Tag: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

On this date: Lakers finally beat Celtics to win NBA championship

After eight losses to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, the Lakers finally vanquished their hated rivals to win the 1985 world championship.

In the 1984 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to have the upper hand on their arch-rival Boston Celtics, but they blew a couple of close games and lost the series in seven painful games.

It was the eighth time in as many tries the Lakers had lost the championship to the Celtics, and they were determined to do something about it the following season.

The two teams met again in the 1985 title series, and L.A. promptly got blown out of the water in Game 1 by 34 points.

But it responded by taking three of the next four contests, and in Game 6, the Lakers actually had a golden opportunity to clinch the world championship against their hated rivals.

However, that contest would be played at Boston Garden, the ancient arena that had served as a graveyard for the championship dreams of many Lakers teams in the past.

Yet, on June 9, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a new cast changed the history of basketball’s greatest rivalry.

After a tight first half, the Lakers took control of Game 6 in the third quarter and held off a final Celtics rally to finish them, 111-100.

Abdul-Jabbar scored 29 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists, capping off a wonderful series in which he averaged 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 blocked shots.

He did all that despite being 38 years of age, but if anyone watching didn’t know any better, they would’ve sworn he was 28.

It all resulted in him winning the Finals MVP award.

For the first time in their history, the Lakers could hold their heads victoriously over the Celtics, and there was real proof a dynasty was brewing in Southern California.

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There were many memorable takeaways …

There were many memorable takeaways from the 1984 victory over the Lakers, but for me the everlasting memory is the entire evening of June 8, when because of a heat wave outside and lack of Boston Garden air conditioning inside, the temperature was 97 degrees for Game 5. The Lakers, most notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, thought they had been trapped in a science fiction movie, but Bird treated it like just another steamy summer evening in French Lick with 34 points, 17 rebounds, and 15-for-20 shooting. So sorry you young’uns missed out on Larry. 1986? I still believe it was the greatest pre-3-point-mania team ever. They won 67, and had they thought it was a good idea, they would have won 70. They were such a spectacular nightly show in the regular season that they rendered meaningless the concept of the meaningless game.

On this date: Lakers draw first blood vs. Celtics in 1984 NBA Finals

In Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s first finals matchup, the Lakers took Game 1 behind an excellent performance by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played against each other in the 1979 NCAA title game, then entered the NBA the following season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, respectively.

But in their first five pro seasons, they met in only the two regular-season games per year.

By the 1983-84 campaign, fans across the nation were hungry to see these two titans meet for the NBA world championship.

That season, it happened: The Lakers and Celtics met in the NBA Finals amid palpable hype and excitement. The fact the two teams already had a classic rivalry from decades past simply added to the mix.

L.A. finished the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals two days before the start of the championship series, and its players were tired. Still, as the Finals tipped off in historic Boston Garden, Showtime was on full display.

The Lakers instantly pounced on Boston, taking a 34-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. Although the Celtics rallied in the second half, Johnson and company held on for a 115-109 win.

The man who led the way was 37-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite suffering a severe migraine headache prior to the tip, he poured in 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

It was just the start of a classic series and a classic second chapter in the greatest rivalry in basketball history.

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On Bill Laimbeer’s phantom foul on …

On Bill Laimbeer’s phantom foul on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1988 Finals: “He got him on the knee! You have to understand the trickery. It looked clean from up top, but he had that big belly just bumping up against Kareem and it threw him off balance. Everybody knew that. I have the same argument with Isiah and John Salley: ‘Just give it up, guys! It was a foul.’”

On this date: Kareem scores 40 on sprained ankle in NBA Finals

In Game 5 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers to victory with a truly dominant performance despite an injured ankle.

The late Kobe Bryant wasn’t the only Los Angeles Lakers great who had the chutzpah and iron-clad will to play well in big games while hurt or injured.

In the 1980 NBA Finals, L.A. was engaged in a very competitive series against Julius Erving and the rough, physical Philadelphia 76ers.

After the teams split the first four games, they returned to Southern California for the pivotal fifth game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was the regular season MVP and considered the best player in the world that year, was utterly dominant. Whatever Sixers big men Darryl Dawkins and Caldwell Jones did in that contest to try to contain him didn’t work.

Just past midway through the third quarter, with the game tied, the big fella scored on a finger-roll, but he landed on a Sixers player and sprained his ankle. It looked like perhaps that old Lakers jinx from decades past was haunting the team yet again at such an inopportune time.

Team physician Robert Kerlan wanted Abdul-Jabbar to head to the hospital, but the superstar wanted to keep playing.

His injured ankle was taped up tight, and he returned to the court for the start of the fourth quarter.

He was clearly in lots of pain, but Abdul-Jabbar channeled some type of almost unnatural focus and delivered like a champ.

With 33 seconds left and the score tied, he dunked on Erving for the and-1 that led to a 108-103 Lakers triumph.

After he sprained his ankle, Abdul-Jabbar had 14 points and six rebounds, and he ended the game with 40 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks.

But due to his injury, he was unable to make the trip back to Philly for Game 6. The Lakers were simply hoping that he would be able to play in a winner-take-all Game 7 back at The Forum.

As it turned it, they didn’t need him for either contest.

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Lakers are hoping for big event when LeBron James surpasses Kareem

The Lakers front office is hoping that if LeBron James becomes the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2023, it will turn into a big bash.

Many Los Angeles Lakers fans feel the team has no hope of contending for the NBA championship any time soon, and that the only thing to look forward to next season is LeBron James potentially surpassing Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer.

According to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, the organization is hoping that if the four-time MVP does so next season, it will be a big, illustrious event.

Via Lakers Daily:

“Plaschke appeared on “The Doug Gottlieb Show” and indicated that when James inevitably breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, the Lakers will pull out all the stops to make the veteran superstar happy.

“‘They’re hoping for a Kobe-like retirement game when LeBron breaks Kareem’s record next year,’ Plaschke said. ‘They’re hoping that LeBron can carry his star power for two more years. They want to make LeBron happy, and they’re gonna do whatever it takes to make him happy.'”

Making sure that James is happy is not exactly a bad idea. Since he has one year left on his contract, it’s something the organization should do as long as he continues to play at a high level and is lucky enough to avoid any significant injuries.

However, the main thing, as always, for the Lakers is competing for championships, and if they aren’t competitive in 2023, James breaking Abdul-Jabbar’s record will likely feel empty for fans of the Purple and Gold.

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Jorge Sierra: The eternally underrated …

Jorge Sierra: The eternally underrated Tim Duncan received MVP votes in 16 different NBA seasons. Only trails LeBron and Kareem. Duncan received votes in more seasons than Wilt Chamberlain and Anthony Davis combined. pic.twitter.com/7o8Vxp1NAV

Nikola Jokic officially named MVP

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the NBA announced today. This is the second Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award for Jokić, who also earned the honor last season. He becomes the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Steve Nash and Bill Russell.