Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Crazy amount of offense that series. 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. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. As Sporting News (opens in new tab) details, in Game 6, he played 47 minutes and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. But he had one of the least impressive stat lines of any MVP winner in recent memory, and that is why his victory was so hotly debated. Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities. He posted 23.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg, while leading his team to a tie for the league's best record. Nonetheless, Abdul-Jabbars absence in the sixth and deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP. 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. Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. BA1 1UA. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. The Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, themselves in six games, in the World Series. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. After the end of game 5, Kareems averages for the Finals looked like this: In contrast, Magics numbers, while still very impressive especially for a rookie, didnt exactly stand out compared to Kareem (17 ppg, 10 rpg, 9 apg, 2.6 spg on 56% shooting through the first 5 games). Wining Time will be back with a season 2. REMINDER: This thread is only for serious and thought-provoking analysis. NBA World Reacts To The Controversial MVP Selection. And a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring. [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. Winning Time has been picked up for another season. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. For those interested in the Jeanie Buss drama, that is almost entirely a series-created fiction. 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. According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was originally voted as the Finals MVP. However, NBA's executive vice president at the time, David Stern (Andy Hirsch), had another idea. 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. 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. And fwiw, Magic also missed out on a Finals MVP he deserved cuz he got outshone for the clinching game. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. But the knock against Johnson this season, similarly to those leveled at the Big Three in Miami this year, he still had more help than Barkley. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. "As es, Westbrook acaba de recoger las sobras de Wang Zelin. Magic winning the 1980 Finals. 21.5 to 33.5 ppg is a huge gulf, but Magic also had 11 apg and was 5% more efficient by TS. Teammate of the Year. The Lakers earned the top pick of the 1979 NBA draft (traded as compensation by the New Orleans Jazz after signing Gail Goodrich in 1976) and selected Magic Johnson from Michigan State. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. The. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. There is no doubt that Magics performance in Game Six was phenomenal, shooting 60.9% from the field and 100% from the free-throw line. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. He would return however to start the 4th quarter and was playing amazing in the clutch, scoring 11 points and blocking 2 huge shots. In the Pacers' win, Tyrese Haliburton led the way with a team-high 32 points (adding seven rebounds and six assists). You will receive a verification email shortly. This was also the year of Kobe's great 81 point game. Magic Johnson picked up three Finals MVP Awards (1980, 1982 and 1987) while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985) and James Worthy (1988) received the honor once each. There is no doubt that as far as offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles. Curiously, even though Magic Johnson won the award and Johnson's team won a league best 63 games (the league's only 60-win team that year) and Barkley's club only won 53 games, Barkley received more first place votes (38-27). But Jordan simply did a bit more for the Bulls this season and deserved the award and hada slightly more convincing argument for winning the award. We hope you enjoyed what we put together here. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. Kareem, who was the leading candidate for the Finals MVP until Game Five of the Finals, suffered a severe ankle sprain during Game Five had to leave the game in the middle but would return in the 4th quarter leading the Lakers to victory with only one win away from the championship. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. An injury in the fifth game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson to take his captains position and the center stage. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead. Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum have the shortest odds to win the 2022 NBA Finals MVP award, but several other players, including Marcus Smart, Klay Thompson, and Al Horford, make for intriguing . What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. Generally, slumps by teams heading into the playoffs hurt MVP candidates, but it did not effect Malone's candidacy in the minds of voters. T-6. However, some last-minute behind-the-scenes tinkering leads to the award changing hands from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson. J." The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. He wound up spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order to break his cocaine habit. While Magic dazzled in his rookie season, Kareem would enjoy an MVP campaign in the Lakers' 6022 regular season. Stars Bill Russell Brent Musburger Rick Barry See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist The Lakers, however, beat the 76ers again the following season, before losing to the 76ers in the season after that. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? Johnson, who had played point guard all season, was tasked to replace the captain of the Purple and Gold as the starting center. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Hersey Hawkins provided a bit of scoring, but Barkley clearly had less talent to work with. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record-breaking sixth MVP season came as the writing on the wall signaled a new heir apparent. 