Former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explained why Magic Johnson won the Finals MVP instead of him in 1979.
It was an Abdul-Jabbar show all the way before he missed Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers due to his ankle injury. Prior to the dampener, he had notched up three 30+ point performances, and an average 11 points in Game 4, before exploding for 40 points in Game 5.
However, it was Johnson who walked away with the Finals MVP silverware. The enigmatic guard dominated Game 6 with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to help the Lakers register a comprehensive 123-107 win.
Indeed, Abdul-Jabbar not being named MVP would have come as a surprise to the fans and the big man himself, but he did quash any rumors of animosity between him and Johnson for the latter winning the award.
In his memoir, ‘Kareem’ the start cited sportswriter Bill Livingston who had said that the league’s voting writer had picked the center to win MVP, but revealed that they may have been pressured either by the NBA or the network (CBS) to change the vote.
“My not being there in Philadelphia to receive the trophy on camera was a major inconvenience as far as the television people were concerned,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
His words speak volumes. It was clear that all that mattered was winning a title, although one can feel for Abdul-Jabbar sitting in LA and watching the award go to his teammate.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Said Magic Johnson Had Tried To Give Him The Final MVP Award
Another instance that proved that there was ample sportsmanship between the two big stars was when Johnson tried to give his 1980 Finals MVP award to the big man.
Abdul-Jabbar relived the conversation the duo had on his substack where he asked the guard to keep it. Via Substack:
“That MVP Award caused friction because some sportswriters and fans thought that I deserved it for my contributions during the full series, while others thought that Magic deserved it for his amazing display of versatility and leadership when the pressure was on. When I met the plane when the team flew home after winning the Finals, Magic tried to give me his MVP Award because he thought I had earned it. “Thanks, Earvin,” I said, “but you should keep it. We aren’t going to let something like this come between us.” And we didn’t.”
A rift between two players destined to take the Lakers to the promised land would have seen things end differently. Their accomplishments and careers might be a topic of comparison to date, but there was no denying that they had shared a mutual respect for each other and that translated into some amazing results on the floor.
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