J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. 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. Temporary bans may be handed out to users who post memes and other low-effort or off-topic comments in this thread. The first time, we could chalk it up to an NBA that was simply looking to shed its image in the recent wake of the "Malice in the Palice" and clean up the league by highlighting more agreeable faces to spotlight the game. He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most occasions annoying his teammates. Steve Nash is the only repeat MVP winner that has never appeared in an NBA Finals game. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. Most Improved Player. [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. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. So, whatd you guys think? The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. 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. Greatness. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. Defensive Player of the Year. 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 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. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. But as strong as those number may seem, they represent one of Malone's worst statistical seasons since his rookie year. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. 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). 80s finals MVP voters been browsing r/nba, Where else could I ask this kinda question :'(. But when considering the select company of repeat MVP winners, Nash stood with LeBron James, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, and the players that only won once in Shaq, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon, or never won in Isiah Thomas, Jerry West. Despite winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates. 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. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. No. Thats it. She performed that job while attending U.S.C. How did he respond? Enough of us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award 4-3. Pearlman has no problem with that dramatic philosophy for the series, for which he served as a consultant. "Look at any TV show or movie based on a sports event that really happened, whether it's '42,' 'We Are Marshall,' 'A League of Their Own,'" he says. 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, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? 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. Johnson had no problem and was up to the challenge, although he would lose the famous opening tip to Caldwell Jones. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. 1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976. Bath LeBron James was so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers that he scored four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP. 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. Thus they hired former player Billy Cunningham as head coach, and in 1978 the team traded for defensive stalwart Bobby Jones and drafted Maurice Cheeks, while letting go players such as George McGinnis and World B. He averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 43.9 minutes per game. Ouch. But at least in 2001 the Spurs were the conferences top seed. McAdoo's Buffalo Braves (later to become the Los Angeles Clippers) won 49 games in his MVP year, which was good for only the third best record in the conference. 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. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. 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. 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. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. 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. 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. Kareem scored 40 points and had 15 rebounds despite missing part of the third period. [18] (This is often cited as an example of TV's lack of interest in the NBA in the "pre-Magic and Bird" era.). The Lakers, however, went on to win the Western Conference. 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. According to The Washington Post (opens in new tab), when the Laker great was a rookie, he would indeed walk around blasting music. Erving, continues weaving truth with dramatic license. You will receive a verification email shortly. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. However, some last-minute behind-the-scenes tinkering leads to the award changing hands from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson. Jim Chones effectively shut down the middle in place of Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and held Darryl Dawkins to 14 points and a scant four rebounds. 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. It was one of then-owner Jack Kent Cooke's final acts before selling the team to Jerry Buss during that summer. In the 197980 season the 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. 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). But Worthy had 36/16/10 on 68-60%, 68% TS in G7. Did Nash really belong in that distinguished company? BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. 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. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. 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. Granted, the Lakers were only a 7th seed this season and won 47 games to make the playoffs after missing them the previous year. Elsa/Getty Images. 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. 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. 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. [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. But by the second time, it was getting serious. Juliet Nightingale has fun with Imran! 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Was this actually the final count? This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius Erving's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. ", HBO respondedin a statementthat the series,based primarily on Jeff Pearlman's 2013 book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s," had been"fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes.". Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Sixth Man of the Year. 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. Here is the answer! The pundits gave the Lakers little chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the series. Nevertheless, Duncan wound up winning the title while Malone lost in the second round. But the truth is stranger than fiction. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. ", 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. We hope you enjoyed what we put together here. Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. Based on Livingstons story, Kareem initially had the votes to win, but Johnson took home the prize. Heres how it works. Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. Its unclear, however, if Magic actually knew that, or if Kareem was actually waiting for the phone call. When I did the first MVP poll of the season on Jan. 1, Steph Curry was the obvious . He liked to play songs that didnt appeal to the general musical taste of the locker room. For the record, I think Rose is very deserving of the award. Hollyoaks spoilers: Diane Hutchinson makes a SHOCKING confession. 