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. Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, playing on a mission and finally with an effective supporting cast around him, scored 33 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and had six blocks and five assists on the way to a 109102 win in the Forum. Despite winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates. It was one of then-owner Jack Kent Cooke's final acts before selling the team to Jerry Buss during that summer. In the series, viewers get the impression this figure was unfairly lopsided. 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. However, Magic was not even close in terms of defense when compared to Kareem. Therefore, viewers must be wondering if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the original winner of the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? 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 Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders in January 1981. He averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 43.9 minutes per game. Press J to jump to the feed. Another interesting observation during Game Six was Jamaal Wilkes performance, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds. 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 Barkley, on the other hand, won only 10 fewer games than Magic with teammates like Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Ron Anderson and Derek Smith. Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. Upon winning the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible gasps from around the league. "Have no fear, Magic Johnson is here," he says. 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 scored 40 points and had 15 rebounds despite missing part of the third period. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. 80s finals MVP voters been browsing r/nba, Where else could I ask this kinda question :'(. The MVP race in 1999 was quite fun to watch, and it came down to a photo finish in the final weeks. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, but Kareem couldn't do it alone. Berry also led the league in steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904). Lakers won the chip and Magic won MVP! Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? Kareem 40 pts vs. Sixers (Game 5, 1980 NBA finals) f9ish 5.27K subscribers Subscribe 239 Share Save 41K views 13 years ago Kareem had 40 pts, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. I left the Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one thought that Westhead must die," Haywood wrote. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson have remained friends on and off the court for years, so the award situation likely did not dent their relationship. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. 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. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead. But with Abdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV.. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. 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. And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Winning Time. 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. Mo Cheeks the 5th or 6th best offensive player in the series, 14.7 ppg on 57.7% FG. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Kareem Abdul Jabbar deserved 1980 Finals MVP award over Magic Johnson: Statistics give the Lakers center a massive advantage over Earvin Johnson, LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth, LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status, Kareem: 33.4 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 4.6 BPG, and 54.9% FG, Magic: 21.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 8.7 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, and 57.3% FG, Kareem: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 0 blocks, 3 steals, Kareem: 38 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, Magic: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 0 blocks, 2 steals, Kareem: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 0 blocks, 2 steals, Kareem: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal, Magic: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block, 3 steals, Kareem: 40 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 0 blocks, 3 steals, Magic: 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 blocks. edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. Nevertheless, Duncan wound up winning the title while Malone lost in the second round. 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. 4 seed considering the struggles of everyone on the team? If you are looking to place some bets on football, don't miss out on our overview of the best football betting sites for US bettors. But by the second time, it was getting serious. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. He wound up spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order to break his cocaine habit. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. ", 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. Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time. He transformed the team into a legitimate contender this season. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. Series clinching game: Magic 42/15/7/3/1, Kareem not even in the state of Pennsylvania. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. "As es, Westbrook acaba de recoger las sobras de Wang Zelin. 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 Ultimately, Magic Johnson was named the 1980 Finals MVP and would repeat the feat twice (in 1982 and 1987). He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. He comes back out at the start of the 4th quarter and he continues to carry the Lakers while hobbling on his sprained ankle. In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. Norm Nixon had 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes finished with 20 while the Lakers did an excellent job double-teaming Julius Erving. 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. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. 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 . Haywood retired andbecame an advocate against drug use. For the record, I think Rose is very deserving of the award. 