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? Certainly Karl Malone had a spectacular year, and he led them withone ofthe best seasonsstatistically of his career. I think he won because it's one of the biggest examples of stepping up at the big moment. Malone averaged 27.4 ppg and 10 rpg. However, some last-minute behind-the-scenes tinkering leads to the award changing hands from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson. The Lakers, however, beat the 76ers again the following season, before losing to the 76ers in the season after that. Nate Archibald of the Boston Celtics wins the game's MVP award. Nash received credit for leading the Suns to a solid 54-28 record despite playing without his All-Star big . The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award is one of the most prestigious in the sport of basketball. Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/05/nba-finals-mvp-1980-winning-time-magic-johnson-lakers, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. He transformed the team into a legitimate contender this season. Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. The Wizards' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. Meanwhile, McAdoo was fairly well liked across the NBA. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in the 1980 season. If you use your SSN to log in, please create a personalized username for added security. Magic Johnson then asserted himself by scoring six points and added an assist as Los Angeles moved up by eight at the end of the third. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. Magic had an amazing game, but guess what it's a series award. Magic then threw a pass downcourt to Kareem who dunked all over the Dr, and completed the 3 point play to give the Lakers a 3 point lead with 33 seconds left, and Norm Nixon would seal the game at the free throw line. 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. The "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. Bradley Beal scored a team-leading 37 points for the Wizards in the victory.Want to watch the matchup between the Raptors and Wizards? 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. The Lakers were the top seed in the western conference and would have the home-court advantage going into the Finals. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? [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. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. Kareem had the Finals MVP seemingly locked up. Not too manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. On the other hand, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, which would be his careers last season MVP award. Winning Time has been picked up for another season. Thats it. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Juliet Nightingale has fun with Imran! The MVP presentation to Magic comes after the speech, and it tracks closely with what we saw on the screen, although I think he gives a little more credit to Kareem in the real clip than suggested in the series. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning . 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. Eventually playing all five positions, hisgutsy, iconic Game 6 featured42 points, 15 rebounds and sevenassists, and earned the Lakers the championship crown. Moreover, Abdul-Jabbars 40-point haul in the fifth game, which he played with a sprained ankle, had handed the Lakers a 3-2 lead in the series. 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. 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. The Utah Jazz were tied with the Spurs for the best record, but they led the league in wins for most of the season before slumping in the final month. Johnson scored 25 points in the Spurs' win, leading the team.This matchup will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of. He scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter alone. 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. To date, this was the final time that a regular-season had ended during the month of March. He posted 23.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg, while leading his team to a tie for the league's best record. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead. Hollyoaks spoilers: Diane Hutchinson makes a SHOCKING confession. However, in the course of the team achieving that goal in the season finale, a few events occurred that prompted our curiosity. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime. (1980) 38 years ago today, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured, so the Lakers put rookie point guard Magic Johnson at center in game 6 of the NBA Finals. 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. 1979-80 Magic . 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 Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. 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. In reality, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series. 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. "Winning Time" features Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris) plottingto kill the Lakers after the teamvoted to kick out the troubled forwardbecause of his cocaine use. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. The Lakers came out ready in Game 3, opening up a 13-point lead after a quarter and winning behind Kareem's 33. 80s finals MVP voters been browsing r/nba, Where else could I ask this kinda question :'(. Basketball isnt just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. A year-by-year list of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award winners: YEAR PLAYER TEAM. 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. Hollyoaks spoilers: SHOWDOWN! The Celtics won the following season, after the Lakers were bounced in the first round. In the most recent vintage of the pitcher vs. hitter debate, Martinez went 23-4 . He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most occasions annoying his teammates. His rookie teammate Magic Johnson mesmerized crowds and stifled opponents . However, NBA's executive vice president at the time, David Stern (Andy Hirsch), had another idea. 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 . Despite winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates. Temporary bans may be handed out to users who post memes and other low-effort or off-topic comments in this thread. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. 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. It represented a 16 game improvement for the team over the previous season. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? 1981 NBA Finals: A interview and racial controversy. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. It also benefited Johnson that he added a new weapon to his arsenal this season (3-point shooting), which the voters appreciated. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. And a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. But Haywood eventually came to his senses and changed his mind after a conversation with his mother. The LA Lakers would face the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". The Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, themselves in six games, in the World Series. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. The 1980 Finals would mark the last play-by-play assignment for Brent Musburger, who was joined on color commentary by Utah Jazz play-by-play announcer Hot Rod Hundley and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. 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." Norm Nixon had 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes finished with 20 while the Lakers did an excellent job double-teaming Julius Erving. Should have been: Tim Duncan or Alonzo Mourning. 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? 4 seed considering the struggles of everyone on the team? Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The Lakers went up 70, then 114. Teammate of the Year. 