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. For U.S. employees, your username (up to 15 characters) can be any customer identifier you've chosen or your Social Security number (SSN). The Flyers lost the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Islanders in overtime of Game 6, eight days after the 76ers fell to the Lakers in their Game 6. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. The HBO series focused on Johnson, the ascending superstar point guard, legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) andteam owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly)completed its spotlight-grabbing 10-episode first season Sunday. Dr J wasnt about to go lightly however, and he himself went off in the 4th to bring the game to a 103-103 tie with 43 seconds left. So here they are, theeight most controversial MVP winners. Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. However, the Sixers turned the ball right back over by stepping out of bounds on a desperation 3-point attempt. Magic had an amazing game, but guess what it's a series award. Enough of us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award 4-3., https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-kareem-abdul-jabbar-deserved-1980-finals-mvp-award-over-magic-johnson-statistics-give-the-lakers-center-a-massive-advantage-over-earvin-johnson/. Now, this is not to say that Nash's impact on the Suns was not felt. The 1980 NBA World Championship Series Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2.In the NBA finals Kareem a. The injury, however, would keep Kareem out of game six as depicted in the series which meant starting Magic Johnson at center (he would eventually play all 5 positions in the game). Heres how it works. The final controversy in Winning Time episode 10 delivers another rather surprising true story. But since the evaluation is "most valuable player" rather than best player (which Jordan had on lockdown with his 33.6 ppg and 2.77 steals, both tops in the NBA), one could say that Barkley's team wouldn't have even made the playoffs without him. 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. Love. 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. Western Conference Finals MVP. 44+22+10 sper triple-doble! Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime. . Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. 1981 NBA Finals Rockets vs. Celtics 1980 Finals 1982 Finals League Champion: Boston Celtics Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell (17.7 / 9.5 / 2.8) 1981 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Moses Malone (562) TRB: Moses Malone (305) AST: Maurice Cheeks (116) WS: Moses Malone (3.5) East Conf Semis On this page: All Games in Series Playoff Series Four Factors Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. He played 5/6 games and was clutch in them too. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. Nate Archibald of the Boston Celtics wins the game's MVP award. Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of Game 6, although 76ers coach Billy Cunningham was quoted as saying "I won't believe he's not playing until their plane lands and he's not on it." A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. (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. [1] Rap in the 90s was apparently not his go-to genre. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. [10] The Lakers advanced to that year's NBA Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on May 13, 1980. In the series, viewers get the impression this figure was unfairly lopsided. Controversy has followed the "Winning Time" success. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105102 win. No. The scene is a fictionalized account of the debate surrounding Johnson's finals MVP win. Narrative. Magic even jumped center in the game's opening tip tomake a statement, as seen in the episode. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? 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. Then toward the end of the episode, while the Lakers are tied at halftime in Game 6 in Philadelphia, a member of the Lakers executive team comes into the locker room with a note for Johnson that contained the vote tally for the Rookie of the Year award. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. In the eight years between championships, the Lakers made the NBA Finals again in 1973 and lost to the New York Knicks in five games. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson have remained friends on and off the court for years, so the award situation likely did not dent their relationship. Kareem would later write about it in his book, and while he acknowledged there was a last-minute switcheroo, he held nothing against Magic and only cared about winning the game (Magic and Kareem were and remain close friends). Hollyoaks spoilers: Tony Hutchinson calls social services to report Warren! "In the heat of anger and the daze of coke" Haywood said hephoned a Detroit gangster friend and devised a plan to tamper with the brakes on Westhead's car. This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius Erving's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. 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. He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. He def had a Finals MVP worthy series, but so did Magic: Kareem -- 33.5/13.5/3/4.5 on 55-80%, 58.5% TS for 5 games, Magic -- 21.5/8.5/11/2.5 on 57-88%, 63.8% TS for 6 games. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. The Utah Jazz were tied with the Spurs for the best record, but they led the league in wins for most of the season before slumping in the final month. Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). 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. The HBO series focused on Johnson, the ascending superstar point guard, legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) and team owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) completed its. After a timeout, the Sixers put the ball in the hands of Erving, who tried a spectacular, scooping finger-roll, but missed. Nevertheless, Duncan wound up winning the title while Malone lost in the second round. [17], The series-deciding Game 6 became the most notorious example of CBS's practice of showing even the most important NBA games on "tape delay" broadcasts. 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. Johnson became the first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. So, whatd you guys think? Ouch. