So Game 6 was shown at 11:30pm Eastern (10:30pm Central) in all but eight US cities: Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno, who carried it live; all but Philadelphia are located in the Pacific Time Zone, thus could show the game live at 6 p.m. local time, then carry CBS's prime time lineup, delayed by a few minutes for the ending of the game. Love. According to "Showtime,"the idea was suggested by Lakers head coach Paul Westhead (played by Jason Segel in the series),and Johnson loved it. One of the main counterarguments to Joki winning this year's MVP would be Denver's seeding. Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. 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. 9. Proving the prognosticators right, Philadelphia won in five games, preventing the first CelticsLakers final since 1969. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Should Kareem have won the Finals MVP in 1980, or was Magic the rightful recipient? 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). 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 player with the best PPG in the finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance. "Have no fear, Magic Johnson is here," he says. LeBron James was so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers that he scored four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP. You will receive a verification email shortly. pic.twitter.com/Dzw6reXR98, Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 16, 2018. There is no doubt that as far as offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles. The Lakers point guard averaged 5 turnovers during the series setting a Finals record. Elsa/Getty Images. In the Pacers' win, Tyrese Haliburton led the way with a team-high 32 points (adding seven rebounds and six assists). In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. 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 2015 award, however, has become slightly more controversial with time. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. "Spencer, of course, I forgive you," Westhead recalled responding. 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. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. Jerry West - 1969. But Worthy had 36/16/10 on 68-60%, 68% TS in G7. The 6-foot-9-inch Johnson rose to the occasion and stepped into the center position for Game 6. Fans caught up on HBOsWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynastysaw the first seasons finale last night. 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. 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. Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. Johnson became the first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. 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. 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. Because May 16, 1980, was a Friday, the network did not want to preempt its two highest-rated shows, The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, even though both shows were already in reruns: the 197980 TV season had ended early, back in March (Dukes and Dallas both aired their season finale March 21), in anticipation of a strike that summer by the Screen Actors Guild. But the knock against Johnson this season, similarly to those leveled at the Big Three in Miami this year, he still had more help than Barkley. All rights reserved. The NBA's MVP award has been chosen annually by a panel of media members since the 1980-81 season. 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. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. 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. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. 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. That performance earned Magic his first of 3 career Finals MVP awards. 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. Not too manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover. The MVP of the 1980 NBA Finals was Magic Johnson, plus that was his rookie season playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood and Jamaal Wilkes. That's what this media is. 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. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. That's not that bad a supporting cast. Johnson scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, either matching or eclipsing Abdul-Jabbars contributions in any single previous match of the series. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Ouch. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. There is no doubt that Magics performance in Game Six was phenomenal, shooting 60.9% from the field and 100% from the free-throw line. As such, when a player receives the . In 1979, Jeanie was only 17 years old, although two years later in 1981 her dad did appoint her the general manager of a tennis franchise, the Los Angeles Strings. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. 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. 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. [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. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. 1981 NBA Finals: A interview and racial controversy. Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime. 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. Los Angeles took an early advantage in the NBA Finals, but Lakers superstar big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury in Game 5. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. This isn't a documentary.". Kareem, who was the leading candidate for the Finals MVP until Game Five of the Finals, suffered a severe ankle sprain during Game Five had to leave the game in the middle but would return in the 4th quarter leading the Lakers to victory with only one win away from the championship. Bath All rights reserved. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. According to The Washington Post (opens in new tab), when the Laker great was a rookie, he would indeed walk around blasting music. Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul with 33 seconds left. To read our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here. 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). Also, and this is weird: Jeanie Buss who does run the LA Lakers now, having inherited her fathers team and legacy in 2013 is 60 and dating Jay Mohr of SNL fame. 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 . The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award is one of the most prestigious in the sport of basketball. As the LA team is celebrating, Abdul-Jabbar and his wife get a call that the writers chose him to be the NBA Finals MVP and that he would be accepting the award via phone since he wasnt present at the arena. 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. [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]. It may have been the best game of Magics entire career, as he scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. In reality, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. 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. So here's a list of the five most controversial MVP winners since 1980: Moses Malone 1981-82 Malone might have been the best center in basketball by the beginning of the 1980s, but he was wasting away on a struggling Houston team before helping Philadelphia win a title in 1983. 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). 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. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. But if the measure of an MVPis leading one's team to regular season success, it was hard to make the case that Duncan did. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. The 7-foot-2-inch Abdul had ledhis team through the finals, gutting out aMVP-worthy Game 5 victory despite a severelyinjuredankle. The Spurs' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 102-94 win against the Jazz. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? The episode showed what happened at the end of the 1979-80 season. Ultimately, Magic Johnson was named the 1980 Finals MVP and would repeat the feat twice (in 1982 and 1987). At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. Scottie Scheffler becomes the third player to win The Masters at age 25 or younger in the last 40 years. - 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. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. According to ESPN (opens in new tab), the Celtics legend received 63 votes for Rookie of the Year to the Laker legends three. The way with a team-high 32 points ( adding seven rebounds and six assists ), '' he.... Assistant coach Pat Riley, click here course, I forgive you, '' says! Dunk over Abdul-Jabbar performance earned Magic his first of 3 career Finals MVP awards 42 points including... Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury in Game 2 1981 NBA Finals: a interview and racial controversy: the of... 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