Rookie Magic Johnson contributed 16 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Free trialHow to Watch Today's NBA GamesToronto Raptors at Washington WizardsThe 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.Game Time: 7:00 PM ETTV Channel: NBC Sports NetworksLive Stream: fuboTV (, The Indiana Pacers (28-35) meet Keldon Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs (15-47) at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, March 2 at 8:30 PM ET.The Pacers won their most recent game 124-122 against the Mavericks on Tuesday. He ultimately leaves it up to the rookie to decide if he wants to accept the award for himself, which Johnson does. 1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. It also benefited Johnson that he added a new weapon to his arsenal this season (3-point shooting), which the voters appreciated. Johnson, who had played point guard all season, was tasked to replace the captain of the Purple and Gold as the starting center. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. Was this actually the final count? ", 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. Johnson had no problem and was up to the challenge, although he would lose the famous opening tip to Caldwell Jones. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. Basketball isnt just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. Teammate of the Year. Did Nash really belong in that distinguished company? Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. Bird apparently received 63 of the 66 votes. Comparing statistics between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson during the 1980 NBA Finals Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar (who called the series "deliberately dishonest") and former Laker superstar and general manager Jerry West have criticized the show's portrayals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead. Some. Greatness. [6], This was also the first NBA Finals to make use of the three-point line, which debuted that season.[7]. Stats-wise Johnson and Barkley's numbers were both very strong: Barkley averaged 25.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, while Johnson averaged 22.3 ppg and 11.5 apg. He was referring to LeBron James' chances of securing the award again, but Albert, who is on the voting committee, took umbrage at the insinuation that voters consciously freeze out players and refuse to vote for them three years in a row. 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 Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio, with the East defeating the West 123-120. 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. Norm Nixon had 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes finished with 20 while the Lakers did an excellent job double-teaming Julius Erving. To be sure, Malone had a great season. 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. 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. She performed that job while attending U.S.C. In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Magic Johnson had a spectacular year in 1990. 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). 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. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. That equates to a valuable player in my book. J." Johnson had no say in the matter. That performance earned Magic his first of 3 career Finals MVP awards. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. According to ESPN (opens in new tab), the Celtics legend received 63 votes for Rookie of the Year to the Laker legends three. Thank you for signing up to Whattowatch. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort. HBO has already renewed "Winning Time" for a second season and optioned Pearlman's follow-up book, 2020's "Three-Ring Circus: Kobe,Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty," suggesting the next installment will focus on the late '90s-early 2000s Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal era. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson have remained friends on and off the court for years, so the award situation likely did not dent their relationship. He was an unlikely candidate to be the series MVP - after all, his teammate . It was the decisive game, which came after the Lakers pulled ahead 3-2 in a game 5 where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar badly sprained his ankle. Western Conference Finals MVP. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. Along with Jamaal Wilkes' 37 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper chipped in 16. 21.5 to 33.5 ppg is a huge gulf, but Magic also had 11 apg and was 5% more efficient by TS. Not too manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover. 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 scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter alone. After a hard-fought battle against the 76ers in Game 6, the Lakers emerge victorious. 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. "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . Jerry West - Getty Images. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". Coach Trailed by a 'What if?' Statistically, Bird did have the edge he scored 3 more points per game and grabbed 3 more rebounds per game, although Magic had 3 more assists per game but it certainly wasnt a 63-3 edge. But at least in 2001 the Spurs were the conferences top seed. 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. For marketing purposes in trying to build up the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Stern wanted the latter to receive the recognition instead. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. 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. The last time the Lakers had won the NBA championship was in 1972. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. It was the decisive game, which came after the Lakers pulled ahead 3-2 in a game 5 where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar badly sprained his ankle. One of the main counterarguments to Joki winning this year's MVP would be Denver's seeding. That's not that bad a supporting cast. Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone Try Again with Netflix's 'God's Favorite Idiot'. Rap in the 90s was apparently not his go-to genre. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers faced NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner Larry Bird and the 61win Celtics, and owing to the core's three consecutive playoff appearances, the more experienced 76ers were favored to win the series. 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. Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. But with Abdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV.. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. . pic.twitter.com/Dzw6reXR98, Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 16, 2018. 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 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. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. He came into the league with the most pressure to preform and did so admirably as the Heat led the East in road wins, despite every game having a playoff atmosphere. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. 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. 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