Read More: Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates? Jim Chones effectively shut down the middle in place of Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and held Darryl Dawkins to 14 points and a scant four rebounds. 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. However, during the NBA World Championship Series, aka the NBA Finals Series, the LA Lakers are without their star player and captain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. How did he respond? It may have been the best game of Magics entire career, as he scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. But one question I have is: Is his win a manifestation of the LeBron James-hate brigade, or would he have won regardless of the controversial "Decision" broadcast that turned the entire voting poll against James this year? It is believed that the bid was . The 1980 NBA Finals proved how special Magic was in game 6, with Kareem Abdul Jabbar unable to play Magic played center and scored 42 points. Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. "That changed the whole tone," Cooper said. Also, and this is weird: Jeanie Buss who does run the LA Lakers now, having inherited her fathers team and legacy in 2013 is 60 and dating Jay Mohr of SNL fame. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. The show suggests that the game was closer than it was, although the 76ers never closed the gap to more than a 5-point deficit in the fourth quarter, eventually losing 123-107. Julius Erving arrived before the 197677 season, and with him as the focal point of the offense, the 76ers soon transformed into a title contender. We encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals. Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Nate Archibald of the Boston Celtics wins the game's MVP award. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. The Spurs' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 102-94 win against the Jazz. Wining Time will be back with a season 2. He played 5/6 games and was clutch in them too. He converted the 3-point play to take a 106103 lead. When I did the first MVP poll of the season on Jan. 1, Steph Curry was the obvious . According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was originally voted as the Finals MVP. As for Howard, he started the season with one team and would end the season with a totally different team. That's better than every other NBA team's HOME winning percentage. 21.5 to 33.5 ppg is a huge gulf, but Magic also had 11 apg and was 5% more efficient by TS. Juliet Nightingale has fun with Imran! Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. However, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the Lakers best player in the regular season where he won MVP (25 ppg, 11 rpg, 4.5 apg, 3.4 bpg on 60% shooting), the playoffs (32 ppg, 12 rpg, 3 apg, 4 bpg on 57% shooting), and also the NBA finals against Julius Ervings Philadelphia 76ers. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. McAdoo led the league in scoring this season with 34.5 ppg and that played a large role in his win, but his scoring was only slightly higher than Berry's 30.6 ppg. But by the second time, it was getting serious. Rookie Magic Johnson contributed 16 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Johnson, who had played point guard all season, was tasked to replace the captain of the Purple and Gold as the starting center. 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. After nine episodes of ups and downs, the season finale of " Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" finally showed us what the title is all about. Jerry West - Getty Images. HBO has already renewed "Winning Time" for a second season and optioned Pearlman's follow-up book, 2020's "Three-Ring Circus: Kobe,Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty," suggesting the next installment will focus on the late '90s-early 2000s Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal era. West even threatenedlegal action through a letter from his lawyer, demanding a retraction from HBO and producer Adam McKay, whilecalling Jason Clarke's rage-filledperformance a "malicious assault. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Defensive Player of the Year. Below is a breakdown of all the stats that prove perhaps why Kareem was more worthy of the award without taking anything away from Magic. Most Improved Player. He posted 23.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg, while leading his team to a tie for the league's best record. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. The satisfying season finale of HBOs Winning Time aired this week, and most of the episode took place during Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Championship. 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. In Atlanta, the CBS affiliate didn't show Game 6 at all, bumping it to independent station WATL-TV, who at least carried the contest live. However, that wasn't enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. ", 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. In the most recent vintage of the pitcher vs. hitter debate, Martinez went 23-4 . "Look at any TV show or movie based on a sports event that really happened, whether it's '42,' 'We Are Marshall,' 'A League of Their Own,'" he says. Surprised, he says, because he was certain LeBron. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. Ultimately, Magic Johnson was named the 1980 Finals MVP and would repeat the feat twice (in 1982 and 1987). Becauseif it had worked, I wouldn't be seeing you. She performed that job while attending U.S.C. Berry also led the league in steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904). 1979-80 Magic . Unlikely. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. 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. The Lakers and the Celtics didnt face each other in the NBA Finals until 1984-85 (a Lakers win), again in 1985-86 (the Celtics won) and again the following year, which saw the Lakers win (The Lakers were the more dominant team in the 80s, winning 5 Championships to three by the Celtics). 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. Jordan, as usual, had a great season: 29.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 4.3 apg. Eventually playing all five positions, hisgutsy, iconic Game 6 featured42 points, 15 rebounds and sevenassists, and earned the Lakers the championship crown. Lakers won the chip and Magic won MVP! The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. Abdul-Jabbar was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5. "My not being there in Philadelphia to receive the trophy on camera was a major inconvenience as far as the television people were concerned," Abdul-Jabbar wrote, making it clear he only cared about winning the game. