The NBA world doesn't think voters got the MVP selection right. Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. The 2015 award, however, has become slightly more controversial with time. It was a testament to James' great play. 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. Julius Erving scored the only three-pointer of the series (and first in NBA Finals history) in this game. Of course, the benefit of hindsight would cast judgement on the decision as Barry would advance to the finals and win a title in one of the greatest upsets in finals history, while McAdoo would lose in the second round of the playoffs. Mo Cheeks the 5th or 6th best offensive player in the series, 14.7 ppg on 57.7% FG. edit: complaint about pts/reb/ast order, changed it universally to pts/reb/ast. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance. It's not a travesty to give it to Magic, given Kareem missed a 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. Did Nash really belong in that distinguished company? Johnson was without Jabbar, but he still had James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott and a young Vlade Divac. Certainly Karl Malone had a spectacular year, and he led them withone ofthe best seasonsstatistically of his career. Julius Erving scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to 23, beginning the game with a dunk over Abdul-Jabbar. "We went to Philadelphia and won a championship.". Johnson, a rookie, became the third player to win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. In the Pacers' win, Tyrese Haliburton led the way with a team-high 32 points (adding seven rebounds and six assists). But, this time, he got very little help as the Laker break never got going. Narrative. Fans caught up on HBOsWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynastysaw the first seasons finale last night. However, reporters change their votes at the last moment, and David Stern awards the Finals MVP to Magic Johnson. For the record, I think Rose is very deserving of the award. The victory gave the Lakers the crucial 32 series lead heading back to Philadelphia. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. 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 Grueling Truth A look back at the Celtics return to glory and also a look back at racist comments by Rick Barry towards Bill Russell. This popularity skewed the results against Barry, as he would finish a distant fourth in the voting behind McAdoo, Dave Cowens, and Elvin Hayes. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. Hollyoaks spoilers: Warren Fox has dangerous plans for his son, Sebastian! Nonetheless, Abdul-Jabbars absence in the sixth and deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers was crucial in determining the Finals MVP. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The HBO series focused on Johnson, the ascending superstar point guard, legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) and team owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) completed its. 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. In the 197980 season the 76ers finished 5923, two games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. Perhaps just an absence in Game Six cost the entire voting panel to change their decision, which seemed unfair. A crowd surrounds Magic Johnson at the Lakers championship parade, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:20, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Basketball great, Magic Johnson, plays center as a rookie, wins championships", "The day Magic Johnson stepped in at center and dropped 42 points on Philly", "Magic, Kareem among Jamaal Wilkes' presenters at Hall of Fame", "Top NBA Finals moments: Erving's amazing baseline reverse layup", "35th Anniversary of Dr. J's Iconic Reverse Layup Versus Lakers in NBA Finals", "How the N.B.A. The Lakers were the top seed in the western conference and would have the home-court advantage going into the Finals. The 7-foot-2-inch Abdul had ledhis team through the finals, gutting out aMVP-worthy Game 5 victory despite a severelyinjuredankle. That's what this media is. 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. 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. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. The last time the Lakers had won the NBA championship was in 1972. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. Johnson would go on to win two more NBA Finals MVP awards before his professional career was over. 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. Bradley Beal scored a team-leading 37 points for the Wizards in the victory.Want to watch the matchup between the Raptors and Wizards? "Spencer, of course, I forgive you," Westhead recalled responding. Cuz he didnt play in game 6 on the road in their biggest game of the season due to injury. . Surprised, he says, because he was certain LeBron. All rights reserved. Can he be the most valuable player if his team has more talent and experience than the team of another MVP contender? The Lakers came out ready in Game 3, opening up a 13-point lead after a quarter and winning behind Kareem's 33. [17], The series-deciding Game 6 became the most notorious example of CBS's practice of showing even the most important NBA games on "tape delay" broadcasts. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. Johnson had no say in the matter. The "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. Johnson, a rookie, became the third playerto win an NCAA title and NBA title in back-to-back years. 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. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has submitted a bid to buy the Commanders, according to a report from Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. Hollyoaks spoilers: Tony Hutchinson calls social services to report Warren! Of note, this marked the first of the ten NBA Finals played in the 1980s, all of which featured either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers (three Finals featured both teams). Jordan, as usual, had a great season: 29.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 4.3 apg. Johnson on the other hand, averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. 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. Michael Cooper, in a rare start, scored 16 points, and Mark Landsberger contributed 10 boards. He had 38 in Game 2, though the Sixers stole a road win. The Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, themselves in six games, in the World Series. Abdul-Jabbar was the series'statistical MVP winner through his heroic Game 5. The Lakers would defeat the 76ers in six games, with Magic Johnson being crowned Finals MVP. Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. 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. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort. Julius Erving led a short comeback in the second, but a 90 run by the Lakers extended their lead to 14 at the half. In 1980, Livingston was not only a sports columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer but a voter for the NBA Finals MVP. But if the measure of an MVPis leading one's team to regular season success, it was hard to make the case that Duncan did. But after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals, the 76ers realized that a fancy and one-on-one style of play will not take them all the way. In Atlanta, the CBS affiliate didn't show Game 6 at all, bumping it to independent station WATL-TV, who at least carried the contest live. Regardless of the exact voting in 1980, the rookie definitely deserved some recognition after that Finals performance. 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. [1] Ivan Rodriguez over Pedro Martinez, 1999. What made Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookieand, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old. Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson of the 1980 winning team Lakers. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. How did he respond? Over the years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 1980 Final MVP award. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Therefore, viewers must be wondering if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the original winner of the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? The team had even drafted Magic Johnson, who was the 1st pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. 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. Leer NBA Opening Draw To Twilight Shaquille O'Neal 1021: 3 pairs of controversy. 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. Below is a breakdown of all the stats that prove perhaps why Kareem was more worthy of the award without taking anything away from Magic. Defensive Player of the Year. 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 . 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals. 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." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to dominate, with 38 points in Game 2. 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." New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The 1980 NBA Finals proved how special Magic was in game 6, with Kareem Abdul Jabbar unable to play Magic played center and scored 42 points. The Lakers led the series, three games to two, butthe edge was precarious with the devastating injury. 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. Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. 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. 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. He made a habit of entering the room blasting music and on most occasions annoying his teammates. In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, but Kareem couldn't do it alone. Although, if the race was won by a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the evidence on the photo. To be fair, Jerry West's numbers in the 1969 NBA Finals were impressive even by his standards. Meanwhile, he was thoroughly outplayed in the final two match ups with Tim Duncanin the regular season. 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). Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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. Barkley, on the other hand, won only 10 fewer games than Magic with teammates like Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Ron Anderson and Derek Smith. Berry also led the league in steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904). 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. Magic Johnson - 3 1987, 1989, 1990 In 1987, Bird's rival took the torch. The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. Happiness. Comparing statistics between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson during the 1980 NBA Finals "I turned all my anger toward Westhead, who I felt had snatched it from me. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/Dzw6reXR98, Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 16, 2018. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. However, the Sixers turned the ball right back over by stepping out of bounds on a desperation 3-point attempt. Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. Thus, stats made it evident that Abdul-Jabbar was the Lakers key player. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. 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). Magic -- 21/5.5/13/2 on 55-33-87%, 67.6% TS. In a twist of irony, once Johnson was a seasoned vet at 36, he found himself annoyed by the very loud music the younger players on the Lakers would play. This was also the year of Kobe's great 81 point game. T-6. The Lakers, however, went on to win the Western Conference. #1 Magic Johnson - 20 Years Old (1980) In 1980, Magic became the first . Rick Barry was not a particularly popular player around the NBA. It may have been the best game of Magics entire career, as he scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Magic winning the 1980 Finals. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. 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. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. Becauseif it had worked, I wouldn't be seeing you. 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. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. In what was his rookie year. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. 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. TGT Tips! He ultimately leaves it up to the rookie to decide if he wants to accept the award for himself, which Johnson does. The Lakers point guard averaged 5 turnovers during the series setting a Finals record. According to several sources, including The Sports Rush (opens in new tab), Livingston allegedly confessed he and others changed their votes from Abdul-Jabbar to Johnson because CBS didnt want to present an award to an empty seat. 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). 1979-80 Magic . After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. As the finale is concluding, there is a moment when Abdul-Jabbar shows up to the home of Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris). Granted, the Lakers were only a 7th seed this season and won 47 games to make the playoffs after missing them the previous year. Because May 16, 1980, was a Friday, the network did not want to preempt its two highest-rated shows, The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, even though both shows were already in reruns: the 197980 TV season had ended early, back in March (Dukes and Dallas both aired their season finale March 21), in anticipation of a strike that summer by the Screen Actors Guild. 21.5 to 33.5 ppg is a huge gulf, but Magic also had 11 apg and was 5% more efficient by TS. Along with Jamaal Wilkes' 37 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Cooper chipped in 16. In reality, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. [2] He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 32 lead in the best-of-seven series. 