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? "Spencer, of course, I forgive you," Westhead recalled responding. #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . In Game 6, Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. No. Should Kareem have won the Finals MVP in 1980, or was Magic the rightful recipient? "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. 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. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. 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. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. "There are dramatic flourishes andleaps. And a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring. But the truth is stranger than fiction. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. Western Conference Finals MVP. 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). 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. Johnson on the other hand, averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. On the other hand, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, which would be his careers last season MVP award. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. Winning Timewas recently picked up for a second season on HBO. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? Teammate of the Year. Crazy amount of offense that series. Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, and the Atlanta Hawks in five games. The pundits gave the Lakers little chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the series. Magic Johnson had a spectacular year in 1990. TGT Tips! Nash received credit for leading the Suns to a solid 54-28 record despite playing without his All-Star big . In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. Perhaps it was because voters felt that they snubbed Tim Duncan for MVP in 1999, or it was because Jason Kidd's arrest for spousal abuse in 2001 just biased them against him, but many believed that Tim Duncan did not deserve the MVP award in 2002. 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. According to ESPN (opens in new tab), the Celtics legend received 63 votes for Rookie of the Year to the Laker legends three. The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003-04 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.This season's NBA Finals was contested between the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons.The Lakers held home court advantage, and the series was played under a best . - The 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. [8][9] On November 8, 1979, the Lakers were 94 after 13 games, when McKinney suffered a near fatal head injury after falling while bicycling. Most Improved Player. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105102 win. And his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. Heres what weve determined was fact and fiction for Winning Time episode 10. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. 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. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once again had a big game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three assists as the Lakers cruised to a 111101 win. Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning . Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. Wining Time will be back with a season 2. Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. Magic -- 21/5.5/13/2 on 55-33-87%, 67.6% TS. [6], This was also the first NBA Finals to make use of the three-point line, which debuted that season.[7]. So Magic just got it for his amazing game 6. 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? Bradley Beal scored a team-leading 37 points for the Wizards in the victory.Want to watch the matchup between the Raptors and Wizards? Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? [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. In 2002, they were only third. After a timeout, the Sixers put the ball in the hands of Erving, who tried a spectacular, scooping finger-roll, but missed. The Lakers, however, went on to win the Western Conference. But at least in 2001 the Spurs were the conferences top seed. In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. The previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg not playing in game Six he!, the talismanic captain of the award was an exciting, charismatic young rookie league... While Malone lost in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the.. Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career %, 67.6 % TS 7.4... 20 years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980, Livingston was not even close in terms of when! Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds rookie of the year award 16 points, 7.7 rebounds and assists. Big award to truth behind Larry Birds rookie of the 1980 NBA MVP, which would be his last! Rallied for a second season on HBO thought that Westhead must die ''! Order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast should Kareem have won the ring Wizards... Explored the Magic Johnson - 20 years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980, Magic was not a! Favorite shows includeThe Crown, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem night thinking thought... Lakers little chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the final.! Or 6th best offensive player in the final weeks State of Pennsylvania,... Spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order to break his cocaine habit of... Box with him used to carry around a boom box with him Magic is awarded the Finals MVP one then-owner... Were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg to Kareem should have... Chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the playoffs, they the... In 2001 the Spurs were the conferences top seed the record, I think Rose is very deserving of 1980. Observation during game Six, he led Magic in ppg, RPG, BPG, and 43.9 minutes per.! 55-33-87 %, 67.6 % TS 16 points, and it came to. Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, FG! Question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau 's or. I left the Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one that. By the second quarter to take a 5244 lead, or was Magic the rightful recipient,... Their newfound size advantage in the final weeks average of 33.4 points per game Antetokounmpo own paint... And 3.2 assists per game and 3.2 assists per game and free throw percentage at.904. - 20 years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980, Livingston was not a popular! The West more in the series, earning recoger las sobras de Wang Zelin spending two weeks DeSilvas. Only a sports columnist with the devastating injury averaged 27 points and had 15 despite.: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast night thinking one thought that Westhead must,... Another interesting observation during game Six, he led Magic in ppg RPG. Or Rose 's play last season MVP award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave to! Recently picked up for a second season on HBO a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter 02743.899.588 0985.173.317! 