1980 nba finals mvp controversy1980 nba finals mvp controversy

Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. J." 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. The 7-foot-2-inch Abdul had ledhis team through the finals, gutting out aMVP-worthy Game 5 victory despite a severelyinjuredankle. 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. Most Improved Player. "Have no fear, Magic Johnson is here," he says. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. Generally, slumps by teams heading into the playoffs hurt MVP candidates, but it did not effect Malone's candidacy in the minds of voters. He ultimately leaves it up to the rookie to decide if he wants to accept the award for himself, which Johnson does. The Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. The Bulls have secured the top seed in the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the team. 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. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. It may have been the best game of Magics entire career, as he scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. 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. Get the latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! 1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. He led the Utah Jazz to the best record in franchise history at 64-18 and perfected his turnaround fadeaway jumpshot, which, like Jabbar's skyhook, proved to be one of the toughest shots to guard in the league. 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. 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. Siakam recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Raptors. The Lakers were the top seed in the western conference and would have the home-court advantage going into the Finals. Coach Trailed by a 'What if?' Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/05/nba-finals-mvp-1980-winning-time-magic-johnson-lakers, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Hence, it is safe to say that the shows depiction of Abdul-Jabbar being the original 1980 NBA Finals MVP has some merit. "It was amazing, just amazing", said Erving, who led Philly with 27 points. Johnson scored 25 points in the Spurs' win, leading the team.This matchup will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of. The discourse among voters, league personnel and fans seems more divergent than ever, and. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. 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 series, the moment Johnson first stepped into a locker room he was accompanied by a boom box. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. All rights reserved. Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. Magic got the rebound to seemingly seal the win, but the Lakers tried to force the fast-break and ended up turning the ball over, out-of-bounds. Abdul-Jabbar was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5. 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? Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. 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. By HoopsHype staff | June 17, 2022. The team had even drafted Magic Johnson, who was the 1st pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. The Lakers point guard averaged 5 turnovers during the series setting a Finals record. He dropped 33 points in a 109-102 home win in Game 1. As the finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the home of Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris). 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. [14][15] After the Lakers won the series for their first of five NBA titles in nine seasons, Buss hired Westhead to permanently replace McKinney.[16]. 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. 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. If you put Deron Williams on the Bulls instead of Derrick Rose could they win 60-games under Thibs defensive philosophy? And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. 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. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. SPOILERS AHEAD! "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. 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). Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. This picture, taken at our friends wedding in June, tells the story, our story.I guess really can have it all.I love you @jaymohr37 pic.twitter.com/UzkGZDZ2R8. Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Wade's play in 2006 is, to this date, the best Michael Jordan impression anyone has ever done on the finals stage. The player with the best PPG in the finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average. [2] But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6. Upon winning the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible gasps from around the league. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. [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. 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. In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. 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. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105102 win. 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. 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. When hes not writing as Terrell, hes writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. 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. - 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. 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. "As es, Westbrook acaba de recoger las sobras de Wang Zelin. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? In the 197980 season the 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. 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 rookie stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime. But Haywood eventually came to his senses and changed his mind after a conversation with his mother. To be fair, Jerry West's numbers in the 1969 NBA Finals were impressive even by his standards. For our conversation with Jason Segel, who depicted Lakers head coach Paul Westhead, click here. 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. Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. Lakers won the chip and Magic won MVP! In the series, viewers get the impression this figure was unfairly lopsided. Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Jordan led the Bulls to an incredible 69-13 season (tied for second best of all-time) despite losing starting center Luc Longley and sixth man of the year Toni Kukoc for around 25 games apiece due to injuries. Compared to Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson averaged only 21.5 points per game and 11.2 assists per game. 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 Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2. Although, if the race was won by a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the evidence on the photo. 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. "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. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? The Wizards' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. 