Magic Johnson Game 6 1980 NBA Finals Appreciation Thread

[Dirty D]

If you haven't seen this, please watch it.

Pasting this from another thread where someone asked me why Magic isn't criticized for losing 4 times in the Finals like LeBron is about to:

Magic was Finals MVP in his rookie year, and put up one of the greatest playoff games in history to win the title after Kareem got injured. That established a high amount of credibility for him right off the bat.

ESPN rates this as the 2nd-best Finals game performance EVER, behind only MJ's flu game:
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/201...dividual-2/best-single-game-performances-no-2

Here's the sequence that answers your question:

1980 - rookie, Finals MVP, champs vs Philly in 6 (1-0)
1981 - lose to Rockets in the WCF (1-0)
1982 - Finals MVP, champs vs Philly in 6 (2-0)
1983 - swept by Philly in the Finals (2-1)
1984 - Lost to Celtics in 7 in the Finals (2-2)
1985 - Beat Celtics in 6 in the Finals, Kareem gets the MVP (3-2)
1986 - lose to Rockets in the WCF (3-2)
1987 - Beat Celtics in 6 in the Finals, Finals MVP (4-2)
1988 - Beat Pistons in 7 in the Finals, Worthy gets Finals MVP (5-2)
1989 - Pistons sweep Lakers in the Finals (5-3)
1990 - Lost in the 2nd round to the Suns (5-3)
1991 - Lost in 5 against MJ's Bulls in the Finals (5-4)

Then he got AIDS and retired.

12 seasons, 9 Finals appearances, 5 titles, 3 Finals MVP's. No other Laker got more than 1 Finals MVP during that run. Never had a losing record in the Finals at any point.

Magic Johnson is still the greatest Laker ever.

 

[Standing on business]

How many teams were there back then?

Can someone name Johnson's teammates

He lost 4 so he should get the same critism as lebron


Magic is an all time great but he seem to have had it kind of easy

 

[Dirty D]

How many teams were there back then?

Can someone name Johnson's teammates

He lost 4 so he should get the same critism as lebron


Magic is an all time great but he seem to have had it kind of easy

22 teams

Philly was just as star studded as the Lakers

Nah

 

[smitty22]

If you haven't seen this, please watch it.

Pasting this from another thread where someone asked me why Magic isn't criticized for losing 4 times in the Finals like LeBron is about to:

Magic was Finals MVP in his rookie year, and put up one of the greatest playoff games in history to win the title after Kareem got injured. That established a high amount of credibility for him right off the bat.

ESPN rates this as the 2nd-best Finals game performance EVER, behind only MJ's flu game:
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/201...dividual-2/best-single-game-performances-no-2

Here's the sequence that answers your question:

1980 - rookie, Finals MVP, champs vs Philly in 6 (1-0)
1981 - lose to Rockets in the WCF (1-0)
1982 - Finals MVP, champs vs Philly in 6 (2-0)
1983 - swept by Philly in the Finals (2-1)
1984 - Lost to Celtics in 7 in the Finals (2-2)
1985 - Beat Celtics in 6 in the Finals, Kareem gets the MVP (3-2)
1986 - lose to Rockets in the WCF (3-2)
1987 - Beat Celtics in 6 in the Finals, Finals MVP (4-2)
1988 - Beat Pistons in 7 in the Finals, Worthy gets Finals MVP (5-2)
1989 - Pistons sweep Lakers in the Finals (5-3)
1990 - Lost in the 2nd round to the Suns (5-3)
1991 - Lost in 5 against MJ's Bulls in the Finals (5-4)

Then he got AIDS and retired.

12 seasons, 9 Finals appearances, 5 titles, 3 Finals MVP's. No other Laker got more than 1 Finals MVP during that run. Never had a losing record in the Finals at any point.

Magic Johnson is still the greatest Laker ever.

Magic the man but did get drafted into a pretty nice situation

 

[Standing on business]

Magic the man but did get drafted into a pretty nice situation

Right!

Imagine lebron getting drafted by the spurs in 03

 

[brick james]

22 teams

Philly was just as star studded as the Lakers

Nah

You for real? How many hall of famers did the sixers have besides Dr j

 

[SteelCitySoldier]

The conversation about GOAT should have Magic's name in it more often. Dude could play all five positions and was a floor general, the shyt shown here proves how good he actually was. The true MJ is Magic Johnson.

 

[Primetime21]

The conversation about GOAT should have Magic's name in it more often. Dude could play all five positions and was a floor general, the shyt shown here proves how good he actually was. The true MJ is Magic Johnson.

dawg, why do ya'll do this. what does it even mean

 

[Foxmulder]

How many teams were there back then?

Can someone name Johnson's teammates

He lost 4 so he should get the same critism as lebron


Magic is an all time great but he seem to have had it kind of easy

He also won 5.

 

[Dirty D]

You for real? How many hall of famers did the sixers have besides Dr j

No other hall of famers but lots of good players. Darryl Dawkins, Mo Cheeks and Bobby Jones for example.

Jamaal Wilkes is the only other Laker from this game that's in the hall of fame.

"Just as" was overstating it. But still a great performance against a great team.

 

[SteelCitySoldier]

dawg, why do ya'll do this. what does it even mean

When people say MJ they immediately think but the true MJ they think of should be

... does that explain it?

 

[Truth200]

 

[blackestofpanthers]

Magic is the 2nd GOAT next to kareem

 

[McPiff]

If you haven't seen this, please watch it.

Pasting this from another thread where someone asked me why Magic isn't criticized for losing 4 times in the Finals like LeBron is about to:

Magic was Finals MVP in his rookie year, and put up one of the greatest playoff games in history to win the title after Kareem got injured. That established a high amount of credibility for him right off the bat.

ESPN rates this as the 2nd-best Finals game performance EVER, behind only MJ's flu game:
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/201...dividual-2/best-single-game-performances-no-2

Here's the sequence that answers your question:

1980 - rookie, Finals MVP, champs vs Philly in 6 (1-0)
1981 - lose to Rockets in the WCF (1-0)
1982 - Finals MVP, champs vs Philly in 6 (2-0)
1983 - swept by Philly in the Finals (2-1)
1984 - Lost to Celtics in 7 in the Finals (2-2)
1985 - Beat Celtics in 6 in the Finals, Kareem gets the MVP (3-2)
1986 - lose to Rockets in the WCF (3-2)
1987 - Beat Celtics in 6 in the Finals, Finals MVP (4-2)
1988 - Beat Pistons in 7 in the Finals, Worthy gets Finals MVP (5-2)
1989 - Pistons sweep Lakers in the Finals (5-3)
1990 - Lost in the 2nd round to the Suns (5-3)
1991 - Lost in 5 against MJ's Bulls in the Finals (5-4)

Then he got AIDS and retired.

12 seasons, 9 Finals appearances, 5 titles, 3 Finals MVP's. No other Laker got more than 1 Finals MVP during that run. Never had a losing record in the Finals at any point.

Magic Johnson is still the greatest ever.

Fixed.

 

[Da_Eggman]

The orgy he went to after thou