Magic Johnson lost in the NBA Finals 4 times

[shady6121]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.

[Foster5k]

I think the LeBron hate is due to the fact he was propped up as the King. The heir to the throne.

The original King was Michael Jordan. At his peak, he was unstoppable. LeBron is being measured to that. So far, he hasn't lived up to it. No one can or will, in my opinion.

So, the hate isn't warranted.

[Jlamb47]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.

But ther legacy is shaped differently. Lebron was hyped getting the best record in the league to lose it and then went to 2 other superstars to lose again and then finally win 2

Magic stuck wit his squad, and kept playing. Yeah he was losing but he didnt search for new teamates.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

But ther legacy is shaped differently. Lebron was hyped getting the best record in the league to lose it and then went to 2 other superstars to lose again and then finally win 2

Magic stuck wit his squad, and kept playing. Yeah he was losing but he didnt search for new teamates.
Magic was drafted to the team that had the reigning MVP. Their situations are not similar at all.

[IllegalD]

Yes.

But he managed to win 5, good enough to give him a winning finals record.

Right now LeBron is 2-3. He would need to win AT LEAST 2 more JUST to get above .500 winning record in the finals.

How likely is that to happen?

Is it possible? Sure.

Is it a guarantee? HELL NO.

Just look at how easily he couldve been 1-4 in the Finals. And it's taken him this long just to win the 2 he has. Is he gonna' play at this same level forever?

It's funny that just before this beatdown the standard we held for him is Jordan, and now people are starting to downgrade in order to save face. No one is questioning LeBron's greatness. But the whole "better than Jordan/unanimous GOAT" is as dead as dead, unless he somehow ends up with 7+ rings.

[shady6121]

Yes.

But he managed to win 5, good enough to give him a winning finals record.

Right now LeBron is 2-3. He would need to win AT LEAST 2 more JUST to get above .500 winning record in the finals.

How likely is that to happen?

Is it possible? Sure.

Is it a guarantee? HELL NO.

Just look at how easily he couldve been 1-4 in the Finals. And it's taken him this long just to win the 2 he has. Is he gonna' play at this same level forever?

It's funny that just before this beatdown the standard we held for him is Jordan, and now people are starting to downgrade in order to save face. No one is questioning LeBron's greatness. But the whole "better than Jordan/unanimous GOAT" is as dead as dead, unless he somehow ends up with 7+ rings.


I think the LeBron hate is due to the fact he was propped up as the King. The heir to the throne.

The original King was Michael Jordan. At his peak, he was unstoppable. LeBron is being measured to that. So far, he hasn't lived up to it. No one can or will, in my opinion.

So, the hate isn't warranted.

LeBron will never surpass MJ, I agree with that, that ship has sailed. However, I still believe LeBron will at the very least finish Top 5 All-Time, he's still already accomplished so much and will most likely accomplish even more by the time his career is over.

[ArbitraryWater]

But ther legacy is shaped differently. Lebron was hyped getting the best record in the league to lose it and then went to 2 other superstars to lose again and then finally win 2

Magic stuck wit his squad, and kept playing. Yeah he was losing but he didnt search for new teamates.

http://wurfmaschine.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/sauer.gif

http://media2.giga.de/2013/07/omg.gif

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0a3fg-fUWdw/T3On8vGgmVI/AAAAAAAAA4A/PJg-1gRMH5Y/s1600/bunk-the-wire.gif

Played on one of the most stacked teams ever in a garbage west, with a guaranteed finals trip AND chance of winning.......

which team would have been an upgrade?

[Eric Cartman]

Played on one of the most stacked teams ever in a garbage west, with a guaranteed finals trip AND chance of winning.......

Kind of sounds like the current Miami Heat, except it's East.

[Marchesk]

which team would have been an upgrade?

Celtics, Bucks, 76ers until late 80s, then Rockets, Pistons, Suns, Bulls, Hawks, Cavalivers.

You're subtracting Magic from the Lakers and adding him to contending teams, so yeah.

[ArbitraryWater]

Kind of sounds like the current Miami Heat, except it's East.

Except that the Heat aren't some god-tier stacked team and don't have much of a chance in the finals, especially from here on out.

[sportjames23]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.


5/9 >>>>> 2/5

[ArbitraryWater]

Celtics, Bucks, 76ers until late 80s, then Pistons, Bulls, Hawks, Cavalivers.

You're subtracting Magic from the Lakers and adding him to contending teams, so yeah.

No you don't, you take the 2 best players away (magic/kareem either one from 80-86) and ask yourself which team is better..

[Young X]

Magic got injured and only played in like 2 games in the '89 finals. How does that really count as a loss if he only played half the series?