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. Defensive Player of the Year. 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. "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. 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 . A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. He averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 43.9 minutes per game. [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. The victory gave the Lakers the crucial 32 series lead heading back to Philadelphia. Maurice Cheeks matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench. Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern). edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. Elsa/Getty Images. Los Angeles took an early advantage in the NBA Finals, but Lakers superstar big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury in Game 5. 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. He posted 23.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg, while leading his team to a tie for the league's best record. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. Along with Jamaal Wilkes' 37 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper chipped in 16. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. 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. He was an unlikely candidate to be the series MVP - after all, his teammate . 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. 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. On the Lakers possession, Darryl Dawkins was trying to front Abdul-Jabbar but to no avail as Magic threw a pass overhead so only Erving stood between Kareem and the basket. However, NBA's executive vice president at the time, David Stern (Andy Hirsch), had another idea. It's not a travesty to give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a game. 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. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. He did not begrudge Johnson for the win, writing,"the outcome was never a problem between Magic and me.". It is true as depicted in the series that Kareem was originally named the MVP of the series, and the CBS network (and not David Stern) talked to writers by a 4-3 vote into giving it to Magic Johnson, but only because the network didnt want to give the MVP to someone who wasnt there to receive it. pic.twitter.com/Dzw6reXR98, Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 16, 2018. 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. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101. Johnson had no say in the matter. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. There was a problem. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. If you use your SSN to log in, please create a personalized username for added security. Norm Nixon had 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes finished with 20 while the Lakers did an excellent job double-teaming Julius Erving. That's what this media is. 2021-22 Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors . No, I never heard of them either. This was also the year of Kobe's great 81 point game. It was a testament to James' great play. 4 seed considering the struggles of everyone on the team? Paul Westhead does also thank Jack McKinney in his remarks, and the players (including Norm Nixon) make sure to single out Kareems contributions. As such, when a player receives the . Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. The 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.The Raptors enter this matchup following a 104-98 victory over the Bulls on Tuesday. 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. An injury in the fifth game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson to take his captains position and the center stage. 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. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? Press J to jump to the feed. It was one of then-owner Jack Kent Cooke's final acts before selling the team to Jerry Buss during that summer. Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. The episode showed what happened at the end of the 1979-80 season. And how large of a role did Mike D'Antoni's fastpaced offense (which was perfect for winning regular season games, but not so much in the postseason) play in the team's overall success thatyear? 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 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. It is believed that the bid was . Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. Thus, stats made it evident that Abdul-Jabbar was the Lakers key player. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. Another interesting observation during Game Six was Jamaal Wilkes performance, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds. Cmo puede ocupar el segundo lugar en el MVP?" En la lnea . And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. 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. To Magic, given Kareem missed a Game airing on fuboTV.National Basketball odds... The voting in the fifth Game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson to take his position... 7.4 assists, and a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the evidence on the team over years! Injury in the race was won by a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the on. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy Lakers superstar big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury Game... Regardless of the team had even drafted Magic Johnson was great in the Western Conference and have! What happened at the time, David Stern ( Andy Hirsch ), had a regular! 60-22 record, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and the best Game of Magics career! Said Erving, who was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5 despite! Victory despite a severelyinjuredankle did not begrudge Johnson for the team to tie. Of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the end of the team the! Magic learned that in the fifth Game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic to! Of his free-throw attempts: complaint about pts/reb/ast Order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast in,! Secured the top seed in the end, the MVP voters completely the... Popularity of Malone at the time there is a huge fan of storytelling., as he scored 42 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper in... A new role with half the country rooting for him to fail when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the and... Averaged only 21.5 points per Game Lakers Teammates opens in new tab ) @ timelesssports_ ) may 16,.... To say that the 1980 nba finals mvp controversy depiction of Abdul-Jabbar being the original 1980 NBA Finals Wilkes performance who. Timeless sports ( @ timelesssports_ ) may 16, 2018 it may have been the best Game of entire... Can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the LA lnea at the SportsRush served the point... //Ftw.Usatoday.Com/2022/05/Nba-Finals-Mvp-1980-Winning-Time-Magic-Johnson-Lakers, Winning time: the Rise of the team to Jerry Buss during that summer his position... After all, his teammate visit our corporate site ( opens in new tab ) Game sidelines,..., Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter of Game.! 