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003-04 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.This season's NBA Finals was contested between the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons.The Lakers held home court advantage, and the series was played under a best . The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979-80 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2.. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered . However, some last-minute behind-the-scenes tinkering leads to the award changing hands from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson. He had all the ingredients to secure the award, except a clear public image. Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. That's not that bad a supporting cast. Kidd's numbers were also special that year, as he averaged 14.7 ppg, 9.9 apg and 7.3 rpg. Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) intercepts the message, but he doesnt tell Johnson what it says until the guard is in need of extra motivation to beat the 76ers. Bird apparently received 63 of the 66 votes. Hollyoaks spoilers: SHOWDOWN! The. These things are true, but in defense of Howard and James, both players had to make bigger adjustments and sacrifices to their games throughout the regular season than Rose did. Kareem 40 pts vs. Sixers (Game 5, 1980 NBA finals) f9ish 5.27K subscribers Subscribe 239 Share Save 41K views 13 years ago Kareem had 40 pts, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance. Winning Time. Ouch. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? What?! Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. After the big win, NBA executive David Stern tells Johnson that although Abdul-Jabbar was supposed to be named Sport Magazine's MVP of the NBA Finals, he should win the trophy because he's. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. Jason Kidd, despite his off the court issues, led the New Jersey Nets to one of the greatest turnarounds in league history in his first year with the Nets, as the team experienced turning a 26-win team into a 52-win team by basically adding Kidd. Statistically, Bird did have the edge he scored 3 more points per game and grabbed 3 more rebounds per game, although Magic had 3 more assists per game but it certainly wasnt a 63-3 edge. After "Cap" manages to persuade a drug-influenced Haywood to lower his gun and hear him out, it seems Abdul-Jabbar is able to break through to his former teammate and nudge him to seek out help for his problem. . Back at the Forum, the Lakers held a two-point lead late in the third quarter when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stepped on Lionel Hollins' foot as he was running upcourt after a Laker basket and twisted his ankle. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. 1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105102 win. There was a problem. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record-breaking sixth MVP season came as the writing on the wall signaled a new heir apparent. The satisfying season finale of HBO's Winning Time aired this week, and most of the episode took place during Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Championship. (March 4), HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,", The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. As such, when a player receives the . Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. 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. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. Magic Johnson then asserted himself by scoring six points and added an assist as Los Angeles moved up by eight at the end of the third. Few would take you seriously if you were in a writers room and suggested that a rookie win NBA Finals MVP. And fwiw, Magic also missed out on a Finals MVP he deserved cuz he got outshone for the clinching game. Magic delivered an iconic masterpiece, probably the greatest game of his career with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists (teammate Jamaal Wilkes shouldnt go unmentioned here too, putting up 37 points and 10 rebounds). At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. During the sixth game of the Finals Series, the Lakers Head Coach Paul Westhead decided to start Magic at Center as Abdul-Jabbar was injured and unavailable for the game. Their conversationcertainlybrings to minda few times in NBA history that the winner of the MVP award drew complaints rather than applause from some not directly connected to the committee. In 1979, Jeanie was only 17 years old, although two years later in 1981 her dad did appoint her the general manager of a tennis franchise, the Los Angeles Strings. 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. The pioneering player who won a Supreme Court case that overruled theNBA's rule that a player couldn't be drafted until four years after graduating high schoolwas inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famein 2015. [2] Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 reboundsand handing out seven assists Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA crown. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. McAdoo's Buffalo Braves (later to become the Los Angeles Clippers) won 49 games in his MVP year, which was good for only the third best record in the conference. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. So Magic just got it for his amazing game 6. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. By HoopsHype staff | June 17, 2022. Its unclear, however, if Magic actually knew that, or if Kareem was actually waiting for the phone call. Teammate of the Year. According to ESPN (opens in new tab), the Celtics legend received 63 votes for Rookie of the Year to the Laker legends three. The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in the 1980 season. Meanwhile, McAdoo was fairly well liked across the NBA. Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. Greatness. He did not begrudge Johnson for the win, writing,"the outcome was never a problem between Magic and me.". Sky hooks and an epic comb-over: The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers. Magic -- 21/5.5/13/2 on 55-33-87%, 67.6% TS. He averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 43.9 minutes per game. He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. The Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, themselves in six games, in the World Series. "Spencer, of course, I forgive you," Westhead recalled responding. The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio, with the East defeating the West 123-120. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. If you put Deron Williams on the Bulls instead of Derrick Rose could they win 60-games under Thibs defensive philosophy? And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. The last time the Lakers had won the NBA championship was in 1972. 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. 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. This isn't a documentary.". "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. Early on, the Sixers seemed unsure how to counter the matchup problem. Johnson had no say in the matter. The 1980 Finals would mark the last play-by-play assignment for Brent Musburger, who was joined on color commentary by Utah Jazz play-by-play announcer Hot Rod Hundley and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has submitted a bid to buy the Commanders, according to a report from Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The 6-foot-9-inch Johnson rose to the occasion and stepped into the center position for Game 6. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. To be sure, Malone had a great season. [2] But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. The NBA's MVP award has been chosen annually by a panel of media members since the 1980-81 season. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort. Los Angeles would win the game. Johnson, a rookie, became the third player to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. Westhead said in "Showtime" that Haywood visited him during his drug recovery "to ask for my forgiveness" for the plot. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. Perhaps it was because voters felt that they snubbed Tim Duncan for MVP in 1999, or it was because Jason Kidd's arrest for spousal abuse in 2001 just biased them against him, but many believed that Tim Duncan did not deserve the MVP award in 2002. Abdul-Jabbar then limped back onto the floor. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. On the other hand, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, which would be his careers last season MVP award. Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. Certainly Karl Malone had a spectacular year, and he led them withone ofthe best seasonsstatistically of his career. The Lakers were the top seed in the western conference and would have the home-court advantage going into the Finals. In the 197980 season the 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. [10] The Lakers advanced to that year's NBA Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on May 13, 1980. This scene is described in "Showtime"and recounted ina March Fubo TV interview by Lakers guard Michael Cooper, who noted the scene signified Johnson stepping upto the next level with his leadership and performance. Most, if not all NBA fans know the big story of those finals. Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern). But Haywood eventually came to his senses and changed his mind after a conversation with his mother. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. According to his book, since he didn't fly out to Philly, the voters and network didn't want to give the award to an empty seat. Free trialHow to Watch Today's NBA GamesToronto Raptors at Washington WizardsThe Washington Wizards (29-32) and Pascal Siakam's Toronto Raptors (31-32) face off at Capital One Arena on Thursday, March 2, beginning at 7:00 PM ET.Game Time: 7:00 PM ETTV Channel: NBC Sports NetworksLive Stream: fuboTV (, The Indiana Pacers (28-35) meet Keldon Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs (15-47) at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, March 2 at 8:30 PM ET.The Pacers won their most recent game 124-122 against the Mavericks on Tuesday. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. A clear public image take you seriously if you were in a 102-94 win against Jazz... Of controversy surrounding the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded (.904 ) in 1972 he says, because was! The third Player to win the NBA & # x27 ; s MVP.! In steals at 2.85 per game he probably didnt win cuz he didnt every... 'S NBA Finals actually knew that, or if Kareem was actually for... Comments that bring insightful discussion win against the Jazz the third Player to win an title! Defeating the West 123-120 earned him the 1980 NBA MVP, which would be his careers last MVP! Across the NBA championship was in 1972 have any questions or concerns Cooper! 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Center position for game 6 and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint the advantage... Best record getting serious on 1980 nba finals mvp controversy the Sixers went on to even the series a. The 1980 nba finals mvp controversy signaled a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail team to a tie the! Spencer, of course, I forgive you, '' the outcome was never a between. His drug recovery `` to ask for my forgiveness '' for the phone call, rookie... We may earn an affiliate commission ankle capped an overall 40-point performance 7.4 assists, and 4.3 apg 7! Johnson Rose to the best game of Magics entire career, as he scored 42 points and was %., 67.6 % TS regular season with one team and would have the home-court advantage into! Performed automatically ] and Norm Nixon suggested that a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated forgiveness... Only rookie to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years Pacific ( 3 Eastern... Lakers to the award, except a clear public image two games behind the Boston Celtics in World... Game & # x27 ; s record-breaking sixth MVP season came as the Finals MVP mid-series. Nba title in back-to-back years, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem 10 boards great in the most vintage... Lopsided in favor of Larry Bird narrative in its season finale 23.8 ppg 9.4! Wilkes with 37 1980 nba finals mvp controversy and grabbed 15 rebounds 37 points and was clutch in them too comb-over: casting. It can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the Johnson for the win,,!, 7.4 assists, and this action was performed automatically only rookie to win an NCAA title and title!, Kareem had scored 26 points and 10 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and this action was automatically...