He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". The discourse among voters, league personnel and fans seems more divergent than ever, and. T-6. [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. Los Angeles took an early advantage in the NBA Finals, but Lakers superstar big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury in Game 5. Sixth Man of the Year. [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]. However, during the NBA World Championship Series, aka the NBA Finals Series, the LA Lakers are without their star player and captain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. 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. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? Johnson became the first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar was crowned the regular season MVP. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. The rookie stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime. 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. 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. Abdul-Jabbar was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. Norm Nixon would finally seal the game at the foul line by making both of his foul shots. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2. 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." 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. #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. 1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . 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 finals were very, very close (first 4 games were split 2 apiece with the teams only being within 3 total points scored of each other through those games). Wining Time will be back with a season 2. Many argue that the Lakers would have been a lottery team without Kobe in 2006, and one glance at the roster appears to back that claim up: Smush Parker, Chris Mihm, Kwami Brown. But he had one of the least impressive stat lines of any MVP winner in recent memory, and that is why his victory was so hotly debated. 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. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. 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. Eventually playing all five positions, hisgutsy, iconic Game 6 featured42 points, 15 rebounds and sevenassists, and earned the Lakers the championship crown. Should have been: Tim Duncan or Alonzo Mourning. 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. BA1 1UA. One of the main counterarguments to Joki winning this year's MVP would be Denver's seeding. Scottie Scheffler becomes the third player to win The Masters at age 25 or younger in the last 40 years. 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. . 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. After a timeout, the Sixers put the ball in the hands of Erving, who tried a spectacular, scooping finger-roll, but missed. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. Even in this most recent episode, while not in a locker room, Johnson glides onto the teams flight listening to M.A.Z.E.s "Golden Time of the Day." The LA Lakers would face the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals. Musburger would remain involved with CBS' NBA coverage until 1989, but his duties for later NBA Finals were as a studio host, though he continued to call play-by-play on various occasions. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. Most, if not all NBA fans know the big story of those finals. 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. On the other hand, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, which would be his careers last season MVP award. The MVP race in 1999 was quite fun to watch, and it came down to a photo finish in the final weeks. Despite an off-the-court persona that was nothing short of choirboy-esque, his on the court persona (and fight with Larry Johnson in the playoffs in 1998) made him the unpopular pick. The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. In 2002, they were only third. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar (who called the series "deliberately dishonest") and former Laker superstar and general manager Jerry West have criticized the show's portrayals. 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 . The HBO series focused on Johnson, the ascending superstar point guard, legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) andteam owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly)completed its spotlight-grabbing 10-episode first season Sunday. This is also 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. 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? Its clear, though, that hes hurt, and he eventually goes into the locker room. But the truth is stranger than fiction. 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. No one expected him to secure stats that look remarkably similar to those of the previous year with his better Heat teammates taking some burden off him. Magic even jumped center in the game's opening tip tomake a statement, as seen in the episode. Enough of us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award 4-3. 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. In his memoir, "Kareem," Abdul-Jabbar cites sportswriter Bill Livingston, who publicly said the voting NBA writers had originally chosen Abdul-Jabbar asfinals MVP but the group waspressured"either by the network (CBS) or the league" to change the vote. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? 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. 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. For those interested in the Jeanie Buss drama, that is almost entirely a series-created fiction. It is worth noting, too, that Magic did lose Rookie of the Year honors to Larry Bird by a 63-3 vote, as depicted in the series. Pearlman has no problem with that dramatic philosophy for the series, for which he served as a consultant. That equates to a valuable player in my book. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. According to "Showtime,"the idea was suggested by Lakers head coach Paul Westhead (played by Jason Segel in the series),and Johnson loved it. What?! Winning Time has been picked up for another season. Kerr asserted that voters are less inclined to vote for the same player three years in a row and may choose to "spread the wealth" of the award around instead of rewarding a player for a third time. Kareem absolutely deserved it. The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award is one of the most prestigious in the sport of basketball. Johnson would go on to win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over. 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. 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. According to his book, since he didn't fly out to Philly, the voters and network didn't want to give the award to an empty seat. Warren Fox demands answers from Tony! A crowd surrounds Magic Johnson at the Lakers championship parade, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:20, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Basketball great, Magic Johnson, plays center as a rookie, wins championships", "The day Magic Johnson stepped in at center and dropped 42 points on Philly", "Magic, Kareem among Jamaal Wilkes' presenters at Hall of Fame", "Top NBA Finals moments: Erving's amazing baseline reverse layup", "35th Anniversary of Dr. J's Iconic Reverse Layup Versus Lakers in NBA Finals", "How the N.B.A. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning . Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has just wrapped for the season with the Lakers winning an NBA championship title. Its unclear, however, if Magic actually knew that, or if Kareem was actually waiting for the phone call. This may seem like a slight to Malone,and in truthMalone had a phenomenal season in 1997, but Jordan should have won the award. Sky hooks and an epic comb-over: The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers. 3. Nate Archibald of the Boston Celtics wins the game's MVP award. 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. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? To be sure, Malone had a great season. The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979-80 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.. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered . Paul Westhead does also thank Jack McKinney in his remarks, and the players (including Norm Nixon) make sure to single out Kareems contributions. Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. Bath The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. 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? Back in 2015, Iguodala won the Finals MVP award after the Warriors defeated LeBron James and the Cavaliers, a result that still sparks debates among fans and media members to this day. The 1990 MVP race would prove to be one of the closest in league history as Magic Johnson edged out "Sir Charles" by a mere 22 votes. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. Heres what weve determined was fact and fiction for Winning Time episode 10. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. 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). Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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? All rights reserved. Their conversationcertainlybrings to minda few times in NBA history that the winner of the MVP award drew complaints rather than applause from some not directly connected to the committee. There was a problem. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. 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. edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. He was a five-time NBA champion during his time in the league. Abdul-Jabbar then limped back onto the floor. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. "That changed the whole tone," Cooper said. Westhead said in "Showtime" that Haywood visited him during his drug recovery "to ask for my forgiveness" for the plot. Happiness. Of note, this marked the first of the ten NBA Finals played in the 1980s, all of which featured either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers (three Finals featured both teams). The final controversy in Winning Time episode 10 delivers another rather surprising true story. Meanwhile, McAdoo was fairly well liked across the NBA. The episode showed what happened at the end of the 1979-80 season. He wound up spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order to break his cocaine habit. Despite winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates. When hes not writing as Terrell, hes writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. 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. Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976. Jerry West - 1969. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101. Please refresh the page and try again. Fans caught up on HBOsWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynastysaw the first seasons finale last night. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Temporary bans may be handed out to users who post memes and other low-effort or off-topic comments in this thread. He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most occasions annoying his teammates. Ultimately, Magic Johnson was named the 1980 Finals MVP and would repeat the feat twice (in 1982 and 1987). In reality, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. The player with the best PPG in the finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average. So Magic just got it for his amazing game 6. 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. You will receive a verification email shortly. Free. So my friend who is a huge Magic Johnson fan (refuses to place LeBron near him because 5 rings > 3 rings ) was watching the 1980 finals game 6 and obviously Magic went off in that game. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. When I did the first MVP poll of the season on Jan. 1, Steph Curry was the obvious . The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. Compared to Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson averaged only 21.5 points per game and 11.2 assists per game. Stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime Kareem is hurt the... A game during the series, for which he served as a rookie, Johnson gave! # 1 Magic Johnson - 20 years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980 Magic. Prestigious in the Jeanie Buss drama, that hes hurt, and Lakers. 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