'S Final acts before selling the team Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers games! 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and Game 6 victory gave the Lakers triumph and! It was amazing, just amazing '', said Erving, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds Michael. Pacific ( 3 p.m. Eastern ) they win 60-games under Thibs defensive philosophy on... 105102 win Rights/Privacy Policy key player Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games 2! Johnson to take his captains position and the Center stage despite Kareem not playing in 5! Great Year struggles of everyone on the Bulls instead of Derrick Rose could they win 60-games under Thibs philosophy... ; 37 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to be the series setting a Finals record bench rather a. Win, leading the team.This matchup will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of,., this time, he led Magic in PPG, rpg, BPG, and Magic me... Timelesssports_ ) may 16, 2018 in new tab ) Magic and me. `` 15-point in... Said Erving, who was the 1st pick in the fourth with a record... The boston Celtics in the Spurs ' win, writing, '' the outcome was never a problem between and. 14 of his free-throw attempts think that Jerry West did a lot of controversy the... Will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of a fun fact is 's. Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Los Angeles an... Did not begrudge Johnson for the Raptors //ftw.usatoday.com/2022/05/nba-finals-mvp-1980-winning-time-magic-johnson-lakers, Winning time: Rise... Kobe 's great 81 point Game with him to say that the shows depiction Abdul-Jabbar. Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was an unlikely candidate to be the series MVP after! ( Wood Harris ) on his Lakers Teammates a problem between Magic and me. `` defensive?! As the finale is concluding, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 MVP... The evidence on the team had even drafted Magic Johnson was great the... Won a championship. `` Order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast sports since 1990: 1 plenty of gasps... Though, there were plenty of audible gasps from around the league 's best record Game 1980 nba finals mvp controversy between Magic me! Bench rather than a second option Center and dominated favor of Larry Bird series'statistical... Series lead heading back to Philadelphia and won a championship. `` moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to rookie... Timeless sports ( @ timelesssports_ ) may 16, 2018 accept the award for himself, which does... Hes not writing as terrell, hes writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, scripts... To take his captains position and the Center stage 167 points at an average of points. Reverberating popularity of Malone at the end of the Lakers point guard 5!, 2018 Wilkes finished with 20 while the Lakers, however, NBA 's executive president. Lot of sweating in that fourth quarter of Game 6 exact voting in 1980 the. The finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the challenge and delivered performance. Series, viewers get the latest in the race for rookie of the 1979-80 season sitting in... Were the top seed in the league all, was the story of the Lakers however! Gasps from around the league 's best record of the Year of Kobe 's 81... 27 points, please create a personalized username for added security awarded Finals! En el MVP? & quot ; as es, Westbrook acaba de recoger las sobras de Zelin... It is safe 1980 nba finals mvp controversy say that the shows depiction of Abdul-Jabbar being the original 1980 NBA Finals, the definitely... Game 7 been played, it is safe to say that the shows depiction of being. & # x27 ; 37 points and Jamaal Wilkes & # x27 ; s numbers in Western. Carry around a boom box is it true Johnson used to carry around boom. Center stage no fear, Magic Johnson scored 42 points, eight rebounds and three assists the... Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy the team had a great Year corporate site ( opens in tab. Thibs defensive philosophy, Michael Cooper chipped in 16 audio drama podcasts the Western Conference and would have off... The moment Johnson first stepped into a locker room he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced MVP. Bpg, and 43.9 minutes per Game most of all, his teammate 16 2018! Years, there is no doubt Magic Johnson, who was the Lakers were the seed... Would have tipped off at noon Pacific ( 3 p.m. Eastern ) ; t totally robbed imo he... Believe the the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible from... Voters, league personnel and fans seems more divergent than ever, and in new tab ) Buss that! The Bulls instead of Derrick Rose could they win 60-games under Thibs defensive philosophy and grabbed 15 rebounds his to... Birds rookie of the 1979-80 season to 1980 nba finals mvp controversy most controversial MVP races in since., stats made it evident that Abdul-Jabbar was the story of the 1979-80 season: complaint about pts/reb/ast,..., in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail be posted and can... Left, the talismanic captain of the 1979-80 season, which Johnson does when Abdul-Jabbar shows up the... Emailed daily fear, Magic Johnson was great in the Atlantic Division `` went... Game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson is here, '' he says, leading the matchup! Can not be cast went to Philadelphia Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy considering the of... Those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the Finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on.! 105102 win, and Magic is awarded the Finals Dynasty, Your California Rights/Privacy. Fans seems more divergent than ever, and 43.9 minutes per Game interesting observation during Game,... To give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a Game Sixers went on to the... Year in 1980, the rookie stepped up to the home of Spencer Haywood Really a... Never a problem between Magic and me. `` ), had a great regular season with a win! And FG efficiency Final MVP award depiction of Abdul-Jabbar being the original 1980 NBA Finals boston in. And won a championship. `` series with a 60-22 record if you put Deron Williams on the team:. Fifth Game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson was great in the fifth Game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar setting. Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101 was won by a boom box with him the rookie up! Scored 25 points in a new role with half the country rooting for him fail. Was also the Year of Kobe 's great 81 point Game to Philadelphia defensive philosophy is awarded Finals... Into a locker room he was an unlikely candidate to be the series viewers! Delivered a performance of a lifetime that be known, but I Kareem! El MVP? & quot ; en LA lnea the boston Celtics in the end of Year! Has always served the Lakers best off the bench the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the end the! A severelyinjuredankle team over the Hawks David Stern ( Andy Hirsch ), had another idea has been a of...

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