Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. 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. Defensive Player of the Year. 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). Magic delivered an iconic masterpiece, probably the greatest game of his career with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists (teammate Jamaal Wilkes shouldnt go unmentioned here too, putting up 37 points and 10 rebounds). Western Conference Finals MVP. Rookie of the Year. Barkley, on the other hand, won only 10 fewer games than Magic with teammates like Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Ron Anderson and Derek Smith. "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). The last time the Lakers had won the NBA championship was in 1972. Kareem absolutely deserved it. 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. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. 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. Yet, he has proven time-and-time again that he can make the team a playoff contender and top defensive team just by his mere presence. 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. As the finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the home of Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris). Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. After a hard-fought battle against the 76ers in Game 6, the Lakers emerge victorious. 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. 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. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. Should have been: Tim Duncan or Alonzo Mourning. These things are true, but in defense of Howard and James, both players had to make bigger adjustments and sacrifices to their games throughout the regular season than Rose did. The Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, themselves in six games, in the World Series. Despite winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates. The Lakers, however, beat the 76ers again the following season, before losing to the 76ers in the season after that. Winning Time. Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. Most, if not all NBA fans know the big story of those finals. Along with Jamaal Wilkes' 37 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper chipped in 16. 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. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. The player with the best PPG in the finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average. 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. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. Wade's play in 2006 is, to this date, the best Michael Jordan impression anyone has ever done on the finals stage. Johnson, who was named as an All-Star starter during his first year in the league, lost out on Rookie of the Year honors to rival Larry Bird. #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . Coach Trailed by a 'What if?' "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. But the truth is stranger than fiction. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. The NBA world doesn't think voters got the MVP selection right. Maurice Cheeks matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench. The satisfying season finale of HBOs Winning Time aired this week, and most of the episode took place during Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Championship. Teammate of the Year. Unlikely. 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. Hollyoaks spoilers: Tony Hutchinson calls social services to report Warren! 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. 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. Meanwhile, Birds Celtics were defeated by Julius Ervings 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. Certainly Karl Malone had a spectacular year, and he led them withone ofthe best seasonsstatistically of his career. I left the Forum and drove off in my Rolls that night thinking one thought that Westhead must die," Haywood wrote. The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award is one of the most prestigious in the sport of basketball. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. 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. Yeah, but in the 5/6 he did he seem to have been the better player? 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. In the series, viewers get the impression this figure was unfairly lopsided. Thats it. 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. Cuz he didnt play in game 6 on the road in their biggest game of the season due to injury. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. The 1980 NBA World Championship Series Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2.In the NBA finals Kareem a. Episode 10 sees the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with team owner Jerry Buss and rookie Magic Johnson trying to win the Lakers their first. Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. He was an unlikely candidate to be the series MVP - after all, his teammate . 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. Johnson was without Jabbar, but he still had James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott and a young Vlade Divac. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. That's not that bad a supporting cast. 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 . He had all the ingredients to secure the award, except a clear public image. Thus, stats made it evident that Abdul-Jabbar was the Lakers key player. And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. Was this actually the final count? Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Cmo puede ocupar el segundo lugar en el MVP?" En la lnea . Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. Love. Johnson on the other hand, averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. There is no doubt that as far as offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles. But by the second time, it was getting serious. To be sure, Malone had a great season. The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. 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? But was Abdul-Jabbar the one who actually convinced Haywood to get clean? The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. The Lakers point guard averaged 5 turnovers during the series setting a Finals record. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. We encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. However, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the Lakers best player in the regular season where he won MVP (25 ppg, 11 rpg, 4.5 apg, 3.4 bpg on 60% shooting), the playoffs (32 ppg, 12 rpg, 3 apg, 4 bpg on 57% shooting), and also the NBA finals against Julius Ervings Philadelphia 76ers. Read More: Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates? Thank you for signing up to Whattowatch. The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in the 1980 season. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. "Winning Time" features Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris) plottingto kill the Lakers after the teamvoted to kick out the troubled forwardbecause of his cocaine use. Should Have Been: LeBron James or Dwight Howard. The 1980 NBA World. Scottie Scheffler becomes the third player to win The Masters at age 25 or younger in the last 40 years. According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was originally voted as the Finals MVP. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? [10] Assistant coach Paul Westhead, who also worked under McKinney at St. Joseph's, was named the interim head coach. Siakam recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Raptors. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has just wrapped for the season with the Lakers winning an NBA championship title. 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. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. 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. 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. Here is the answer! Rookie of the Year. 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. 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. Its unclear, however, if Magic actually knew that, or if Kareem was actually waiting for the phone call. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. Jason Kidd, despite his off the court issues, led the New Jersey Nets to one of the greatest turnarounds in league history in his first year with the Nets, as the team experienced turning a 26-win team into a 52-win team by basically adding Kidd. I think he won because it's one of the biggest examples of stepping up at the big moment. Hollyoaks spoilers: Diane Hutchinson makes a SHOCKING confession. 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. He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most occasions annoying his teammates. Free. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. In the fourth with a little over five minutes left, the Sixers rallied to cut the Laker lead to 103101. As Sporting News (opens in new tab) details, in Game 6, he played 47 minutes and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. 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." Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. 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. He played 5/6 games and was clutch in them too. The final buzzer has sounded on HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,"showing Earvin"Magic" Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) heroically carrying the "Showtime"-era Lakers to the 1980 NBA championship. For U.S. employees, your username (up to 15 characters) can be any customer identifier you've chosen or your Social Security number (SSN). Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Kareem was very clearly the best player in 4 out of the 5 games he played in, and had the absolute monster numbers and heroic Game 5 performance that shouldve gotten him the Finals MVP, but he ended up being denied the award because of one game in which he wasnt there. Heres how it works. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. Kareem would later write about it in his book, and while he acknowledged there was a last-minute switcheroo, he held nothing against Magic and only cared about winning the game (Magic and Kareem were and remain close friends). Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. 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. But withAbdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. ", 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. 1979-80 Magic . 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