1980 nba finals mvp controversy1980 nba finals mvp controversy
edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. 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. 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 final controversy in Winning Time episode 10 delivers another rather surprising true story. Malone averaged 27.4 ppg and 10 rpg. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. According to "Showtime,"the idea was suggested by Lakers head coach Paul Westhead (played by Jason Segel in the series),and Johnson loved it. The Lakers' team doctors declared Abdul-Jabbar and his bad ankle unfit for Game 6 (he wasn't even allowed to make the trip to Philadelphia with the team because of the swelling), so Laker coach Paul Westhead made a bold move by asking Magic Johnson to jump center. Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. 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. 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. Few would take you seriously if you were in a writers room and suggested that a rookie win NBA Finals MVP. Enough of us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award 4-3. 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. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. Even in this most recent episode, while not in a locker room, Johnson glides onto the teams flight listening to M.A.Z.E.s "Golden Time of the Day." Based on Livingstons story, Kareem initially had the votes to win, but Johnson took home the prize. Barkley, on the other hand, won only 10 fewer games than Magic with teammates like Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Ron Anderson and Derek Smith. Kareem was listed out for Game Six. But Kobe Bryant was just sensational this season, posting 35.4 ppg (first in the league), 5.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. 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. Coach Trailed by a 'What if?' Perhaps just an absence in Game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which seemed unfair. "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . It's not a travesty to give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a game. Compared to Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson averaged only 21.5 points per game and 11.2 assists per game. Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. 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. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2.[1]. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. He led the Utah Jazz to the best record in franchise history at 64-18 and perfected his turnaround fadeaway jumpshot, which, like Jabbar's skyhook, proved to be one of the toughest shots to guard in the league. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson have remained friends on and off the court for years, so the award situation likely did not dent their relationship. 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. Did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson win the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? It was one of then-owner Jack Kent Cooke's final acts before selling the team to Jerry Buss during that summer. 2021-22 Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors . Bradley Beal scored a team-leading 37 points for the Wizards in the victory.Want to watch the matchup between the Raptors and Wizards? You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. 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. The 1980 NBA World. 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. Wade's play in 2006 is, to this date, the best Michael Jordan impression anyone has ever done on the finals stage. We encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion. He dropped 33 points in a 109-102 home win in Game 1. Eventually playing all five positions, hisgutsy, iconic Game 6 featured42 points, 15 rebounds and sevenassists, and earned the Lakers the championship crown. Could it have been possible that Amare Stoudemire's stronger 26.9 ppg and 8.9 rpg could have played a larger part in the teams success? Dr J wasnt about to go lightly however, and he himself went off in the 4th to bring the game to a 103-103 tie with 43 seconds left. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. 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. The Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders in January 1981. 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 . Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime. Hersey Hawkins provided a bit of scoring, but Barkley clearly had less talent to work with. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? Magic Johnson picked up three Finals MVP Awards (1980, 1982 and 1987) while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985) and James Worthy (1988) received the honor once each. After a hard-fought battle against the 76ers in Game 6, the Lakers emerge victorious. 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. 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 his numbers: 15.5 ppg and 11.5 apg seemed awfully meager for the league's most valuable player. 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. West even threatenedlegal action through a letter from his lawyer, demanding a retraction from HBO and producer Adam McKay, whilecalling Jason Clarke's rage-filledperformance a "malicious assault. pic.twitter.com/Dzw6reXR98, Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 16, 2018. Abdul-Jabbar then limped back onto the floor. However, the Sixers turned the ball right back over by stepping out of bounds on a desperation 3-point attempt. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. The pundits gave the Lakers little chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the series. Johnson won three MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was unable to win all three in consecutive seasons. Steve Nashis the only repeat MVP winner that has never appeared in an NBA Finals game. 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 "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. NBA Opening Draw To Twilight Shaquille O'Neal Vol 2 Chapter 1021: 3 pairs of controversy . Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. 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. According to ESPN (opens in new tab), the Celtics legend received 63 votes for Rookie of the Year to the Laker legends three. Sky hooks and an epic comb-over: The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers. And a rookie Magic pretty much played all 5 positions and won the ring. In Game 6, Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. Crazy amount of offense that series. In the eight years between championships, the Lakers made the NBA Finals again in 1973 and lost to the New York Knicks in five games. Nash received credit for leading the Suns to a solid 54-28 record despite playing without his All-Star big . Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976. Happiness. Johnson had no say in the matter. [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 pulled out a 108-103 victory. Kareem absolutely deserved it. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. 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. Norm Nixon would finally seal the game at the foul line by making both of his foul shots. Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors. 3. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar was crowned the regular season MVP. In 2002, they were only third. Even tho Magic still had 19/5/14 on 67-88%, 76% TS of his own in G7. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. 1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. In reality, Haywood wrote in a 1988 account in People magazine, he blamed Westhead, who had actually kicked Haywood off the team following Game 3. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. 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 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. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. That equates to a valuable player in my book. No, I never heard of them either. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio, with the East defeating the West 123-120. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. [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. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. Ultimately, Magic Johnson was named the 1980 Finals MVP and would repeat the feat twice (in 1982 and 1987). NBA History - 1980 Awards Award: This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius Erving's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. The 76ers were the first of the four Philadelphia professional sports teams to play for their respective sports' championships in the 1980 season. 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. Free. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? Its been more than 4 decades but this incident still feels like one of the greatest robberies of sports history. Kidd should have won the award that year. The Wizards' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. That performance earned Magic his first of 3 career Finals MVP awards. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. 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. "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). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. Haywood retired andbecame an advocate against drug use. The Celtics won the following season, after the Lakers were bounced in the first round. 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. 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. [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]. 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. 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. Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) intercepts the message, but he doesnt tell Johnson what it says until the guard is in need of extra motivation to beat the 76ers. The general opinion across the NBA when Karl Malone beat out Michael Jordan for MVP in 1997 was: "Oh, so the voters decided to give it to someone other than Jordan." 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. So Magic just got it for his amazing game 6. Mourning never really had a chance. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. 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. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. To date, this was the final time that a regular-season had ended during the month of March. 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. However, reporters change their votes at the last moment, and David Stern awards the Finals MVP to Magic Johnson. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. 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. 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