[Pointguard]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.
Sorry but Derrick Rose gets far more hate and Heat fans are the main culprits. I don't think Lebron deserves the hate despite he and Wade thinking they were some type of dynasty. Lebron is a good guy and I love his game. But the Heat fans, in part, were haters and deserve some beat back. Rose still gets it from them and that's more than two years ago. So the Lebron beat back should be more than that if the Bulls fans want equity.

[Jlamb47]

http://wurfmaschine.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/sauer.gif

http://media2.giga.de/2013/07/omg.gif

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0a3fg-fUWdw/T3On8vGgmVI/AAAAAAAAA4A/PJg-1gRMH5Y/s1600/bunk-the-wire.gif

Played on one of the most stacked teams ever in a garbage west, with a guaranteed finals trip AND chance of winning.......

which team would have been an upgrade?

well great for Magic
im sure hes loyal to his team/home town

[SOD 21]

Magic got injured and only played in like 2 games in the '89 finals. How does that really count as a loss if he only played half the series?


I am glad that you brought this up because I was about to say the same thing.

But that Los Angeles Lakers team in 1989 swept through the first three rounds of the playoffs and dominated each team in their path. The downside of that domination is that they experienced a significant layoff until the Finals began, something like 10 days, and Pat Riley feared that they would lose their sharpness was such an extended layoff. His solution was to put the Lakers through a mini boot camp and the result was a torn hamstring to their starting shooting guard Byron Scott before the Finals even began.

And then things went from bad to worse when Magic suffered his own hamstring injury in the second quarter of game two against the Detroit Pistons, or maybe it was the third quarter of that game, but it has been a long time since it happened. But the Los Angeles Lakers had to face a great Detroit Pistons team without their starting backcourt when both Magic Johnson and Byron Scott suffered those injuries.

In fact, Pat Riley received criticism because many believe that he pushed his players too hard in that mini boot camp before the finals began and that contributed to those injuries.

[ArbitraryWater]

well great for Magic
im sure hes loyal to his team/home town

It's easy being "loyal" when surrounded by talent.

[Pointguard]

Kareem lost 5 times. Different situations. The 80's had more dynasties than any era. Kareem wasn't in his prime any longer when Magic got there. Boston had the best frontcourt ever with passing better than SA and star power. Philly had one of the best position player teams ever with two top 20 players all time with the great defensive players. Houston had the twin towers. Detroit was a super tough team that played great team ball and had a bench. Chicago would be off the charts with the greatest player ever.

The Heat situation was three players coming together in the prime and loosing badly twice. There was no losing to a team without one good player in its prime like SA, beating Magic in the finals. Or a team without one player on the allstar team beating Magic's teams in the finals. There was no situation where a player at Magic's position was winning FMVP. Magic only lost to dynasties. Dallas didn't make it out of the first round the year before or after it beat Miami in the finals. It made no sense that Dallas team devastate that Heat team or that Lebron would play that bad.

[Clyde]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.

Did magic sit in front of a crowd saying stupid shit like not 3, not 4 not 5 not 6 etc?

LeBron deserves all the bashing he gets.

[SOD 21]

Kareem lost 5 times. Different situations. The 80's had more dynasties than any era. Kareem wasn't in his prime any longer when Magic got there. Boston had the best frontcourt ever with passing better than SA and star power. Philly had one of the best position player teams ever with two top 20 players all time with the great defensive players. Houston had the twin towers. Detroit was a super tough team that played great team ball and had a bench. Chicago would be off the charts with the greatest player ever.

The Heat situation was three players coming together in the prime and loosing badly twice. There was no losing to a team without one good player in its prime like SA, beating Magic in the finals. Or a team without one player on the allstar team beating Magic's teams in the finals. There was no situation where a player at Magic's position was winning FMVP. Magic only lost to dynasties. Dallas didn't make it out of the first round the year before or after it beat Miami in the finals. It made no sense that Dallas team devastate that Heat team or that Lebron would play that bad.

Kareem lost in the NBA finals five times?

He lost three times in the finals with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983, 1984, and lastly, in 1989. The years that he won the title was 1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

What were the two other times he lost in the finals?

[Pointguard]

Kareem lost in the NBA finals five times?

He lost three times in the finals with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983, 1984, and lastly, in 1989. The years that he won the title was 1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

What were the two other times he lost in the finals?
Neither of us had it right.

He lost with the Bucks one year. I thought it was two years with the Bucks. My bad Kareem lost 4 times in the finals. Kind of amazed he only made it to the finals twice in the 70's.

[Rubio2Gasol]

Remind me who he lost to again?

[SHAQisGOAT]

Won 5 though.

