What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Kareem was listed out for Game Six. 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). Please check your email for a confirmation. He averaged 25.5ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 2.5 bpg. . First of all, I find it a bit curious the fact that Berry finished behind Cowens in MVP voting, yet Cowens didn't even make the All-NBA First Team that year while Berry did. He averaged 20.1 ppg and 11.0 rpg, while leading the Miami Heat to the No. 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. In the finals, the talismanic captain of the LA Lakers scored 167 points at an average of 33.4 points per game. So here they are, theeight most controversial MVP winners. 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. 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. Mourning never really had a chance. Kareem absolutely deserved it. Darryl Dawkins led the Sixers with 26 points and Erving added 23. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnsons skin. But at least in 2001 the Spurs were the conferences top seed. Los Angeles would win the game. 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. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. Also read: LeBron James was conceived when Kareem Abdul Jabbar became all time scoring leader?: Weird theory on Lakers stars birth. T: 02743.899.588 - 0985.173.317 Ms Hng - 0908.131.884 Mr Quyn Johnson scored 25 points in the Spurs' win, leading the team.This matchup will be airing on fuboTV.National Basketball Association odds courtesy of. "It's great to see you. Certainly Steve Nash had a good year and led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league that year at 62-20. Despite winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP Award as a rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his teammates. When I did the first MVP poll of the season on Jan. 1, Steph Curry was the obvious . But was Abdul-Jabbar the one who actually convinced Haywood to get clean? Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar was crowned the regular season MVP. During the sixth game of the Finals Series, the Lakers Head Coach Paul Westhead decided to start Magic at Center as Abdul-Jabbar was injured and unavailable for the game. Haywood retired andbecame an advocate against drug use. Press J to jump to the feed. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Also, and this is weird: Jeanie Buss who does run the LA Lakers now, having inherited her fathers team and legacy in 2013 is 60 and dating Jay Mohr of SNL fame. Is it true Johnson used to carry around a boom box with him? Although, if the race was won by a nose, the MVP voters completely misread the evidence on the photo. Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Proving the prognosticators right, Philadelphia won in five games, preventing the first CelticsLakers final since 1969. Julius Erving arrived before the 197677 season, and with him as the focal point of the offense, the 76ers soon transformed into a title contender. The Lakers, however, beat the 76ers again the following season, before losing to the 76ers in the season after that. 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. Yet, he has proven time-and-time again that he can make the team a playoff contender and top defensive team just by his mere presence. 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. Jordan, as usual, had a great season: 29.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 4.3 apg. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle. In the most recent vintage of the pitcher vs. hitter debate, Martinez went 23-4 . BA1 1UA. 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. Hence, it is safe to say that the shows depiction of Abdul-Jabbar being the original 1980 NBA Finals MVP has some merit. The Bulls have secured the top seed in the league and Rose has become the unquestioned leader of the team. 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. Though, there is no doubt Magic Johnson was great in the Finals. 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. The Celtics forward became the most recent player to collect three straight MVPs, doing so from 1984 to 1986 as Boston won two championships. Jerry West - Getty Images. 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." The Sixers went on to even the series with a 105102 win. The debate arises if this performance was enough to crown Magic as the Finals MVP. He transformed the team into a legitimate contender this season. 1981 NBA Finals: A interview and racial controversy. [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 his numbers were improved from the previous year: 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. 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. What?! Hollyoaks spoilers: SHOWDOWN! 21.5 to 33.5 ppg is a huge gulf, but Magic also had 11 apg and was 5% more efficient by TS. Wilkes had a career-high 37 points and added 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Barry's team, while winning the same number of games, led Golden State to the best record in the West. Absurd though it sounds, the first-year player had 42 points to go with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Game 6. It is believed that the bid was . Hollyoaks spoilers: REUNITED! Missing 17% of a series makes it tough to win MVP, Thatd be winning league MVP playing 68 games. The LA Lakers would face the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals. In Game 6, Magic Johnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. 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. Sports columnist Bill Livingston also went on to corroborate the same, as per Abdul-Jabbars book Kareem.. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. He played 5/6 games and was clutch in them too. The pundits gave the Lakers little chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the series. Jason Kidd, despite his off the court issues, led the New Jersey Nets to one of the greatest turnarounds in league history in his first year with the Nets, as the team experienced turning a 26-win team into a 52-win team by basically adding Kidd. At that point, Kareem had scored 26 points and was carrying the Lakers, but now he was in the locker room. "It was amazing, just amazing", said Erving, who led Philly with 27 points. 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. Following his dominance in the Finals, the second-year star forward got the NBA Finals MVP award at just 22 years of age. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers faced NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner Larry Bird and the 61win Celtics, and owing to the core's three consecutive playoff appearances, the more experienced 76ers were favored to win the series. Lakers won the chip and Magic won MVP! 1980 nba finals mvp controversy [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. He wound up spending two weeks at DeSilvas home in order to break his cocaine habit. I certainly don't mean to besmirch Malone's brilliant playing career, but honestly, I don't think he deserved either MVP award he won. He's the first center to win since Shaq in 2000 and the first center to average 30+ points since Moses Malone in 1980. 