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. That's what this media is. 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. That performance earned Magic his first of 3 career Finals MVP awards. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty season finale sees the LA Lakers competing for the highest honor in basketball, the NBA Championship. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. The Lakers began the season being coached by Jack McKinney as owner Jerry Buss, who had recently acquired the team, wanted games to be entertaining, and hired the coach to install a running offense. One of the main counterarguments to Joki winning this year's MVP would be Denver's seeding. What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. Yeah, but in the 5/6 he did he seem to have been the better player? Kareem had the Finals MVP seemingly locked up. The NBA world doesn't think voters got the MVP selection right. Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. Another interesting observation during Game Six was Jamaal Wilkes performance, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. However, in the course of the team achieving that goal in the season finale, a few events occurred that prompted our curiosity. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. This scene is described in "Showtime"and recounted ina March Fubo TV interview by Lakers guard Michael Cooper, who noted the scene signified Johnson stepping upto the next level with his leadership and performance. 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. Johnson had no say in the matter. 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. 1981 NBA Finals: A interview and racial controversy. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. 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. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. 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 also contributed many intangibles to the team as well, such as his defensive tenacity and his incredible will to win, eventually leading the Nets to its first ever trip to the finals. Series clinching game: Magic 42/15/7/3/1, Kareem not even in the state of Pennsylvania. Abdul-Jabbar was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. 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. Happiness. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Basketball isnt just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. [2] Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 reboundsand handing out seven assists Johnson led the Lakers to the NBA crown. Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. And his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. To be fair, Jerry West's numbers in the 1969 NBA Finals were impressive even by his standards. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. However, that wasn't enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. There is no doubt that as far as offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles. The Lakers would defeat the 76ers in six games, with Magic Johnson being crowned Finals MVP. [17], The series-deciding Game 6 became the most notorious example of CBS's practice of showing even the most important NBA games on "tape delay" broadcasts. Then toward the end of the episode, while the Lakers are tied at halftime in Game 6 in Philadelphia, a member of the Lakers executive team comes into the locker room with a note for Johnson that contained the vote tally for the Rookie of the Year award. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. Thanks so much for A good well thought out answer! So was Abdul-Jabbar the real winner of the MVP title that year? Meanwhile, Birds Celtics were defeated by Julius Ervings 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. A year-by-year list of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award winners: YEAR PLAYER TEAM. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. Jordan led the Bulls to an incredible 69-13 season (tied for second best of all-time) despite losing starting center Luc Longley and sixth man of the year Toni Kukoc for around 25 games apiece due to injuries. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. The rookie stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime. 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. 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. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. He played 5/6 games and was clutch in them too. He scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter alone. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. Along with Jamaal Wilkes' 37 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper chipped in 16. Magic winning the 1980 Finals. Controversy has followed the "Winning Time" success. edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle. BA1 1UA. Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. Ivan Rodriguez over Pedro Martinez, 1999. 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. Hollyoaks spoilers: SHOWDOWN! 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. 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. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Hollyoaks spoilers: Tony Hutchinson calls social services to report Warren! . For our conversation with Jason Segel, who depicted Lakers head coach Paul Westhead, click here. J." 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. "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. The Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. 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 . Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. As the finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the home of Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris). 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). T-6. The NBA's MVP award has been chosen annually by a panel of media members since the 1980-81 season. Julius Erving arrived before the 197677 season, and with him as the focal point of the offense, the 76ers soon transformed into a title contender. But one question I have is: Is his win a manifestation of the LeBron James-hate brigade, or would he have won regardless of the controversial "Decision" broadcast that turned the entire voting poll against James this year? But his numbers: 15.5 ppg and 11.5 apg seemed awfully meager for the league's most valuable player. Becauseif it had worked, I wouldn't be seeing you. 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. 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. With a split in L.A., the Sixers were hoping to take command of the series with the next two games in Philadelphia. 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. However, reporters apparently had to change their votes since the NBAs broadcaster did not want to present the award to an absent player. Now, this is not to say that Nash's impact on the Suns was not felt. 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. Kareem was listed out for Game Six. The 1980 NBA Finals TV Mini Series 1980 YOUR RATING Rate Sport The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979/1980 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. Served the Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and had 15 rebounds despite part! 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