Spurs began the season a disappointing 6-8, but since their rough start he led them to a 31-5 record afterward and established himself as the leader of the Spurs, despite David Robinson's presence. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. In his memoir, "Kareem," Abdul-Jabbar cites sportswriter Bill Livingston, who publicly said the voting NBA writers had originally chosen Abdul-Jabbar asfinals MVP but the group waspressured"either by the network (CBS) or the league" to change the vote. But when considering the select company of repeat MVP winners, Nash stood with LeBron James, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, and the players that only won once in Shaq, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon, or never won in Isiah Thomas, Jerry West. The suggestion in "Winning Time" that it was Johnson's idea to start as center is dramatic license. Kidd's numbers were also special that year, as he averaged 14.7 ppg, 9.9 apg and 7.3 rpg. With that in mind, we decided to pull some comparative stats from Basketball Reference (opens in new tab) for the players debut season in the league. And fwiw, Magic also missed out on a Finals MVP he deserved cuz he got outshone for the clinching game. Dies at 83", "The no-name who's making his name with the Lakers", "Lakers coach McKinney dropped by owner Jerry Buss", "Jack McKinney's bike ride changed Lakers' history", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1980_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615730, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:20. 10 times NBA players were robbed of the MVP award Nasha Smith Jun 14, 2019, 10:46 AM LeBron James should have been MVP in 2011. This isn't a documentary.". The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio, with the East defeating the West 123-120. Kareem was listed out for Game Six. Playing on the road, Johnson (a 6'9" rookie point guard) started the game at center and eventually played all five positions in a dominating performance. 30 years from now some young r/nba punk will be posting this same thread asking why Iggy won the 15' Finals MVP, The difference is that Iggy had no reason winning finals MVP, He wouldve if he played 6/6 games. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? But as strong as those number may seem, they represent one of Malone's worst statistical seasons since his rookie year. He liked to play songs that didnt appeal to the general musical taste of the locker room. The Lakers, however, beat the 76ers again the following season, before losing to the 76ers in the season after that. Nevertheless, Duncan wound up winning the title while Malone lost in the second round. The MVP of the 1980 NBA Finals was Magic Johnson, plus that was his rookie season playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood and Jamaal Wilkes. With Winning Time going on a hiatus until season 2, we decided now was the perfect time to ask: what was the loud music thing all about. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort. Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. As such, when a player receives the . Although, if the race was won by a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the evidence on the photo. The finals were very, very close (first 4 games were split 2 apiece with the teams only being within 3 total points scored of each other through those games). TGT Tips! Missing 17% of a series makes it tough to win MVP, Thatd be winning league MVP playing 68 games. Kareem Abdul Jabbar deserved 1980 Finals MVP award over Magic Johnson: Statistics give the Lakers center a massive advantage over Earvin Johnson, LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth, LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status, Kareem: 33.4 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 4.6 BPG, and 54.9% FG, Magic: 21.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 8.7 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, and 57.3% FG, Kareem: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 0 blocks, 3 steals, Kareem: 38 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, Magic: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 0 blocks, 2 steals, Kareem: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 0 blocks, 2 steals, Kareem: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal, Magic: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block, 3 steals, Kareem: 40 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 0 blocks, 3 steals, Magic: 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 blocks. But they say that he led his team to the East's top seed despite injuries to two "All-Star Caliber" bigs, while the Heat wound up only the second seed, and Howard's Magic were fourth. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. I hate when people ask questions like this, post the credentials for the guy their arguing for, and don't talk about what the other guy did. In a twist of irony, once Johnson was a seasoned vet at 36, he found himself annoyed by the very loud music the younger players on the Lakers would play. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. NBA History - 1980 Awards Award: Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. Berry also led the league in steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904). Of note, this marked the first of the ten NBA Finals played in the 1980s, all of which featured either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers (three Finals featured both teams). Erving, continues weaving truth with dramatic license. Winning Time has been picked up for another season. Kareem was absolutely elite in those games, averaging 32 ppg, 13 rpg, 4 apg and 5 bpg on 52% shooting, but it was Game 5 that should've sealed the Finals MVP for him. But the truth is stranger than fiction. "Winning Time" shows a locker room-bound Johnson agreeing to take the finals MVP award instead ofAbdul-Jabbar on the strong suggestion ofDavid Stern, the league's executive vice president forlegal affairs (and future commissioner). #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . Yet, he has proven time-and-time again that he can make the team a playoff contender and top defensive team just by his mere presence. (1980) 38 years ago today, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured, so the Lakers put rookie point guard Magic Johnson at center in game 6 of the NBA Finals. Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. Cmo puede ocupar el segundo lugar en el MVP?" En la lnea . . Westhead continued to use McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that came to be known as Showtime,[11][12][13] and the team finished the season with a record of 6022. Ouch. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105102 win. Granted, the Lakers were only a 7th seed this season and won 47 games to make the playoffs after missing them the previous year. [4] Play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger has noted that Erving made such moves almost routinely in his ABA daysbut the ABA had no national TV contract in those days. She performed that job while attending U.S.C. The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. [2] He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 32 lead in the best-of-seven series. ", Reilly just enjoyed the ride in 'Winning Time', Stars of new TV show "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," John C. Reilly and Quincy Isaiah, discuss figuring out how to portray real-life people. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. Hollyoaks spoilers: Warren Fox has dangerous plans for his son, Sebastian! The episode showed what happened at the end of the 1979-80 season. He hobbles thereafter, but they dont immediately call a time-out to remove him. REMINDER: This thread is only for serious and thought-provoking analysis. Heres how it works. Cuz he didnt play in game 6 on the road in their biggest game of the season due to injury. Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Magic -- 21/5.5/13/2 on 55-33-87%, 67.6% TS. In what was his rookie year. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. The Bulls have secured the top seed in the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the team. While doing the play-by-play of a Miami Heat game earlier in the season, commentators Steve Kerr and Marv Albert got in a heated discussion about the MVP race. "It's great to see you. A crowd surrounds Magic Johnson at the Lakers championship parade, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:20, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Basketball great, Magic Johnson, plays center as a rookie, wins championships", "The day Magic Johnson stepped in at center and dropped 42 points on Philly", "Magic, Kareem among Jamaal Wilkes' presenters at Hall of Fame", "Top NBA Finals moments: Erving's amazing baseline reverse layup", "35th Anniversary of Dr. J's Iconic Reverse Layup Versus Lakers in NBA Finals", "How the N.B.A. Throw percentage at (.904 ) and led the series, three to. Our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here LeBron or... The 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the boston celtics in the room... Up winning the title while Malone lost in the second round season MVP were. 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