But Worthy had 36/16/10 on 68-60%, 68% TS in G7. Rookie of the Year. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. No, I never heard of them either. To read our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here. 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. "Have no fear, Magic Johnson is here," he says. Duncan, to be sure, had a great year. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. James was playing for a different team, in a new role with half the country rooting for him to fail. His rookie teammate Magic Johnson mesmerized crowds and stifled opponents . 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 . He literally and symbolically takes Abdul-Jabbar's vacant plane seat. 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. That led to one of Magic's finest hours in the NBA as he slotted in at center and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and a block as the Lakers won the game and the championship.That performance led to Johnson winning Finals MVP over Kareem which was somewhat controversial and it seems Magic tried to give the award to Kareem, but the big man refused the offer. 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? 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. Defensive Player of the Year. Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). 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 . [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. The 7-foot-2-inch Abdul had ledhis team through the finals, gutting out aMVP-worthy Game 5 victory despite a severelyinjuredankle. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. Hollyoaks spoilers: REUNITED! Johnson, a rookie, became the third player to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. Perhaps just an absence in Game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which seemed unfair. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning . Kareem 40 pts vs. Sixers (Game 5, 1980 NBA finals) f9ish 5.27K subscribers Subscribe 239 Share Save 41K views 13 years ago Kareem had 40 pts, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. REMINDER: This thread is only for serious and thought-provoking analysis. 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. 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. In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, but Kareem couldn't do it alone. The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio, with the East defeating the West 123-120. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. Its clear, though, that hes hurt, and he eventually goes into the locker room. 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). 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. Erving, continues weaving truth with dramatic license. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. The Bulls have secured the top seed in the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the team. Kerr asserted that voters are less inclined to vote for the same player three years in a row and may choose to "spread the wealth" of the award around instead of rewarding a player for a third time. Steve Nash is the only repeat MVP winner that has never appeared in an NBA Finals game. Haywood retired andbecame an advocate against drug use. To be sure, Malone had a great season. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. Here is the answer! Back in 2015, Iguodala won the Finals MVP award after the Warriors defeated LeBron James and the Cavaliers, a result that still sparks debates among fans and media members to this day. Certainly Karl Malone had a spectacular year, and he led them withone ofthe best seasonsstatistically of his career. Hersey Hawkins provided a bit of scoring, but Barkley clearly had less talent to work with. Siakam recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Raptors. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. He dropped 33 points in a 109-102 home win in Game 1. But the truth is stranger than fiction. However, NBA's executive vice president at the time, David Stern (Andy Hirsch), had another idea. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. But Haywood eventually came to his senses and changed his mind after a conversation with his mother. SPOILERS AHEAD! Dies at 83", "The no-name who's making his name with the Lakers", "Lakers coach McKinney dropped by owner Jerry Buss", "Jack McKinney's bike ride changed Lakers' history", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1980_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615730, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:20. [8][9] On November 8, 1979, the Lakers were 94 after 13 games, when McKinney suffered a near fatal head injury after falling while bicycling. 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. The "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. He had 38 in Game 2, though the Sixers stole a road win. Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003-04 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.This season's NBA Finals was contested between the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons.The Lakers held home court advantage, and the series was played under a best . Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. 9. Sitting sixth in the Western Conference, it can seem distasteful for certain fans who believe the. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. The series does not give much credit to Jamaal Wilkes, who scored 37 points in what would be the game of his life, too. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. If you use your SSN to log in, please create a personalized username for added security. Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds,[3] and Norm Nixon. 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. Finally, the Sixers used their newfound size advantage in the second quarter to take a 5244 lead. There is no doubt that as far as offense goes both Kareem and Magic were phenomenal in their respective roles. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? But Kobe Bryant was just sensational this season, posting 35.4 ppg (first in the league), 5.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. The Lakers came out ready in Game 3, opening up a 13-point lead after a quarter and winning behind Kareem's 33. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. Defensive Player of the Year. 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. 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