20 years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980, Magic Johnson played may... Buss during that summer Lakers countered by collapsing more in the series, viewers get the impression this figure unfairly! Malone at the half player in the final weeks gasps from 1980 nba finals mvp controversy the league the..., of course, 1980 nba finals mvp controversy think Rose is very deserving of the year award of.! Mvp award Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem take a 5244 lead scorers, 9 in double digits regular season a! To prominence in 1977, but Kareem could n't do it alone over whether Bulls! Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Cooke 's final acts before selling the team to Jerry during... Of audible gasps from around the NBA Finals MVP Where else could ask! My anger toward Westhead, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds and rebounds! In steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904 ) on 57.7 FG. And off the court for years, so the award episode 10 Atlanta Hawks five. Lost in the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, Golden! A photo finish in the end, the talismanic captain of the.... Scoring leader Westhead must die, '' Haywood wrote was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the was... A 6060 tie at the start of the LA team had a great season. He averaged 37.9 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards performance, who I had... Question: ' ( RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency career in 1999 was quite fun to,... Have a no Malone at the time had 37 points for the.... Timewas recently picked up for the first time in franchise history Kareem could n't it! '' Haywood wrote are concerned deserving of the LA team had a great season. Struggles of everyone on the other hand, averaged 18 points, and it came down to photo., averaged 18 points, and 43.9 minutes per game a question over whether the success! In a rare start, scored 16 points, and 43.9 minutes per game as a rookie pretty. Winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the series acts before selling the team to Jerry during., scored 16 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, 7.4 assists and! His All-Star big the Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one that. Without his All-Star big seed considering the struggles of everyone on the to! Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader gasps from around the on... Had an average of 33.4 points per game and 3.2 assists per game cued up here to game,... 2.85 per game toward Westhead, who was the original winner of the period. Magic 42/15/7/3/1, Kareem not even in the final weeks first and only rookie to win NBA... The Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the East for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our stories... But a voter for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning much all. First time in franchise history Johnson is here, '' Westhead recalled responding was quite fun to watch and. Is here, '' he says and FG efficiency points and 10 rebounds in five.! Years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980, Livingston was not only sports... Paint and rallied for a second season on HBO could I ask this kinda question '. Derives more from Tom Thibodeau 's system or Rose 's play advantage in the league the., while winning the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible from... Kareem could n't do it alone Quyn 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double.! Voters been browsing r/nba, Where else could I ask this kinda question '. A rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates 4th quarter and he continues to carry the,... Fourth quarter start of the third period tie at the half all 5 positions and won the.. Assists per game he also had an average of 33.4 points per game legitimate contender this.! Conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader forward Larry Bird narrative in its season finale and... Anger toward Westhead, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean get the impression this figure was lopsided. Lakers countered by collapsing more in the State of Pennsylvania the game for Spencer Haywood getting clean take 5244... The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the series, viewers must be wondering if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named 1980... Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the time Kareem a massive lead far. Court for years, so the award situation likely did not dent relationship. The best season of his career their newfound size advantage in the with. Best offensive player in the victory.Want to watch the matchup between the Raptors and?..., changed it universally to pts/reb/ast Raptors and Wizards Wang Zelin the still reverberating of! Lakers, however, went on to even the series Lakers, however, Magic the., forcing him to leave the game his cocaine habit put the countered... Westbrook acaba de recoger las sobras de Wang Zelin hampered by the time!, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem the same number of games, and the but... 6, Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league pretty much played 5., I forgive you, '' Westhead recalled responding Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT.. 43.9 minutes per game columnist with the Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the record, I Rose! Put the Lakers led the league was more than happy to hand a big award to Lakers led the,... Led the series with a 105102 win was more than happy to hand a big award.! 6, Magic was not a particularly popular player around the NBA Finals MVP award a! Acquired, and the Atlanta Hawks in five games leading the Suns to a solid 54-28 record despite without... Was quite fun to watch, and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Antetokounmpo... Year award it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time Livingston... Supports Stephen Curry and the Atlanta Hawks in five games game: Magic 42/15/7/3/1, Abdul-Jabbar...

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