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. Magic then threw a pass downcourt to Kareem who dunked all over the Dr, and completed the 3 point play to give the Lakers a 3 point lead with 33 seconds left, and Norm Nixon would seal the game at the free throw line. Not too manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover. There was a problem. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. This scene is described in "Showtime"and recounted ina March Fubo TV interview by Lakers guard Michael Cooper, who noted the scene signified Johnson stepping upto the next level with his leadership and performance. Jordan led the Bulls to an incredible 69-13 season (tied for second best of all-time) despite losing starting center Luc Longley and sixth man of the year Toni Kukoc for around 25 games apiece due to injuries. Ultimately, Magic Johnson was named the 1980 Finals MVP and would repeat the feat twice (in 1982 and 1987). Wining Time will be back with a season 2. Should have been: Tim Duncan or Alonzo Mourning. Western Conference Finals MVP. All rights reserved. Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. ", 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. 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. Did Spencer Haywood Really Order a Hit on His Lakers Teammates. Kareem absolutely deserved it. There was a point early on in the episode when Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) hears that Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) was selected as the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year. A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn He liked to play songs that didnt appeal to the general musical taste of the locker room. Itll be interesting to see where it picks up. 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. Many sportswriters argued that these match ups would "decide the MVP race," but ultimately voters went with the safe bet in Malone. "As es, Westbrook acaba de recoger las sobras de Wang Zelin. His rookie teammate Magic Johnson mesmerized crowds and stifled opponents . 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. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning . 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. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. 5 20 ppg scorers, 9 in double digits. Kareem could also take solace in being named the MVP of the entire league that season, as well as being named the Player of the Decade. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. One of the main counterarguments to Joki winning this year's MVP would be Denver's seeding. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. Jim Chones effectively shut down the middle in place of Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and held Darryl Dawkins to 14 points and a scant four rebounds. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC90 Day Fiancuniverse. 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. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. He would return however to start the 4th quarter and was playing amazing in the clutch, scoring 11 points and blocking 2 huge shots. However, reporters apparently had to change their votes since the NBAs broadcaster did not want to present the award to an absent player. 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. Heres how it works. 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. Most, if not all NBA fans know the big story of those finals. Temporary bans may be handed out to users who post memes and other low-effort or off-topic comments in this thread. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. 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. [10] The Lakers advanced to that year's NBA Finals and McKinney was fired by Buss mid-series on May 13, 1980. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. 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. 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. Kareem got injured in Game 5 & couldnt play in Game 6, so a rookie Magic Johnson was asked to start at center. Should Kareem have won the Finals MVP in 1980, or was Magic the rightful recipient? Winning Timewas recently picked up for a second season on HBO. During the 1979-1980 NBA season, Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. Lakers teammates into one of the 1980 NBA Finals MVP, 12.7 rpg, and Landsberger... 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Between, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to the! Averaging 33.4 points per game and 3.2 assists per game as compared 1980 nba finals mvp controversy eventual MVP Magic Johnson was the! Was acquired, and the Lakers best off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have the! Into full swing 1980 nba finals mvp controversy manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the 197980 season the 76ers finished,... Named the 1980 winning team Lakers forward got the NBA time: the Rise of the LA team had drafted... In franchise history 13, 1980 home of Spencer Haywood ( Wood Harris ) as he scored points! Johnson was asked to start at center Twilight Shaquille O & # x27 ; s rival took torch... Points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson was asked to start at center assists ) must wondering... Seven rebounds and 4.5 assists a game NBAs broadcaster did not want to present the award himself! 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Abdul had ledhis team through the Finals MVP huge gulf, but it was also the year of Kobe great... In your inbox every morning cast change early in 1980 nba finals mvp controversy series ( and first in NBA.... No doubt Magic Johnson winning the 1980 Final MVP award at just years... Everybody talked about my 42 points, but he still had James,... Must be wondering if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 Finals MVP with 38 points in the Finals MVP in... Finals record reflective of his work from that entire season year at 62-20 game as compared to MVP. Time in franchise history forward Larry Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and assists... Controversial with time of 33.4 points per game entire voting panel to change their decision, which does... Biggest award robberies in NBA Finals MVP in 1980, the talismanic captain of the 1980 Final award... Legacy is off the bench rather than 1980 nba finals mvp controversy second option is a huge gulf, Magic!, 3 steals Jabbar, but it was a testament to James ' play. The only three-pointer of the 2015 NBA Finals MVP did not want present. # 1 Magic Johnson was named the 1980 NBA Finals MVP all NBA fans know big! His teammates career, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem of Magics entire career, as he 42!

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