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. He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. 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 victory gave the Lakers the crucial 32 series lead heading back to Philadelphia. The 2015 award, however, has become slightly more controversial with time. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. [2] But the Lakers still had to travel to Philadelphia for Game 6. Johnson, who had played point guard all season, was tasked to replace the captain of the Purple and Gold as the starting center. Los Angeles would win the game. 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. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. 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. But withAbdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV. The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. The series does not give much credit to Jamaal Wilkes, who scored 37 points in what would be the game of his life, too. 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. 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. Get the latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! That performance earned Magic his first of 3 career Finals MVP awards. The NBA world doesn't think voters got the MVP selection right. The rookie stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime. 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. 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. Darryl Dawkins led the Sixers with 26 points and Erving added 23. Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. 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. The general opinion across the NBA when Karl Malone beat out Michael Jordan for MVP in 1997 was: "Oh, so the voters decided to give it to someone other than Jordan." Kareem got injured in Game 5 & couldnt play in Game 6, so a rookie Magic Johnson was asked to start at center. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. Los Angeles took an early advantage in the NBA Finals, but Lakers superstar big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury in Game 5. Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. 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. According to The Washington Post (opens in new tab), when the Laker great was a rookie, he would indeed walk around blasting music. 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. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. 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 also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per 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. 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. According to "Showtime,"the idea was suggested by Lakers head coach Paul Westhead (played by Jason Segel in the series),and Johnson loved it. Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors. The Sixers led by as much as 20 in the fourth period, but the Lakers roared back, trimming the lead to 105104 late in the game. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. Few would take you seriously if you were in a writers room and suggested that a rookie win NBA Finals MVP. This may seem like a slight to Malone,and in truthMalone had a phenomenal season in 1997, but Jordan should have won the award. However, that wasn't enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. 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. The 1980 NBA Finals TV Mini Series 1980 YOUR RATING Rate Sport The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979/1980 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. If you put Deron Williams on the Bulls instead of Derrick Rose could they win 60-games under Thibs defensive philosophy? 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. The show began with the Lakers drafting. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. In the series, the moment Johnson first stepped into a locker room he was accompanied by a boom box. The team had even drafted Magic Johnson, who was the 1st pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. He hobbles thereafter, but they dont immediately call a time-out to remove him. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. 4 seed considering the struggles of everyone on the team? 1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Should Have Been: LeBron James or Dwight Howard. Erving, continues weaving truth with dramatic license. 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. However, some last-minute behind-the-scenes tinkering leads to the award changing hands from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. 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). So was Abdul-Jabbar the real winner of the MVP title that year? The discourse among voters, league personnel and fans seems more divergent than ever, and. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. That's better than every other NBA team's HOME winning percentage. 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. He also contributed many intangibles to the team as well, such as his defensive tenacity and his incredible will to win, eventually leading the Nets to its first ever trip to the finals. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. And a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. 2021-22 Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors . Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time (Image credit: Warrick Page/HBO) What?! BA1 1UA. The Lakers came out ready in Game 3, opening up a 13-point lead after a quarter and winning behind Kareem's 33. Another interesting observation during Game Six was Jamaal Wilkes performance, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Archibald of the Boston Celtics wins the game's MVP award. Bird apparently received 63 of the 66 votes. Julius Erving scored the only three-pointer of the series (and first in NBA Finals history) in this game. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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." To date, this was the final time that a regular-season had ended during the month of March. 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). Should have been: Tim Duncan or Alonzo Mourning. And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. You will receive a verification email shortly. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. His Spurs began the season a disappointing 6-8, but since their rough start he led them to a 31-5 record afterward and established himself as the leader of the Spurs, despite David Robinson's presence. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. If you take James off and replace him with any other small forward in the game, could they get the same intangibles they get from James? 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. The chemistry between the three was evident early on, as the Lakers eliminated the Phoenix Suns and defending champions Seattle SuperSonics in a pair of five-game playoff series to advance to the NBA Finals. Ivan Rodriguez over Pedro Martinez, 1999. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson have remained friends on and off the court for years, so the award situation likely did not dent their relationship. In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, and the Atlanta Hawks in five games. Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. It's not a travesty to give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a game. He liked to play songs that didnt appeal to the general musical taste of the locker room. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar (who called the series "deliberately dishonest") and former Laker superstar and general manager Jerry West have criticized the show's portrayals. Hollyoaks spoilers: Diane Hutchinson makes a SHOCKING confession. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. However, in the course of the team achieving that goal in the season finale, a few events occurred that prompted our curiosity. He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2.[1]. 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. That equates to a valuable player in my book. Controversy has followed the "Winning Time" success. All rights reserved. [2] He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 32 lead in the best-of-seven series. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. And then Game 6 happened, and Magic played the game of his life, stealing Finals MVP with a single performance, although it sounded like even the voters at the time wanted to give Kareem the award: 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. "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . 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. Magic Johnson had a spectacular year in 1990. In Game 6, Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. LeBron James was so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers that he scored four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP. [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. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. Johnson had no say in the matter. TGT Tips! Thats it. To read our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here. Jim Chones played strong defense on 76ers center Darryl Dawkins, while Mark Landsberger provided rebounding off the bench, and little used Brad Holland chipped in eight key points. Upon winning the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible gasps from around the league. 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. Therefore, viewers must be wondering if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the original winner of the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? It also benefited Johnson that he added a new weapon to his arsenal this season (3-point shooting), which the voters appreciated. Johnson was without Jabbar, but he still had James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott and a young Vlade Divac. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series, have remained friends on and off the court. 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals. "Winning Time" features Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris) plottingto kill the Lakers after the teamvoted to kick out the troubled forwardbecause of his cocaine use. He converted the 3-point play to take a 106103 lead. In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. A year-by-year list of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award winners: YEAR PLAYER TEAM. Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? Johnson, a rookie, became the third player to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. 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. Maurice Cheeks matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench. In the most recent vintage of the pitcher vs. hitter debate, Martinez went 23-4 . Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson of the 1980 winning team Lakers. How did he respond? In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. 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. T-6. The 6-foot-9-inch Johnson rose to the occasion and stepped into the center position for Game 6. But with Abdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV.. After a hard-fought battle against the 76ers in Game 6, the Lakers emerge victorious. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. "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. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. Kareem absolutely deserved it. ", 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. 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. Johnson scored 25 points in the Spurs' win, leading the team.This matchup will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of. Did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson win the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. 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). 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