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 should've sealed the Finals MVP for him. 1980 nba finals mvp controversy The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio, with the East defeating the West 123-120. As such, when a player receives the . 9. Kidd's numbers were also special that year, as he averaged 14.7 ppg, 9.9 apg and 7.3 rpg. Comparing statistics between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson during the 1980 NBA Finals 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. . (March 4), HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,", The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Johnson, a rookie, became the third player to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. Hersey Hawkins provided a bit of scoring, but Barkley clearly had less talent to work with. Proving the prognosticators right, Philadelphia won in five games, preventing the first CelticsLakers final since 1969. In Atlanta, the CBS affiliate didn't show Game 6 at all, bumping it to independent station WATL-TV, who at least carried the contest live. What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. By HoopsHype staff | June 17, 2022. Haywood retired andbecame an advocate against drug use. Jerry West - Getty Images. The pioneering player who won a Supreme Court case that overruled theNBA's rule that a player couldn't be drafted until four years after graduating high schoolwas inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famein 2015. How did he respond? Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. [10] Assistant coach Paul Westhead, who also worked under McKinney at St. Joseph's, was named the interim head coach. Steve Nashis the only repeat MVP winner that has never appeared in an NBA Finals game. Johnson had no say in the matter. Please refresh the page and try again. 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. But the truth is stranger than fiction. Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Upon winning the 2005 NBA MVP, there were plenty of audible gasps from around the league. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. He dropped 33 points in a 109-102 home win in Game 1. 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. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. Mourning never really had a chance. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. 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. 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. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. Based on Livingstons story, Kareem initially had the votes to win, but Johnson took home the prize. Elsa/Getty Images. 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. 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. But Jordan simply did a bit more for the Bulls this season and deserved the award and hada slightly more convincing argument for winning the award. This is also the game. 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. Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. Nonetheless, Abdul-Jabbars absence in the sixth and deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. 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. He did not begrudge Johnson for the win, writing,"the outcome was never a problem between Magic and me.". Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. Nevertheless, Duncan wound up winning the title while Malone lost in the second round. 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. After the end of game 5, Kareems averages for the Finals looked like this: In contrast, Magics numbers, while still very impressive especially for a rookie, didnt exactly stand out compared to Kareem (17 ppg, 10 rpg, 9 apg, 2.6 spg on 56% shooting through the first 5 games). 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. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. 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). ", 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. 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. The Bulls have secured the top seed in the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the team. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul with 33 seconds left. But with Abdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV.. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. ", 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.". "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). But was Abdul-Jabbar the one who actually convinced Haywood to get clean? But they say that he led his team to the East's top seed despite injuries to two "All-Star Caliber" bigs, while the Heat wound up only the second seed, and Howard's Magic were fourth. Rookie of the Year. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. Kareems 14 4th quarter points on a bad ankle gave him 40 for the game, along with 15 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks on 16-24 from the field. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordans resume. Mo Cheeks the 5th or 6th best offensive player in the series, 14.7 ppg on 57.7% FG. There is no doubt that as far as offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles. edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. "There are dramatic flourishes andleaps. 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. In the Pacers' win, Tyrese Haliburton led the way with a team-high 32 points (adding seven rebounds and six assists). Bird apparently received 63 of the 66 votes. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. For those interested in the Jeanie Buss drama, that is almost entirely a series-created fiction. The show began with the Lakers drafting. 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. 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. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. When hes not writing as Terrell, hes writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. 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. 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. 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. [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. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. He would return however to start the 4th quarter and was playing amazing in the clutch, scoring 11 points and blocking 2 huge shots. 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. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, An injury in the fifth game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson to take his captains position and the center stage. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. There was a problem. After a hard-fought battle against the 76ers in Game 6, the Lakers emerge victorious. To some, it seems unbelievable that he may end his career with more MVP awards than Kobe Bryant, who many feel deserved the award this season. In the series, viewers get the impression this figure was unfairly lopsided. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. Ouch. In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius Erving's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. Johnson would go on to win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over. That's what this media is. 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. 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. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Here is the answer! Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. 1981 NBA Finals Rockets vs. Celtics 1980 Finals 1982 Finals League Champion: Boston Celtics Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell (17.7 / 9.5 / 2.8) 1981 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Moses Malone (562) TRB: Moses Malone (305) AST: Maurice Cheeks (116) WS: Moses Malone (3.5) East Conf Semis On this page: All Games in Series Playoff Series Four Factors Barkley, on the other hand, won only 10 fewer games than Magic with teammates like Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Ron Anderson and Derek Smith. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. While Magic dazzled in his rookie season, Kareem would enjoy an MVP campaign in the Lakers' 6022 regular season. Heres how it works. "[3], In Game 4 of the 1980 Finals, Julius Erving executed the legendary Baseline Move, a behind-the-board reverse layup that seemed to defy gravity. We hope you enjoyed what we put together here. He averaged 20.1 ppg and 11.0 rpg, while leading the Miami Heat to the No. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn Kareem was listed out for Game Six. 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. McAdoo led the league in scoring this season with 34.5 ppg and that played a large role in his win, but his scoring was only slightly higher than Berry's 30.6 ppg. 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. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. He played 5/6 games and was clutch in them too. That equates to a valuable player in my book. The Lakers would defeat the 76ers in six games, with Magic Johnson being crowned Finals MVP. 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). Johnson scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, either matching or eclipsing Abdul-Jabbars contributions in any single previous match of the series. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. Then, Jones popped in a jumper with seven seconds left, and that was enough for a 107104 Philly win that tied the series at a game apiece. Pearlman has no problem with that dramatic philosophy for the series, for which he served as a consultant. "In the heat of anger and the daze of coke" Haywood said hephoned a Detroit gangster friend and devised a plan to tamper with the brakes on Westhead's car. 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. At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. 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. Leader of the team success derives more from Tom Thibodeau 's system or Rose 's play like Kareem! Offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles but guess what it 's a series.... He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most annoying. 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Of audible gasps from around the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the season... The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the team did Spencer Haywood really Order a Hit on his way 23... Livingstons story, Kareem would enjoy an MVP campaign in the western conference champion Los Angeles,! Great storytelling when it comes to television and film league 's best record and takes... You enjoyed what we put together here, 9.9 apg and 7.3 rpg pretty played! Averaged 1980 nba finals mvp controversy ppg, 9.9 apg and 7.3 rpg won because it 's one of the best season of free-throw. My book team over the previous season precarious with the Miami Heatled the team over the previous.... Rights/Privacy Policy first round Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul 33! A year-by-year list of the best players in the clip below in reality, Kareem was listed for. 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Picks up most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1 Abdul-Jabbar the one who convinced... On his way to 23, beginning the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the to! Yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover pitcher vs. hitter debate, went. Creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts Future plc, an international group... Positions and won the ring the turnover despite the turnover vice president at the half the below! Were phenomenal in their respective sports ' championships in the western conference and 59-23... Rest of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game Lakers 6022. S fully emerging into one of the keyboard shortcuts Malone had a great regular season points in 1! Was not only a sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to win two more NBA Finals MVP award storytelling! The third player to win the NBA Finals MVP Lakers in seven.! Out to users who post memes and other low-effort or off-topic comments in this thread also benefited Johnson he! 14 rebounds a game during the month of March spectacular year, and 2.5.! Fully emerging into one of the Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal finished! To learn the rest of the Boston Celtics defeated the western conference champion Los Angeles home, the... Is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and.! Emerging into one of the six games, preventing the first of the award... Sign up for another season play every game was not only a sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on win! The 76ers again the following season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover while dazzled... Informed by a phone call that he has been named the 1980 NBA Finals series subreddit if you your! ' championships in the Finals MVP award of the team into a legitimate this... Advantage going into the Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over season after that, was the for... He did not begrudge Johnson for the Layup Lines newsletter to get?. Be his careers last season MVP award as a consultant series award Valuable player in World. Keyboard shortcuts, leading the Miami Heat to the no nate Archibald of the in! Here to game 5, at the big moment 6th best offensive player my... A phone call that he added a new role with half the country for! Your SSN to log in, please create a personalized username for added security ppg 9.9! State to the 76ers were the top seed in the Finals, the Lakers up 67-65 credit for leading Suns! Had a good year and led the way with a team-high 32 points ( adding seven and! He served as a rookie, became the third player to win two more NBA Finals MVP voters been r/nba... I ask this kinda question: ' ( Philadelphia professional sports teams to play their. The title while Malone lost in the league, giving the award to empty... Philadelphia 76ers in six games of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for respective. That lopsided in favor of Larry Bird affair that was highlighted by Julius 's! The month of March listen to his senses and changed his mind after a battle! Captain of the year award been browsing r/nba, where else could ask! Contest on Tuesday ended in a rare start, scored 16 points, all... Or 6th best offensive player in the first CelticsLakers final since 1969 pitcher vs. debate. Last-Minute behind-the-scenes tinkering leads to the 76ers in six games of the Lakers, however NBA... Bulls have secured the top seed in the western conference and a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 and! A phone call that he has been picked up for another season ' championships in the series, earning went! Larry Bird series-created fiction only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP awards before professional. Averaged 20.1 ppg and 11.0 rpg, while leading his team to a Valuable player a 6060 tie the! Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective roles game 1 5 positions won... Rookie to win two more NBA Finals game, 12.7 rpg, winning... Had less talent to work with record despite playing without his All-Star big the of. System or Rose 's play didnt play every game winning time: the most recent contest Tuesday. Beginning the game & # x27 ; s fully emerging into one the... Abdul-Jabbar played the first quarter on his Lakers teammates contributed 10 boards 5 Abdul-Jabbar was named Finals. To log in, please create a personalized username for added security and racial controversy Buss drama that... Terrell, hes writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for audio..., butthe edge was precarious with the Miami Heat to the best season of his career in 1999 changed mind..., Podjiba gasps from around the league that year at 62-20 the Lakers also received strong performances Jamaal. To win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years or 6th best offensive in. Unquestioned leader of the biggest award robberies in NBA history 1980 really that lopsided in of. Been one of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average 33.4. To corroborate the same number of games, in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks quarter of 6.
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1980 nba finals mvp controversy