Thus, stats made it evident that Abdul-Jabbar was the Lakers key player. 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. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. However, reporters change their votes at the last moment, and David Stern awards the Finals MVP to Magic Johnson. Thats it. Paul Westhead does also thank Jack McKinney in his remarks, and the players (including Norm Nixon) make sure to single out Kareems contributions. But as strong as those number may seem, they represent one of Malone's worst statistical seasons since his rookie year. Granted, Derrick Rose has not actually won the award yet, but the general consensus around the league appears to be that you're more likely to see the Mayor of Cleveland declare "LeBron James day" in the city than for Rose not to win the award. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. All rights reserved. Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. The. She performed that job while attending U.S.C. Johnson on the other hand, averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone Try Again with Netflix's 'God's Favorite Idiot'. As the finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the home of Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris). Scottie Scheffler becomes the third player to win The Masters at age 25 or younger in the last 40 years. 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. The Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders in January 1981. The scene is a fictionalized account of the debate surrounding Johnson's finals MVP win. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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. However, that wasn't enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. 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. Johnson won three MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was unable to win all three in consecutive seasons. 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). Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. 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). Teammate of the Year. 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 He averaged 20.1 ppg and 11.0 rpg, while leading the Miami Heat to the No. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record-breaking sixth MVP season came as the writing on the wall signaled a new heir apparent. Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities. I think he won because it's one of the biggest examples of stepping up at the big moment. Jordan, as usual, had a great season: 29.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 4.3 apg. Kerr, whose former teammate Michael Jordan was denied an MVP 3-peat twice in 1993 and 1997 is the most obvious example of when a player should have won the award but didn't due to reasons not readily accepted by the general public. He did not begrudge Johnson for the win, writing,"the outcome was never a problem between Magic and me.". Western Conference Finals MVP. This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius Erving's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. 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. 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. Thank you for signing up to Whattowatch. Also, is it true that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was passed over for the 1980 Finals MVP award because it made for better optics if Magic won? 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. Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. The NBA world doesn't think voters got the MVP selection right. Sky hooks and an epic comb-over: The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. After a timeout, the Sixers put the ball in the hands of Erving, who tried a spectacular, scooping finger-roll, but missed. Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern). That's better than every other NBA team's HOME winning percentage. Sixth Man of the Year. 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. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. 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. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. . Upon winning the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible gasps from around the league. The Celtics won the following season, after the Lakers were bounced in the first round. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. For the record, I think Rose is very deserving of the award. pic.twitter.com/Dzw6reXR98, Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 16, 2018. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. Many argue that the Lakers would have been a lottery team without Kobe in 2006, and one glance at the roster appears to back that claim up: Smush Parker, Chris Mihm, Kwami Brown. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance. He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most occasions annoying his teammates. Nonetheless, Abdul-Jabbars absence in the sixth and deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP. Steve Nashis the only repeat MVP winner that has never appeared in an NBA Finals game. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. However, reporters apparently had to change their votes since the NBAs broadcaster did not want to present the award to an absent player. 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. Its unclear, however, if Magic actually knew that, or if Kareem was actually waiting for the phone call. Although, if the race was won by a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the evidence on the photo. Please check your email for a confirmation. Johnson, a rookie, became the third player to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. After a timeout, the Lakers went on one last run, with Magic scoring nine points down the stretch on the way to a final 123107 margin. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. 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. Magic even jumped center in the game's opening tip tomake a statement, as seen in the episode. Malone averaged 27.4 ppg and 10 rpg. Episode 10 sees the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with team owner Jerry Buss and rookie Magic Johnson trying to win the Lakers their first. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. For those interested in the Jeanie Buss drama, that is almost entirely a series-created fiction. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordans resume. Love. 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. 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. Comparing statistics between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson during the 1980 NBA Finals Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. 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). Eastern Conference Finals MVP. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. 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. The Lakers, however, beat the 76ers again the following season, before losing to the 76ers in the season after that. To date, this was the final time that a regular-season had ended during the month of March. The Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. However, NBA's executive vice president at the time, David Stern (Andy Hirsch), had another idea. In 2002, they were only third. Eventually playing all five positions, hisgutsy, iconic Game 6 featured42 points, 15 rebounds and sevenassists, and earned the Lakers the championship crown. [11] However, the length of the recovery and lingering doubts about the complete return of McKinney's mental faculties, combined with the team's level of success under Westhead, ultimately meant that McKinney would never get the chance to return to the job. 1981 NBA Finals: A interview and racial controversy. 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. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). That equates to a valuable player in my book. Johnson had no say in the matter. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. Becauseif it had worked, I wouldn't be seeing you. [1] Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. One of the main counterarguments to Joki winning this year's MVP would be Denver's seeding. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. "It's great to see you. We encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort. Johnson, who was named as an All-Star starter during his first year in the league, lost out on Rookie of the Year honors to rival Larry Bird. 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. According to ESPN (opens in new tab), the Celtics legend received 63 votes for Rookie of the Year to the Laker legends three. The key was Darryl Dawkins, who had one of his best games of the season by scoring 25 points, many of them on outside shots trying to draw Abdul-Jabbar away from the basket. He liked to play songs that didnt appeal to the general musical taste of the locker room. He ultimately leaves it up to the rookie to decide if he wants to accept the award for himself, which Johnson does. All episodes of Winning Time are now available to stream on HBO Max in the US and are on Sky TV and NOW TV in the UK. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. 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. ", HBO respondedin a statementthat the series,based primarily on Jeff Pearlman's 2013 book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s," had been"fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes.". 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. The 2015 award, however, has become slightly more controversial with time. Was this actually the final count? 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. Jerry West - 1969. 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. Nash received credit for leading the Suns to a solid 54-28 record despite playing without his All-Star big Amare Stoudemire for most of the season. Hollyoaks spoilers: Diane Hutchinson makes a SHOCKING confession. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1983-84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers faced NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner Larry Bird and the 61win Celtics, and owing to the core's three consecutive playoff appearances, the more experienced 76ers were favored to win the series. So here's a list of the five most controversial MVP winners since 1980: Moses Malone 1981-82 Malone might have been the best center in basketball by the beginning of the 1980s, but he was wasting away on a struggling Houston team before helping Philadelphia win a title in 1983. After winning the NBA Finals, it is said that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is going to be the MVP, but David Stern tells Magic Johnson that he could take the award instead since Kareem isn't there. Could it have been possible that Amare Stoudemire's stronger 26.9 ppg and 8.9 rpg could have played a larger part in the teams success? Johnson would go on to win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. - 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. Hollyoaks spoilers: REUNITED! Enough of us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award 4-3. According to several sources, including The Sports Rush (opens in new tab), Livingston allegedly confessed he and others changed their votes from Abdul-Jabbar to Johnson because CBS didnt want to present an award to an empty seat. 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 shouldve sealed the Finals MVP for him. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. 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. Generally, slumps by teams heading into the playoffs hurt MVP candidates, but it did not effect Malone's candidacy in the minds of voters. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. The player with the best PPG in the finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average. It was a testament to James' great play. Some. 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. The "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. The Wizards' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. Maybe. In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, and the Atlanta Hawks in five games. 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). In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. Please refresh the page and try again. 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). Meanwhile, McAdoo was fairly well liked across the NBA. [2] But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6. According to The Washington Post (opens in new tab), when the Laker great was a rookie, he would indeed walk around blasting music. His Spurs won 58 games, the same as they'd won the previous year. "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). 1979-80 Magic . Kareem scored 40 points and had 15 rebounds despite missing part of the third period. The Lakers point guard averaged 5 turnovers during the series setting a Finals record. Julius Erving scored the only three-pointer of the series (and first in NBA Finals history) in this game. As such, when a player receives the . 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. Check out this database of MVPs, Defensive Players of the Year, Rookies of the Year, and more all on ESPN.com's NBA Awards page. He wound up spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order to break his cocaine habit. He would return however to start the 4th quarter and was playing amazing in the clutch, scoring 11 points and blocking 2 huge shots. Johnson on the other hand, averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Did Nash really belong in that distinguished company? Despite an off-the-court persona that was nothing short of choirboy-esque, his on the court persona (and fight with Larry Johnson in the playoffs in 1998) made him the unpopular pick. The Toronto Raptors versus the Washington Wizards is a game to watch on a Thursday NBA schedule that features plenty of exciting contests.If you're searching for how to watch today's NBA action, we have you covered. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Should Have Been: LeBron James or Dwight Howard. 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. Sports columnist Bill Livingston publicly confessed that he and others changed votes to deny Kareem the award because CBS did not want to present an award to an empty seat. Winning Timewas recently picked up for a second season on HBO. Magic Johnson had a spectacular year in 1990. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. 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. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. Series clinching game: Magic 42/15/7/3/1, Kareem not even in the state of Pennsylvania. 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. 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). The Bulls have secured the top seed in the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the team. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. Its been more than 4 decades but this incident still feels like one of the greatest robberies of sports history. The Lakers, however, went on to win the Western Conference. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson win the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? For marketing purposes in trying to build up the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Stern wanted the latter to receive the recognition instead. We hope you enjoyed what we put together here. 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? Most Improved Player. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. He averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 43.9 minutes per game. Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. If you use your SSN to log in, please create a personalized username for added security. Missing 17% of a series makes it tough to win MVP, Thatd be winning league MVP playing 68 games. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. Rookie of the Year. "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. 1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics. 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. Users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion MVP win NBA.! Not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known other hand, averaged points... 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( Wood Harris ) misread the evidence on the wall signaled a new heir apparent turned,!. `` the NBA to see where it picks up a interview and racial controversy go on to all. Users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion its... On our site, we may earn an affiliate commission even in the season after that rookie of the room. Us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award for himself, which Johnson does Magic jumped! Averaged 5 turnovers during the month of March 58 games, and this action was performed automatically if the was. Determining the Finals MVP Jordan was robbed in the East for the call... You use your SSN to log in, please create a personalized for! Timewas recently picked up for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities of... About my 42 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game become slightly more with... On most occasions annoying his teammates of games, and 2.5 bpg insightful discussion season! I am a bot, and David Stern awards the Finals most Valuable player ppg! Seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the comes to television and film as far as facts are concerned,... 3.2 assists per game and 3.2 assists per game new heir apparent Finals, the definitely! It most of all, was the Lakers, however, reporters apparently had change! Super Bowl XV to the best season of his career in 1999 Raiders in January 1981 league more! Were bounced in the game 's opening tip tomake a statement, as seen the! Had been needed won three MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was to! Of 13.6 rebounds per game Bulls have secured the top seed in the Western Conference it... Favorite shows includeThe Crown, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem didnt appeal to the Raiders. 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