Also going against some dynasties in the Finals.

[Roundball_Rock]

The OP is correct. No one will care about Finals losses 10 years from now. The only reference to them will be "Lebron won X championships and led his team to Y Finals."

On "2/5", you know who else is 2/5? John Elway and no one cares...Peyton Manning supposedly lost his shot at GOAT after losing in the 2009 Super Bowl but everyone was back on the bandwagon in 2013--and then off when he lost. If LeBron wins a title in the future no one will care about the Heat losing to a vastly superior team.

The 80's were a dynasty dominated decade--with dynasties on both sides in the Finals. That was before the league was diluted by further expansion. The rosters then can't be compared to rosters of today. You always have to look at relative strength instead of comparing teams across eras.


Kind of amazed he only made it to the finals twice in the 70's.

His teams had some bad luck with injuries, i.e. 77'.

[IllegalD]

The OP is correct. No one will care about Finals losses 10 years from now. The only reference to them will be "Lebron won X championships and led his team to Y Finals."

The 80's were a dynasty dominated decade--with dynasties on both sides in the Finals. That was before the league was diluted by further expansion. The rosters then can't be compared to rosters of today. You always have to look at relative strength instead of comparing teams across eras.



His teams had some bad luck with injuries, i.e. 77'.

FALSE.

They WILL care about finals losses when it comes to comparing him to other all-time greats. Magic and Kareem have more finals losses than LeBron, but they also have more rings, which gives them winning finals records.

LeBron was being hyped as better than Jordan, or at least on par.* So yes the finals losses will be talked about when comparing him to Jordan and even Kobe. Deal with it, beeches.

[NumberSix]

I think the LeBron hate is due to the fact he was propped up as the King. The heir to the throne.

The original King was Michael Jordan. At his peak, he was unstoppable. LeBron is being measured to that. So far, he hasn't lived up to it. No one can or will, in my opinion.

So, the hate isn't warranted.
Apparently not.

[Roundball_Rock]

FALSE.

They WILL care about finals losses when it comes to comparing him to other all-time greats.

Name me one champion in any sport whose losing Finals/Super Bowl record is held against him to any significant degree. Like I said, Elway was 2-3, Manning is 1-2, and Marino was 0-1. Montana was 4-0 and Young 1-0 but there are people who put Marino, Elway, or Manning above them.


LeBron was being hyped as better than Jordan, or at least on par.*

Jordan lost twice in the ECF and thrice in the first round. Lebron is 5-1 in the ECF and undefeated in the first round. So losing earlier is better? :lol

LeBron's team did not win 55 games even with him.

[Myth]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.

If LeBron wins another 1, his legacy overall will be fine. Heck, it is fine now, just not as high as he and his "fans" would like it to be (above Duncan/Kobe), but there is no problem being above guys like KG, Barkley, Malone, and Dirk.

[Deuce Bigalow]

5/9 >>>>>> 2/5

[dubeta]

Magic had the best center and best sg (Kareem, and worthy) + Nixon shows how stacked his team was. The fact that he lost 4 with that team was embarassing.
2 of LeBron's finals losses were 1 vs 5 (2007 and 2014) So Magics case is a lot worse than LeBrons due to his stacked team

tl;dr LeBron is way better than Magic

[Myth]

5/9 >>>>>> 2/5

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/031/c/5/nicolas_cage_meme_3__by_chicapanda-d5te4xx.jpg

[Pointguard]

Magic had the best center and best sg (Kareem, and worthy) + Nixon shows how stacked his team was. The fact that he lost 4 with that team was embarassing.
2 of LeBron's finals losses were 1 vs 5 (2007 and 2014) So Magics case is a lot worse than LeBrons due to his stacked team

tl;dr LeBron is way better than Magic

Worthy wasn't a shooting guard and never played anything like a SG. And he wasn't a top three SF either. Nixon was in Magic's way. Nixon could only play the point. If Lebron plays hard he could upseat Magic - Lebron has a bit too many weird moments. He got to play all out when he gets in these situations.

[DFish24]

Bran stans getting more and more desperate everyday:lol Your idol is 2/5 in the finals and not a Top 10 Player all-time, deal with it.

[SOD 21]

Neither of us had it right.

He lost with the Bucks one year. I thought it was two years with the Bucks. My bad Kareem lost 4 times in the finals. Kind of amazed he only made it to the finals twice in the 70's.

I had to look it up because I forgot that Kareem was in the NBA finals in 1974 and lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics.

I had forgotten that. Thanks for the clarification.

[sportjames23]

I am glad that you brought this up because I was about to say the same thing.

