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.
Thought this was known. He's the reason I became a Lakers stan. Still remember throwing my first no look pass in the house as a kid and hitting my mom in the face. That asswhupping was :mjcrylakers: but that's my NBA GOAT!!!
but the true MJ they think of should be




