1980 NBA Finals Game 6: Lakers vs Sixers

Lore & Background

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP, but midway through Game 5, the Lakers center suffered a severely sprained ankle. He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to victory and a 3–2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Abdul-Jabbar was listed as out of Game 6, and as it turned out, Kareem did not make the trip and was listed as doubtful if Game 7 had been needed. In Game 6, Magic Johnson started at center. The Lakers also received strong performances from Jamaal Wilkes with 37 points and 10 rebounds, and Norm Nixon. 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.

In Their Own Story

The air inside The Spectrum turned from a roar to a stunned hush. Kareem sat on the bench, ankle wrapped tight, watching helplessly as the fourth quarter wound down. Magic Johnson wiped sweat from his brow, looking small against the towering Philadelphia frontcourt. He grabbed a rebound, dribbled past the half-court line, and saw Julius Erving waiting. Instead of passing, Magic drove hard into the lane, absorbing contact, and banked in a shot that seemed to hang in the air forever. The crowd fell silent as the Lakers sealed the win, the rookie's eyes wide with the realization that he was writing history himself.

Reader's Guide

Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 and the series earned him the 1980 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). What made Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookie—and, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old. 'Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game', said Johnson in 2011. 'Everybody talked about my 42 points, but it was also his 37-point effort.'

Did You Know?

• This was the first NBA Finals to make use of the three-point line, which debuted that season.
• Many consider this victory as the birth of Showtime.
• 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.