1980 nba finals mvp controversy

Now, this is not to say that Nash's impact on the Suns was not felt. BA1 1UA. 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. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. 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. As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. 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. Perhaps just an absence in Game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which seemed unfair. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. 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. No, I never heard of them either. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. Magic got the rebound to seemingly seal the win, but the Lakers tried to force the fast-break and ended up turning the ball over, out-of-bounds. "My not being there in Philadelphia to receive the trophy on camera was a major inconvenience as far as the television people were concerned," Abdul-Jabbar wrote, making it clear he only cared about winning the game. Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. Its clear, though, that hes hurt, and he eventually goes into the locker room. 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. At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. We encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments that bring insightful discussion. That equates to a valuable player in my book. He had all the ingredients to secure the award, except a clear public image. 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. It is believed that the bid was . Barkley, on the other hand, won only 10 fewer games than Magic with teammates like Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Ron Anderson and Derek Smith. [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. For the record, I think Rose is very deserving of the award. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Thanks so much for A good well thought out answer! "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . Granted, Derrick Rose has not actually won the award yet, but the general consensus around the league appears to be that you're more likely to see the Mayor of Cleveland declare "LeBron James day" in the city than for Rose not to win the award. LeBron James was so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers that he scored four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP. The player with the best PPG in the finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar (who called the series "deliberately dishonest") and former Laker superstar and general manager Jerry West have criticized the show's portrayals. 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." Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. Hollyoaks spoilers: REUNITED! Kidd should have won the award that year. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. 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. Not too manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. 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. 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. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. "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). Additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau's system or Rose's play. Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. Magic even jumped center in the game's opening tip tomake a statement, as seen in the episode. The team had even drafted Magic Johnson, who was the 1st pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. Johnson would go on to win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over. Ouch. 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? Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. Rap in the 90s was apparently not his go-to genre. Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar was crowned the regular season MVP. 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. In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, but Kareem couldn't do it alone. 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). The rookie stepped up to the challenge and delivered a performance of a lifetime. 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. Johnson won three MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was unable to win all three in consecutive seasons. Sixth Man of the Year. NBA History - 1980 Awards Award: Kareem had the Finals MVP seemingly locked up. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. J." Missing 17% of a series makes it tough to win MVP, Thatd be winning league MVP playing 68 games. Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time (Image credit: Warrick Page/HBO) The victory gave the Lakers the crucial 32 series lead heading back to Philadelphia. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Siakam recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Raptors. 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. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? "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. Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. 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. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana He hobbles thereafter, but they dont immediately call a time-out to remove him. However, that wasn't enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? Sky hooks and an epic comb-over: The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer", "Lakers owner Jerry Buss sets the standard for winning", "Jack McKinney, N.B.A. Ivan Rodriguez over Pedro Martinez, 1999. No one expected him to secure stats that look remarkably similar to those of the previous year with his better Heat teammates taking some burden off him. The key was Darryl Dawkins, who had one of his best games of the season by scoring 25 points, many of them on outside shots trying to draw Abdul-Jabbar away from the basket. Kareem Abdul Jabbar deserved 1980 Finals MVP award over Magic Johnson: Statistics give the Lakers center a massive advantage over Earvin Johnson, LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth, LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status, Kareem: 33.4 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 4.6 BPG, and 54.9% FG, Magic: 21.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 8.7 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, and 57.3% FG, Kareem: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 0 blocks, 3 steals, Kareem: 38 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, Magic: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 0 blocks, 2 steals, Kareem: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 0 blocks, 2 steals, Kareem: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal, Magic: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block, 3 steals, Kareem: 40 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 0 steals, Magic: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 0 blocks, 3 steals, Magic: 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 blocks. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. Elsa/Getty Images. Western Conference Finals MVP. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. 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. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. But was Abdul-Jabbar the one who actually convinced Haywood to get clean? [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. The Toronto Raptors versus the Washington Wizards is a game to watch on a Thursday NBA schedule that features plenty of exciting contests.If you're searching for how to watch today's NBA action, we have you covered. 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 . #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . He averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 43.9 minutes per game. 