1988 Finals MVP went to Worthy. Crazy amount of offense that series. Johnson scored 25 points in the Spurs' win, leading the team.This matchup will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of. Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. Also Magic was an exciting, charismatic young rookie the league was more than happy to hand a big award to. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. 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. Johnson would go on to win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record-breaking sixth MVP season came as the writing on the wall signaled a new heir apparent. Westhead said in "Showtime" that Haywood visited him during his drug recovery "to ask for my forgiveness" for the plot. The satisfying season finale of HBO's Winning Time aired this week, and most of the episode took place during Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Championship. 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. Magics performance in the sixth game not only crowned the Lakers as the 1980 NBA Champions but also won him the Finals MVP Award. 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. And his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. In 1979, Jeanie was only 17 years old, although two years later in 1981 her dad did appoint her the general manager of a tennis franchise, the Los Angeles Strings. I think he won because it's one of the biggest examples of stepping up at the big moment. 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. 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. Coach Trailed by a 'What if?' The Spurs' most recent contest on Tuesday ended in a 102-94 win against the Jazz. 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. 3rd seed in the East, 3rd best league record. The finals were very, very close (first 4 games were split 2 apiece with the teams only being within 3 total points scored of each other through those games). 1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. To be sure, Malone had a great season. 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. 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. With a split in L.A., the Sixers were hoping to take command of the series with the next two games in Philadelphia. He also contributed many intangibles to the team as well, such as his defensive tenacity and his incredible will to win, eventually leading the Nets to its first ever trip to the finals. Please refresh the page and try again. 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. 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. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. But withAbdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV. Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? [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]. Despite Kareem not playing in Game Six, he led Magic in PPG, RPG, BPG, and FG efficiency. 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. Siakam recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Raptors. Western Conference Finals MVP. It may have been the best game of Magics entire career, as he scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. By HoopsHype staff | June 17, 2022. But as strong as those number may seem, they represent one of Malone's worst statistical seasons since his rookie year. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. 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. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. Here are Page 2's 10 most controversial MVP races in sports since 1990: 1. 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. 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). The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. "Have no fear, Magic Johnson is here," he says. Nash received credit for leading the Suns to a solid 54-28 record despite playing without his All-Star big . Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. 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. Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities. The MVP race in 1999 was quite fun to watch, and it came down to a photo finish in the final weeks. In the 197980 season the 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. She performed that job while attending U.S.C. 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. Bradley Beal scored a team-leading 37 points for the Wizards in the victory.Want to watch the matchup between the Raptors and Wizards? This game was a nip-and-tuck affair that was highlighted by Julius Erving's signature "Baseline Move" in the fourth quarter. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? 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. 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/. Julius Erving scored the only three-pointer of the series (and first in NBA Finals history) in this game. Abdul-Jabbar in particular was not a fan and reportedly wasnt shy about letting that be known. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. 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. Read More: Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates? Few would take you seriously if you were in a writers room and suggested that a rookie win NBA Finals MVP. Meanwhile, Shaqplaying in his first season with the Miami Heatled the team to the top seed in the conference and a 59-23 record. Abdul-Jabbar, bad ankle and all, dunked emphatically over Erving and drew the foul with 33 seconds left. 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. "[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. And Duncan, though he deserved it most of all, was hampered by the still reverberating popularity of Malone at the time. The "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. The NBA's MVP award has been chosen annually by a panel of media members since the 1980-81 season. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. But with Abdul-Jabbar stuck watching the game from his Los Angeles home, giving the award to an empty chair was bad TV.. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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 added 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block and was elected MVP of the series. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. Yeah, but in the 5/6 he did he seem to have been the better player? The Lakers, however, ended those hopes by taking a 15-point lead in the first quarter. [18] (This is often cited as an example of TV's lack of interest in the NBA in the "pre-Magic and Bird" era.). 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. But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. 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. 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. Comparing statistics between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson during the 1980 NBA Finals Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. Johnson becamethe first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. Plus, who was the spark for Spencer Haywood getting clean? [1] After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. He averaged 22.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. But I was looking at the series stats and like, Kareem was 33/13 with 4.6 blocks per game. 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. 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? He had 38 in Game 2, though the Sixers stole a road win. What?! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. Perhaps just an absence in Game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which seemed unfair. Johnson had no say in the matter. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. 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. Johnson scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, either matching or eclipsing Abdul-Jabbars contributions in any single previous match of the series. An injury in the fifth game sidelines Abdul-Jabbar, setting up Magic Johnson to take his captains position and the center stage. 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