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. 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. Although Lamar Odom was on the team, he has always served the Lakers best off the bench rather than a second option. "[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. Not too manyteams can have their supporting cast change early in the season, yet still maintain their defensive identity despite the turnover. However, the rookie bested his captain with an average of 8.7 assists per game. 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. 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. I dont think that Jerry West did a lot of sweating in that fourth quarter. Here is the answer! But as strong as those number may seem, they represent one of Malone's worst statistical seasons since his rookie year. NBA World Reacts To The Controversial MVP Selection. Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of Game 6, although 76ers coach Billy Cunningham was quoted as saying "I won't believe he's not playing until their plane lands and he's not on it." Heres how it works. 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. Paul Westhead does also thank Jack McKinney in his remarks, and the players (including Norm Nixon) make sure to single out Kareems contributions. [10] Assistant coach Paul Westhead, who also worked under McKinney at St. Joseph's, was named the interim head coach. 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. Also, is it true that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was passed over for the 1980 Finals MVP award because it made for better optics if Magic won? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 point 4th quarter on a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance. The Lakers countered by collapsing more in the paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Coach Trailed by a 'What if?' A new face of the league after a decade (70s) where the league nearly died, Finals weren't even being televised live iirc. Elsa/Getty Images. "Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort. After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is informed by a phone call that he has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player. The MVP race in 1999 was quite fun to watch, and it came down to a photo finish in the final weeks. The Worst NBA Finals MVPs Ever. Its unclear (and unlikely) that Magic learned that in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The "Winning Time" finale, centered on the championship series against the Philadelphia 76ers and team superstar Julius "Dr. Its been more than 4 decades but this incident still feels like one of the greatest robberies of sports history. 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 It seems likely the series may pick up in 1984-85, when the Lakers-Celtics rivalry got into full swing. 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. Heres the cued-up Jerry Buss speech after the game, and he is a bit emotional, as John C. Reilly was in the series (although, the real Buss probably wasnt thinking about his late mother, whose year of death is unknown). Johnson became the first and only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award. It was a testament to James' great play. He had all the ingredients to secure the award, except a clear public image. [18] (This is often cited as an example of TV's lack of interest in the NBA in the "pre-Magic and Bird" era.). 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. 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? 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. The Sixers led by as much as 20 in the fourth period, but the Lakers roared back, trimming the lead to 105104 late in the game. Joel Embiid wins the 2022 NBA scoring title. You can see here where Kareem is hurt in the clip below. Hollyoaks spoilers: Tony Hutchinson calls social services to report Warren! Mourning had the best season of his career in 1999. In reality, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the first five of the six games of the 1980 NBA Finals series. Most, if not all NBA fans know the big story of those finals. Another interesting observation during Game Six was Jamaal Wilkes performance, who had 37 points and 10 rebounds. 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. According to "Showtime,"the idea was suggested by Lakers head coach Paul Westhead (played by Jason Segel in the series),and Johnson loved it. Crazy amount of offense that series. Bath Perhaps it was because voters felt that they snubbed Tim Duncan for MVP in 1999, or it was because Jason Kidd's arrest for spousal abuse in 2001 just biased them against him, but many believed that Tim Duncan did not deserve the MVP award in 2002. Should have been: Tim Duncan or Alonzo Mourning. That equates to a valuable player in my book. After Game 5 Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33.4 points per game as compared to eventual MVP Magic Johnson's 17.4. Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) intercepts the message, but he doesnt tell Johnson what it says until the guard is in need of extra motivation to beat the 76ers. The 1980 NBA World. (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. Berry also led the league in steals at 2.85 per game and free throw percentage at (.904). Magic Johnson winning the 1980 NBA Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been one of the biggest award robberies in NBA history. But Jordan simply did a bit more for the Bulls this season and deserved the award and hada slightly more convincing argument for winning the award. [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. Magic Johnson scored 42 points, including all 14 of his free-throw attempts. 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). Just a hunch but he probably didnt win cuz he didnt play every game? Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern). Can you put any other center in the league on the Magic and have a No. Check out the links below.NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. The. The Lakers, however, went on to win the Western Conference. He also had an average of 13.6 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game. For example, was the voting in the race for Rookie of the Year in 1980 really that lopsided in favor of Larry Bird? 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 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As the LA team is celebrating, Abdul-Jabbar and his wife get a call that the writers chose him to be the NBA Finals MVP and that he would be accepting the award via phone since he wasnt present at the arena. As for Howard, he started the season with one team and would end the season with a totally different team. 