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. Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. Sky hooks and an epic comb-over: The casting magic of HBO's 'Winning Time' Lakers. Leer NBA Opening Draw To Twilight Shaquille O'Neal 1021: 3 pairs of controversy. Also, whats the truth behind Larry Birds Rookie of the Year award? Stats-wise Johnson and Barkley's numbers were both very strong: Barkley averaged 25.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, while Johnson averaged 22.3 ppg and 11.5 apg. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. To read our interview with Adrien Brody, who portrayed Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley, click here. Thanks so much for A good well thought out answer! edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. 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? 3. Generally, slumps by teams heading into the playoffs hurt MVP candidates, but it did not effect Malone's candidacy in the minds of voters. "Have no fear, Magic Johnson is here," he says. It also benefited Johnson that he added a new weapon to his arsenal this season (3-point shooting), which the voters appreciated. And his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. Scottie Scheffler becomes the third player to win The Masters at age 25 or younger in the last 40 years. Elsa/Getty Images. "That changed the whole tone," Cooper said. Tim Duncan led his Spurs to the best record in the West (by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Utah Jazz) and Duncan performed brilliantly, posting 21.7 ppg and 11.4 rpg. Lakers won the chip and Magic won MVP! He added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. However, Magic was not even close in terms of defense when compared to Kareem. 2021-22 Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors . His appearance aroused the Forum regulars and, despite the bad ankle, scored 11 points and had two key blocked shots down the stretch. Few would take you seriously if you were in a writers room and suggested that a rookie win NBA Finals MVP. 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. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. 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. As it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. But Kobe Bryant was just sensational this season, posting 35.4 ppg (first in the league), 5.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. So here they are, theeight most controversial MVP winners. 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. If you take James off and replace him with any other small forward in the game, could they get the same intangibles they get from James? (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. The 1990 MVP race would prove to be one of the closest in league history as Magic Johnson edged out "Sir Charles" by a mere 22 votes. Kerr, whose former teammate Michael Jordan was denied an MVP 3-peat twice in 1993 and 1997 is the most obvious example of when a player should have won the award but didn't due to reasons not readily accepted by the general public. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. When critics defend Rose they will acknowledge that his statistics are technically not better than James', and they won't argue that he is as dominant a force as Dwight Howard. The chemistry between the three was evident early on, as the Lakers eliminated the Phoenix Suns and defending champions Seattle SuperSonics in a pair of five-game playoff series to advance to the NBA Finals. Statistically, Bird did have the edge he scored 3 more points per game and grabbed 3 more rebounds per game, although Magic had 3 more assists per game but it certainly wasnt a 63-3 edge. ", 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. Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. 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. Warren Fox demands answers from Tony! Rap in the 90s was apparently not his go-to genre. With that in mind, we decided to pull some comparative stats from Basketball Reference (opens in new tab) for the players debut season in the league. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. He was a five-time NBA champion during his time in the league. Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. Its clear, though, that hes hurt, and he eventually goes into the locker room. He dropped 33 points in a 109-102 home win in Game 1. 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. Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. Cmo puede ocupar el segundo lugar en el MVP?" En la lnea . 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. Wining Time will be back with a season 2. 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. What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. He had all the ingredients to secure the award, except a clear public image. 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. 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/. Haywood retired andbecame an advocate against drug use. 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. The 6-foot-9-inch Johnson rose to the occasion and stepped into the center position for Game 6. Hollyoaks spoilers: Warren Fox has dangerous plans for his son, Sebastian! The 1980 NBA World. 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. Narrative. Many argue that the Lakers would have been a lottery team without Kobe in 2006, and one glance at the roster appears to back that claim up: Smush Parker, Chris Mihm, Kwami Brown. Controversy has followed the "Winning Time" success. The last time the Lakers had won the NBA championship was in 1972. Jerry West - 1969. Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. The Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. 1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics. Johnson won three MVPs from 1987 to 1990 but was unable to win all three in consecutive seasons. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? To be fair, Jerry West's numbers in the 1969 NBA Finals were impressive even by his standards. Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. Some of his favorite shows includeThe Crown,WandaVision, Abbot ElementaryandGodfather of Harlem. But the truth is stranger than fiction. NBA World Reacts To The Controversial MVP Selection. 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. Nonetheless, Abdul-Jabbars absence in the sixth and deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP. Los Angeles opened the third period with a 140 run, keyed by Jamaal Wilkes, who had 16 points in the quarter. Temporary bans may be handed out to users who post memes and other low-effort or off-topic comments in this thread. Based on Livingstons story, Kareem initially had the votes to win, but Johnson took home the prize. Westhead continued to use McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that came to be known as Showtime,[11][12][13] and the team finished the season with a record of 6022. 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. Kidd should have won the award that year. Did Nash really belong in that distinguished company? Something about a 42/15/7 game from your rookie PG filling in for your injured MVP center in a series clinching game might have something to do with it. Kareem had the Finals MVP seemingly locked up. 1979-80 Magic . Magic Johnson had a spectacular year in 1990. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. 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. [1] No, I never heard of them either. "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was originally voted as the Finals MVP. He hobbles thereafter, but they dont immediately call a time-out to remove him. Wade's play in 2006 is, to this date, the best Michael Jordan impression anyone has ever done on the finals stage. So my friend who is a huge Magic Johnson fan (refuses to place LeBron near him because 5 rings > 3 rings ) was watching the 1980 finals game 6 and obviously Magic went off in that game. Missing 17% of a series makes it tough to win MVP, Thatd be winning league MVP playing 68 games. 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. 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. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. 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. 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. "[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. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. Magic had an amazing game, but guess what it's a series award. 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. 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. SPOILERS AHEAD! Press J to jump to the feed. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. As the finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the home of Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris). 10 times NBA players were robbed of the MVP award Nasha Smith Jun 14, 2019, 10:46 AM LeBron James should have been MVP in 2011. "1. playoffs aren't a factor 2. the Nuggets would've been a non . "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. Alan Diaz/AP Michael Jordan was robbed in the 1988 - 1989 and. The. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. 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