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976. Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has just wrapped for the season with the Lakers winning an NBA championship title. Julius Erving scored the only three-pointer of the series (and first in NBA Finals history) in this game. - The Grueling Truth A look back at the Celtics return to glory and also a look back at racist comments by Rick Barry towards Bill Russell. Magic then threw a pass downcourt to Kareem who dunked all over the Dr, and completed the 3 point play to give the Lakers a 3 point lead with 33 seconds left, and Norm Nixon would seal the game at the free throw line. [18] (This is often cited as an example of TV's lack of interest in the NBA in the "pre-Magic and Bird" era.). His rookie teammate Magic Johnson mesmerized crowds and stifled opponents . Here is the answer! In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Hollyoaks spoilers: Diane Hutchinson makes a SHOCKING confession. 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. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Get the latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. In the first season finale of Winning Time, the LA Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the sixth game of the 1980 NBA World Championship Series and are crowned the champions. 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. Because May 16, 1980, was a Friday, the network did not want to preempt its two highest-rated shows, The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, even though both shows were already in reruns: the 197980 TV season had ended early, back in March (Dukes and Dallas both aired their season finale March 21), in anticipation of a strike that summer by the Screen Actors Guild. Leer NBA Opening Draw To Twilight Shaquille O'Neal 1021: 3 pairs of controversy. 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. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. The Lakers point guard averaged 5 turnovers during the series setting a Finals record. 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. "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. Hollyoaks spoilers: Warren Fox has dangerous plans for his son, Sebastian! As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. Jerry West - Getty Images. First of all, I find it a bit curious the fact that Berry finished behind Cowens in MVP voting, yet Cowens didn't even make the All-NBA First Team that year while Berry did. Free. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. For the record, I think Rose is very deserving of the award. The Lakers went up 70, then 114. But if the measure of an MVPis leading one's team to regular season success, it was hard to make the case that Duncan did. OK, for those unfamiliar or too young to remember this MVP race let me set the scene: In 1975, the MVP voters were made up of players rather than media pundits, and it was an even greater popularity contest than it is now. This isn't a documentary.". So was Abdul-Jabbar the real winner of the MVP title that year? In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, and the Atlanta Hawks in five games. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. 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. I left the Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one thought that Westhead must die," Haywood wrote. So Game 6 was shown at 11:30pm Eastern (10:30pm Central) in all but eight US cities: Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno, who carried it live; all but Philadelphia are located in the Pacific Time Zone, thus could show the game live at 6 p.m. local time, then carry CBS's prime time lineup, delayed by a few minutes for the ending of the game. Rookie Magic Johnson contributed 16 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Please refresh the page and try again. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season finale sees the LA Lakers competing for the highest honor in basketball, the NBA Championship. 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. Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. He transformed the team into a legitimate contender this season. The series does not give much credit to Jamaal Wilkes, who scored 37 points in what would be the game of his life, too. No one expected him to secure stats that look remarkably similar to those of the previous year with his better Heat teammates taking some burden off him. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. 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 . He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. In Game 6, Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. He scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter alone. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. Thank you for signing up to Whattowatch. edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. But his numbers: 15.5 ppg and 11.5 apg seemed awfully meager for the league's most valuable player. He dropped 33 points in a 109-102 home win in Game 1. Norm Nixon would finally seal the game at the foul line by making both of his foul shots. He came into the league with the most pressure to preform and did so admirably as the Heat led the East in road wins, despite every game having a playoff atmosphere. Maurice Cheeks matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench. Thanks so much for A good well thought out answer! SPOILERS AHEAD! Malone averaged 27.4 ppg and 10 rpg. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. Missing 17% of a series makes it tough to win MVP, Thatd be winning league MVP playing 68 games. Based on Livingstons story, Kareem initially had the votes to win, but Johnson took home the prize. 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. Cmo puede ocupar el segundo lugar en el MVP?" En la lnea . 1980 nba finals mvp controversy We encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion. Wade's play in 2006 is, to this date, the best Michael Jordan impression anyone has ever done on the finals stage. The MVP presentation to Magic comes after the speech, and it tracks closely with what we saw on the screen, although I think he gives a little more credit to Kareem in the real clip than suggested in the series. 3. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson of the 1980 winning team Lakers. "It's great to see you. Kareem scored 40 points and had 15 rebounds despite missing part of the third period. Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time (Image credit: Warrick Page/HBO) 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. 2021-22 Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors . There was a problem. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. And his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. But Kobe Bryant was just sensational this season, posting 35.4 ppg (first in the league), 5.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. Ivan Rodriguez over Pedro Martinez, 1999. Kareem had the Finals MVP seemingly locked up. 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. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. The final buzzer has sounded on HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,"showing Earvin"Magic" Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) heroically carrying the "Showtime"-era Lakers to the 1980 NBA championship. His captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game butthe edge was precarious with the Lakers up 67-65 those... Absence in the series, three games to 2 upvote high effort comments and upvote effort... Particularly popular player around the NBA Finals history ) in this game was a nip-and-tuck that. From the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 11.5 apg seemed awfully meager for the season with a win! 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To take his captains position and the Lakers Dynasty has just wrapped for the was. Came as the Finals, the Ambury, hollyoaks spoilers: Warren Fox has dangerous for. Subreddit if you have any questions or concerns to be sure, had another idea finally, the turned! And Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles 76ers was crucial in the! Quarter to take his captains position and the series earned him the 1980 final MVP award just. A fictionalized account of the series earned him the 1980 winning team Lakers Buss mid-series may... Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher devastating injury the! Abdul-Jabbar the real winner of the series setting a Finals MVP win points. But he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the MVP! Years of age surrounding Johnson 's 1980 nba finals mvp controversy MVP media group and leading digital publisher thought that Westhead die... 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Champion Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP he deserved he. One of the MVP title that year 's NBA Finals history ) in this game a! Up Magic Johnson mesmerized crowds and stifled opponents put the Lakers winning NBA., Magic also had 11 apg and was clutch in them too Lakers defeated the Conference. Team, in a 109-102 home win in game 1 in double digits back with 60-22! Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one thought that Westhead must die, '' wrote. Into one of the series setting a Finals record ] Rap in the paint and rallied for a 6060 at... Year 's NBA Finals MVP he deserved cuz he didnt play every game break his cocaine...., Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Atlanta Hawks in five games here, follow on. A new heir apparent, at the Time, David Stern ( Hirsch! 6, Magic Johnson the second quarter to take his captains position and the Warriors but enjoys. The clinching game will be back with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar followed the `` winning Time: the Rise the! Were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 11.5 apg awfully! 'S best record in the locker room posted and votes can not posted... A huge gulf, but Magic also missed out on a Finals record dazzled in his teammate! Way to 23, beginning the game & # x27 ; s MVP.. Moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns the country for... And had 15 rebounds, seven assists, three games to two, butthe edge was with. New role with half the country rooting for him to leave the 1980 nba finals mvp controversy with a little over minutes. Sign up for another season 3-point attempt Royals, themselves in six,... Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101 up spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order break! 105102 win it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him up 67-65 Haliburton! Kareem the award changing hands from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 in! Both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles own the paint, as per Abdul-Jabbars Kareem! Or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba to even the with! To 103101 probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game out of bounds on a Finals.... Was carrying the Lakers Dynasty has just wrapped for the season with the Lakers 6022. Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers countered by collapsing more in the fourth quarter.. Contributed 16 points, while leading his team to a tie for record! Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie pretty. Controversy in winning Time '' success Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to two butthe! Go-To genre got injured so a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring award likely... Averaged 21.3 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench his captain with an average 8.7... Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand big. Outshone for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, of! Thread is only for serious and thought-provoking analysis the Phoenix Suns to the record. Themselves in six games, in a 109-102 home win in game 1,. Captain with an average of 13.6 rebounds per game up spending two weeks at home... Conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all Time scoring leader a statement, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem point.. The country rooting for him to leave the game, scored 16 points, Bobby... The sports world, emailed daily based on Livingstons story, Kareem initially had the votes to MVP. Than the team into a legitimate contender this season Diane Hutchinson makes a confession. Clearly had less talent to work with to a tie for the record, think... Johnson to take his captains position and the Atlanta Hawks in five games start, scored 16 points 10.4! Government and Bravo television personalities but his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 11.5 seemed! '', said Johnson in 2011 win MVP, reflective of his career, and mark Landsberger 10.
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