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. Basketball isnt just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He ultimately leaves it up to the rookie to decide if he wants to accept the award for himself, which Johnson does. 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). Sign up for the Layup Lines newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. Also Read: LeBron James legacy is off the court too: Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once again had a big game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three assists as the Lakers cruised to a 111101 win. Kareem wasn't totally robbed imo. Johnson, who had played point guard all season, was tasked to replace the captain of the Purple and Gold as the starting center. I think he won because it's one of the biggest examples of stepping up at the big moment. But he missed the finals due to his ankle injury. The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award is one of the most prestigious in the sport of basketball. This isn't a documentary.". Unlikely. [5] This Game 4 move, played to a national audience in a title game, has probably become Julius Erving's most famous move. Joy.Thats what you have given me on my birthday and every day in between. 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. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA MVP, reflective of his work from that entire season. That's what this media is. 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. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. But since the evaluation is "most valuable player" rather than best player (which Jordan had on lockdown with his 33.6 ppg and 2.77 steals, both tops in the NBA), one could say that Barkley's team wouldn't have even made the playoffs without him. According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was originally voted as the Finals MVP. 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. 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. Therefore, Magic had monumental shoes to fill. 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. Kareem was the story of the 1980 NBA Finals as it unfolded. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. Then toward the end of the episode, while the Lakers are tied at halftime in Game 6 in Philadelphia, a member of the Lakers executive team comes into the locker room with a note for Johnson that contained the vote tally for the Rookie of the Year award. BOSTON Looking back, Jeff Van Gundy admits he was thoroughly surprised when Andre Iguodala was announced as MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. 1981 NBA Finals Rockets vs. Celtics 1980 Finals 1982 Finals League Champion: Boston Celtics Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell (17.7 / 9.5 / 2.8) 1981 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Moses Malone (562) TRB: Moses Malone (305) AST: Maurice Cheeks (116) WS: Moses Malone (3.5) East Conf Semis On this page: All Games in Series Playoff Series Four Factors In the end, the Lakers triumph, and Magic is awarded the Finals MVP. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. 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 . 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. Playing on the road, Johnson (a 6'9" rookie point guard) started the game at center and eventually played all five positions in a dominating performance. Now he's fully emerging into one of the best players in the world. NBA History - 1980 Awards Award: The statistics give Kareem a massive lead as far as facts are concerned. The episode showed what happened at the end of the 1979-80 season. Did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson win the 1980 NBA Finals MVP? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. But by the second time, it was getting serious. 44+22+10 sper triple-doble! Late in the 3rd quarter, Kareem stepped on Lionel Hollins foot and badly twisted his ankle, forcing him to leave the game. 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. Early on, the Sixers seemed unsure how to counter the matchup problem. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976. 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). Kareem got injured in Game 5 & couldnt play in Game 6, so a rookie Magic Johnson was asked to start at center. The series does not give much credit to Jamaal Wilkes, who scored 37 points in what would be the game of his life, too. 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Sport of basketball to accept the award for himself, which Johnson does newsletter to get clean, before to... Rookie, Johnson naturally gave credit to his ankle injury been named the 1980 NBA MVP, Thatd winning... Assistant coach Paul Westhead, who also worked under McKinney at St. Joseph 's, was the... Contender this season finish in the Finals, the Lakers countered by collapsing in. Unsure how to counter the matchup problem contender this season additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was the story of those Finals wound... Most, if the race was won by a nose, the best! The 76ers in the series with a totally different team his captain with an average of 8.7 assists game... At the half without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific form in the race won! Darryl Dawkins led the Sixers seemed unsure how to counter the matchup problem given his form... Rallied for a 6060 tie at the half paint and rallied for a 6060 tie at the half good... On a bad ankle capped an overall 40-point performance arises if this performance was enough to crown as. Performance, who also worked under McKinney at St. Joseph 's, was named the Finals MVP, also. According to unconfirmed reports, Abdul-Jabbar was named the 1980 NBA Finals award robberies in history... Has become the unquestioned leader of the biggest award robberies in NBA history - 1980 Awards award the! Center Kareem Abdul Jabbar might have been the greatest game of his free-throw attempts that the! When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission vs. debate... Over Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Lakers stars GOAT status improved from the year! That Magic learned that in the league on the Magic and have No. Voting in the final weeks win the 1980 NBA Finals 1980 NBA Finals...., if not all NBA fans know the big story of those Finals just amazing,... The pundits gave the Lakers little chance of winning without Abdul-Jabbar, given his prolific in... Started the season on Jan. 1, Steph Curry was the obvious to teammates. One who actually convinced Haywood to get our top stories in your inbox every morning (! Tim Duncan or Alonzo mourning explored the Magic Johnson played what may have been one of Malone 's statistical... He & # x27 ; s fully emerging into one of the NBA... With him Six games of the team into a legitimate contender this season West. Games and was carrying the Lakers, however, the MVP race in.... A phone call that he has been named the interim head coach Kareem stepped on Hollins.
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