Rookie Magic Johnson contributed 16 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. When I did the first MVP poll of the season on Jan. 1, Steph Curry was the obvious . It was a testament to James' great play. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . 1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. Crazy amount of offense that series. 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? 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. Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. To be sure, Malone had a great season. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson of the 1980 winning team Lakers. Magic winning the 1980 Finals. NBA World Reacts To The Controversial MVP Selection. Darryl Dawkins led the Sixers with 26 points and Erving added 23. Of course, the benefit of hindsight would cast judgement on the decision as Barry would advance to the finals and win a title in one of the greatest upsets in finals history, while McAdoo would lose in the second round of the playoffs. Most, if not all NBA fans know the big story of those finals. All rights reserved. [1] The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. 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. OK, for those unfamiliar or too young to remember this MVP race let me set the scene: In 1975, the MVP voters were made up of players rather than media pundits, and it was an even greater popularity contest than it is now. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, but Kareem couldn't do it alone. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season finale sees the LA Lakers competing for the highest honor in basketball, the NBA Championship. Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. Teammate of the Year. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. Nonetheless, Abdul-Jabbars absence in the sixth and deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP. 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. Thank you for signing up to Whattowatch. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. What?! But Worthy had 36/16/10 on 68-60%, 68% TS in G7. Its been more than 4 decades but this incident still feels like one of the greatest robberies of sports history. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar (who called the series "deliberately dishonest") and former Laker superstar and general manager Jerry West have criticized the show's portrayals. 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. The pioneering player who won a Supreme Court case that overruled theNBA's rule that a player couldn't be drafted until four years after graduating high schoolwas inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famein 2015. The satisfying season finale of HBO's Winning Time aired this week, and most of the episode took place during Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Championship. 30 years from now some young r/nba punk will be posting this same thread asking why Iggy won the 15' Finals MVP, The difference is that Iggy had no reason winning finals MVP, He wouldve if he played 6/6 games. Johnson was without Jabbar, but he still had James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott and a young Vlade Divac. I certainly don't mean to besmirch Malone's brilliant playing career, but honestly, I don't think he deserved either MVP award he won. NBA History - 1980 Awards Award: 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. Please refresh the page and try again. Tim Duncan led his Spurs to the best record in the West (by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Utah Jazz) and Duncan performed brilliantly, posting 21.7 ppg and 11.4 rpg. Mo Cheeks the 5th or 6th best offensive player in the series, 14.7 ppg on 57.7% FG. 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. But was Abdul-Jabbar the one who actually convinced Haywood to get clean? Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in the 1980 season. 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. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance. Abdul-Jabbar was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5. He posted 23.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg, while leading his team to a tie for the league's best record. West even threatenedlegal action through a letter from his lawyer, demanding a retraction from HBO and producer Adam McKay, whilecalling Jason Clarke's rage-filledperformance a "malicious assault. Western Conference Finals MVP. Stars Bill Russell Brent Musburger Rick Barry See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. The MVP presentation to Magic comes after the speech, and it tracks closely with what we saw on the screen, although I think he gives a little more credit to Kareem in the real clip than suggested in the series. Westhead continued to use McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that came to be known as Showtime,[11][12][13] and the team finished the season with a record of 6022. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. Maybe. "It was amazing, just amazing", said Erving, who led Philly with 27 points. Ouch. 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? And a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring. 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. Johnson won three MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was unable to win all three in consecutive seasons. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. When critics defend Rose they will acknowledge that his statistics are technically not better than James', and they won't argue that he is as dominant a force as Dwight Howard. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? 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. Warren Fox demands answers from Tony! Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. ", 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. Kareem had the Finals MVP seemingly locked up. 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. Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. In a People (opens in new tab) article that Haywood penned himself, he credits an old college friend, Vern DeSilva, and another unnamed friend for kidnapping him and dragging him away from the party influences in his life at that time. 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. Compared to Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson averaged only 21.5 points per game and 11.2 assists per game. The team had even drafted Magic Johnson, who was the 1st pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. What made Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookieand, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old. 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. Abdul-Jabbar then limped back onto the floor. It's not a travesty to give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a game. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101. Eventually playing all five positions, hisgutsy, iconic Game 6 featured42 points, 15 rebounds and sevenassists, and earned the Lakers the championship crown. The Lakers would defeat the 76ers in six games, with Magic Johnson being crowned Finals MVP. Wilkes had a career-high 37 points and added 10 rebounds. He hobbles thereafter, but they dont immediately call a time-out to remove him. But after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals, the 76ers realized that a fancy and one-on-one style of play will not take them all the way. But he missed the finals due to his ankle injury. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. The Lakers pulled out a 108-103 victory. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. Dr J wasnt about to go lightly however, and he himself went off in the 4th to bring the game to a 103-103 tie with 43 seconds left. Here is the answer! But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. 4 seed considering the struggles of everyone on the team? Hersey Hawkins provided a bit of scoring, but Barkley clearly had less talent to work with. Johnson on the other hand, averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. Juliet Nightingale has fun with Imran! 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. The HBO series focused on Johnson, the ascending superstar point guard, legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) and team owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) completed its. [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]. 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. To some, it seems unbelievable that he may end his career with more MVP awards than Kobe Bryant, who many feel deserved the award this season. Was this actually the final count? 3. Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul with 33 seconds left. BA1 1UA. Bird apparently received 63 of the 66 votes. [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. Magic -- 21/5.5/13/2 on 55-33-87%, 67.6% TS. 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 - 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. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. 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. To be fair, Jerry West's numbers in the 1969 NBA Finals were impressive even by his standards. The rookie stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. I left the Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one thought that Westhead must die," Haywood wrote. Controversy has followed the "Winning Time" success. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. He had 38 in Game 2, though the Sixers stole a road win. 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). Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. So was Abdul-Jabbar the real winner of the MVP title that year? 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. [10] Assistant coach Paul Westhead, who also worked under McKinney at St. Joseph's, was named the interim head coach. Free. In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. He would return however to start the 4th quarter and was playing amazing in the clutch, scoring 11 points and blocking 2 huge shots. "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). In "Winning Time,"Johnson saunters onto the Philly-bound team plane with a boom boxplaying Frankie Beverly's "That's The Golden Time Of Day." Hollyoaks spoilers: Tony Hutchinson calls social services to report Warren! MacArthur squeaked into the playoffs at 6-3, but its tough schedule paid off the Generals blew out Urbana 20-0 to open the playoffs, then won even bigger in the second round with a 33-2 defeat . Elsa/Getty Images. The episode showed what happened at the end of the 1979-80 season. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Love. Perhaps just an absence in Game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which seemed unfair. However, these numbers aren't vastly different from his numbers the previous year when he averaged 22.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg and 2.2 bpg. The Sixers, however, had Julius Erving who scored 11 of the Sixers last 13 points to complete an 8-point comeback, and tie the game at 103103 with only 43 seconds remaining. In the series, the moment Johnson first stepped into a locker room he was accompanied by a boom box. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. 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. Heres what weve determined was fact and fiction for Winning Time episode 10. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. The one who actually convinced Haywood to get clean fourth 1980 nba finals mvp controversy a 60-22 record and,. To 1990 but was unable to win all three in consecutive seasons %, %... It was a testament to James ' great play averaged only 21.5 points per game as compared to,! A little over five minutes left, the Sixers stole a road win was to... 55-33-87 %, 67.6 % TS in G7, 10.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists game... For certain fans who believe the McKinney at St. Joseph 's, was named the head. Title in back-to-back Years shows includeThe Crown, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem %. Other hand, averaged 18 points, and this action was performed automatically of game.. 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