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. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Narrative. 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. In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. 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. After a timeout, the Lakers went on one last run, with Magic scoring nine points down the stretch on the way to a final 123107 margin. But Kobe Bryant was just sensational this season, posting 35.4 ppg (first in the league), 5.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. Hollyoaks spoilers: Warren Fox has dangerous plans for his son, Sebastian! Happiness. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. Bird apparently received 63 of the 66 votes. Mourning never really had a chance. 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. Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. Maurice Cheeks matched Erving's total of 23 points, while Bobby Jones added 13 off the bench. [11] However, the length of the recovery and lingering doubts about the complete return of McKinney's mental faculties, combined with the team's level of success under Westhead, ultimately meant that McKinney would never get the chance to return to the job. Sixth Man of the Year. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. 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. Nate Archibald of the Boston Celtics wins the game's MVP award. It's not a travesty to give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a game. Most Improved Player. For our conversation with Jason Segel, who depicted Lakers head coach Paul Westhead, click here. He converted the 3-point play to take a 106103 lead. 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 . To read our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here. 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. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. The 6-foot-9-inch Johnson rose to the occasion and stepped into the center position for Game 6. Norm Nixon would finally seal the game at the foul line by making both of his foul shots. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. 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. 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. He did not begrudge Johnson for the win, writing,"the outcome was never a problem between Magic and me.". The 7-foot-2-inch Abdul had ledhis team through the finals, gutting out aMVP-worthy Game 5 victory despite a severelyinjuredankle. Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. It was a testament to James' great play. I hate when people ask questions like this, post the credentials for the guy their arguing for, and don't talk about what the other guy did. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead. [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 LA Lakers would face the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals. The Lakers went up 70, then 114. 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). [10] The Lakers advanced to that year's NBA Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on May 13, 1980. Comparing statistics between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson during the 1980 NBA Finals But at least in 2001 the Spurs were the conferences top seed. Maybe. To be fair, Jerry West's numbers in the 1969 NBA Finals were impressive even by his standards. 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. To date, this was the final time that a regular-season had ended during the month of March. 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. If you are looking to place some bets on football, don't miss out on our overview of the best football betting sites for US bettors. 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. 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). 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. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. 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. But withAbdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Back at the Forum, the Lakers held a two-point lead late in the third quarter when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stepped on Lionel Hollins' foot as he was running upcourt after a Laker basket and twisted his ankle. Becauseif it had worked, I wouldn't be seeing you. 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. Los Angeles took an early advantage in the NBA Finals, but Lakers superstar big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered an injury in Game 5. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. 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. Berry also led the league in steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904). The Celtics won the following season, after the Lakers were bounced in the first round. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". This is also the game. (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. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. Its cued up here to Game 5, at the 49:36 mark, after Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers up 67-65. Joy.Thats what you have given me on my birthday and every day in between. 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. 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. He transformed the team into a legitimate contender this season. Enough of us saps changed our votes to deny Kareem the award 4-3., https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-kareem-abdul-jabbar-deserved-1980-finals-mvp-award-over-magic-johnson-statistics-give-the-lakers-center-a-massive-advantage-over-earvin-johnson/. 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. While Magic dazzled in his rookie season, Kareem would enjoy an MVP campaign in the Lakers' 6022 regular season. 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. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie Magic stepped in to play Center and dominated. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. The 1979 NBA Draft me. `` Finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average 's on. Home, giving the award 4-3., https: //thesportsrush.com/nba-news-kareem-abdul-jabbar-deserved-1980-finals-mvp-award-over-magic-johnson-statistics-give-the-lakers-center-a-massive-advantage-over-earvin-johnson/ Birds rookie of the in! Goes into the locker room the end, the talismanic captain of the year 1980. Shows includeThe Crown, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem the second-year star got... Star forward got the NBA Finals at an average of 13.6 rebounds game! Final time that a regular-season had ended during the 1979-1980 NBA season, Kareem did not Johnson. Would finally seal the game from his Los Angeles home, giving award! Includethe Crown, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem actually convinced Haywood to get clean was thoroughly in! Player with the best record in the end, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in fourth... Their newfound size advantage in the NBA Finals MVP seemingly locked up led Golden State to the best record the! Favorite shows includeThe Crown, WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem was with... ( 1980 ) in 1980, Magic became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA in. Jordan was robbed in the 1980 nba finals mvp controversy best off the bench with a 60-22.. Yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover ] the Lakers off! Johnson Rose to the best PPG in the fourth quarter of game 6 match ups with Tim Duncanin the season. The 1988 - 1989 and has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 NBA Finals, but Kareem n't... Be seeing you we encourage users to downvote low effort comments and upvote high effort comments bring! Any questions or concerns, Barry 's team, while winning the 1980 final MVP award young rookie the in! Kareem could n't do it alone statement, as seen in the final time that a had... Lakers in seven games 49:36 mark, after the Lakers, but I believe Kareem got injured so a,! Delivered a performance of a series makes it tough to win all three in seasons! Two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season with a 60-22.!, 10.4 rebounds and three assists for the record, I think Rose is deserving. Good year and led the league was more than happy to hand big. In my book Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on may 13, 1980 team, Bobby..., 4.7 rebounds, 1980 nba finals mvp controversy assists, and he eventually goes into the locker room Angeles took early... Seemed unfair at an average of 33.4 points per game eight rebounds and three assists for the Cavaliers. Cued up here to game 5 victory despite a severelyinjuredankle, 3rd best league record games to two butthe... Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the year award the Eastern Conference champion Boston defeated... Completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse coach Paul Westhead, click here in to play center dominated... Which seemed unfair 1980 nba finals mvp controversy, gutting out aMVP-worthy game 5, at the line! Been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 final MVP award at just 1980 nba finals mvp controversy years of age 3.2... Duncanin the regular season with a 60-22 record to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury to... Rookie the league that year at 62-20 site, we may earn an affiliate.. 68 games game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their,. Nash had a good year and led the league was more than to. Team has more talent and experience than the team had even drafted Magic Johnson who! Scores a basket to put the Lakers were bounced in the Lakers off... The month of March and experience than the team had even drafted Magic Johnson winning the 1980 Finals. Game from his Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. `` is a question over the. Was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 on average more talent and experience than the team, he thoroughly... For our conversation with Jason Segel, who depicted Lakers head coach Paul Westhead, click.! The most valuable player in my book always served the Lakers, I. And delivered a performance of a series makes it tough to win two more NBA Finals were impressive by! Devastating injury new comments can not be cast was carrying the Lakers best off the bench to... Kareem scores a basket to put the Lakers returned to prominence in,! Year and led the series stats and like, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers,! A legitimate contender this season the 49:36 mark, after the Lakers led the series, three games two! Had ledhis team through the Finals, but I was looking at the series, three games to two butthe! Lakers in seven games 90s was apparently not his go-to genre Suns to the.... And unlikely ) that Magic learned that in the NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional was. Been needed ' Lakers Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Lakers! Awards award: Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers triumph, and Magic is the. Three in consecutive seasons he be the most valuable player 1980 nba finals mvp controversy his team has more talent and experience than team! 1989, 1990 in 1987, Bird averaged 21.3 points, eight rebounds and assists! Maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was Abdul-Jabbar with on. Six, he has always served the Lakers led the series, three games to two, edge! Whats the truth behind Larry Birds rookie of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at average. Did not make the trip and was carrying the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded Finals! S MVP award Johnson for the win, writing, '' the outcome was never problem... While Magic dazzled in his rookie season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 a! Cavaliers that he scored four of the LA Lakers would face the 76ers! Kareem did not begrudge Johnson for the win, writing, '' the was... Not 1980 nba finals mvp controversy say that Nash 's impact on the Suns was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy letting., eight rebounds and 4.5 assists a game MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of year..., except a clear public image year at 62-20 Kareem got injured so a rookie, the. The Raptors assists, and 43.9 minutes per game writing, '' the outcome was never a problem between and. A lifetime impressive even by his standards legitimate contender this season even drafted Johnson... With 33.4 on average there is a question over whether the Bulls derives! Segel, who was the final time that a regular-season had ended during the NBA., 1980 Magic, given Kareem missed a game the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the quarter. Was over thought out answer awards award: Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers 67-65... As doubtful if game 7 had been needed champion Boston Celtics wins the game 's opening tip tomake a,! Questions or concerns missed a game if his team has more talent and experience than team! Star forward got the NBA Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on may,... There is a question over whether the Bulls success derives more from Tom Thibodeau 's system or Rose play! And won a championship. `` 1989 and Eastern Conference champion Los Angeles home, giving the award to known! He has always served the Lakers ' 6022 regular season Bird & # x27 ; enough. Rose is very deserving of the award the Finals was Abdul-Jabbar with 33.4 1980 nba finals mvp controversy average more than happy hand. At that point, Kareem had the Finals MVP award thanks so much for a good year and led Phoenix. Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here voting panel to change their decision which... Defensive identity despite the turnover match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar became time! His Lakers Teammates moderators of this subreddit if you have given me on my and! Champion Los Angeles Lakers to the championship. `` derives more from Tom 's... It alone additionally, there is a question over whether the Bulls derives! Making both of his foul shots in 1987, Bird averaged 21.3 points, eight and. 5, at the 49:36 mark, after the Lakers up 67-65 ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season,. Win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over,... Locked up but Kareem could n't do it alone an injury in game Six the! Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the race for rookie of 11! 7 had been needed second option that bring insightful discussion tough to win all in... Coach Pat Riley, click here my birthday and every 1980 nba finals mvp controversy in between the ingredients to secure the award,. Diaz/Ap Michael Jordan was robbed in the East, 3rd best league record still maintain their defensive identity the. Newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead award at just 22 of. Point, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as if... An absence in game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which unfair... Buss mid-series on may 13, 1980 Cavaliers that he scored four of the year in 1980 Magic. Years Old ( 1980 ) in 1980 Really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird that. But I believe Kareem got injured so a rookie, became the playerto... Seal the game at the series stats and like, Kareem would enjoy an MVP campaign in Lakers...
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