But that Los Angeles Lakers team in 1989 swept through the first three rounds of the playoffs and dominated each team in their path. The downside of that domination is that they experienced a significant layoff until the Finals began, something like 10 days, and Pat Riley feared that they would lose their sharpness was such an extended layoff. His solution was to put the Lakers through a mini boot camp and the result was a torn hamstring to their starting shooting guard Byron Scott before the Finals even began.

And then things went from bad to worse when Magic suffered his own hamstring injury in the second quarter of game two against the Detroit Pistons, or maybe it was the third quarter of that game, but it has been a long time since it happened. But the Los Angeles Lakers had to face a great Detroit Pistons team without their starting backcourt when both Magic Johnson and Byron Scott suffered those injuries.

In fact, Pat Riley received criticism because many believe that he pushed his players too hard in that mini boot camp before the finals began and that contributed to those injuries.


I remember this like it was yesterday. I was pissed because I HATED the Pistons (it was the second year in a row they beat my Bulls) and I wanted the Lakers to three-peat.

[Kiddlovesnets]

I think more important is how much you win compared to how much you lose. A 5-4 record looks solid to me, way better than players who never made it to NBA Finals at all.

[Soundwave]

Yes.

But he managed to win 5, good enough to give him a winning finals record.

Right now LeBron is 2-3. He would need to win AT LEAST 2 more JUST to get above .500 winning record in the finals.

How likely is that to happen?

Is it possible? Sure.

Is it a guarantee? HELL NO.

Just look at how easily he couldve been 1-4 in the Finals. And it's taken him this long just to win the 2 he has. Is he gonna' play at this same level forever?

It's funny that just before this beatdown the standard we held for him is Jordan, and now people are starting to downgrade in order to save face. No one is questioning LeBron's greatness. But the whole "better than Jordan/unanimous GOAT" is as dead as dead, unless he somehow ends up with 7+ rings.

Good post. :rockon:

[r0drig0lac]

I agree, lebron, like magic will be fine, even with some losses at the end, but like magic, has no chance to be the GOAT

[jayfan]

There is no reason to bash LeBron for being 2/5 in the finals, I doubt he's done winning titles as long as his supporting cast is viable for the next few seasons etc.

Imo the hate LeBron has been getting lately is completely ridiculous.

The hate is due to those who were trying to sell Lebron as GOAT.

[BigBoss]

So what OP is saying then is Kobe > Magic

[Hey Yo]

But ther legacy is shaped differently. Lebron was hyped getting the best record in the league to lose it and then went to 2 other superstars to lose again and then finally win 2

Magic stuck wit his squad, and kept playing. Yeah he was losing but he didnt search for new teamates.
That's because the dumbass signed a 25yr contract. LA had no interest in trading him and he would never become a UFA once the NBA adopted the rule in the summer of 88'

[KG215]

Magic had the best center and best sg (Kareem, and worthy) + Nixon shows how stacked his team was. The fact that he lost 4 with that team was embarassing.
2 of LeBron's finals losses were 1 vs 5 (2007 and 2014) So Magics case is a lot worse than LeBrons due to his stacked team

tl;dr LeBron is way better than Magic
I know you're a troll, but this is so f***ing ignorant. Never mind the stupid premise of the whole argument with how many times a player lost in the Finals. But when people say something like "how did Bird not win more titles with that team?" or "how did Magic not win more titles with that team?"

Magic's Finals losses came to the f***ing '83 Sixers, one of the best teams ever, Bird's Celtics, Bad Boy Pistons, and peak Jordan and the Bulls. And, if I recall correctly, in '89 Magic himself got hurt and essentially didn't play in one game and they didn't have Byron Scott the entire series. Also, in '91, they got hit by injuries to key players mid-series and that team wasn't the same "Showtime Lakers."

Point being, yes, in theory Magic's Laker teams were "stacked" but so was every other contender of the decade. And, even the fringe contenders at the time would probably be considered "stacked" in today's NBA if, you know, they could actually afford those rosters...which they couldn't.

[Pointguard]

I am glad that you brought this up because I was about to say the same thing.

But that Los Angeles Lakers team in 1989 swept through the first three rounds of the playoffs and dominated each team in their path. The downside of that domination is that they experienced a significant layoff until the Finals began, something like 10 days, and Pat Riley feared that they would lose their sharpness was such an extended layoff. His solution was to put the Lakers through a mini boot camp and the result was a torn hamstring to their starting shooting guard Byron Scott before the Finals even began.

And then things went from bad to worse when Magic suffered his own hamstring injury in the second quarter of game two against the Detroit Pistons, or maybe it was the third quarter of that game, but it has been a long time since it happened. But the Los Angeles Lakers had to face a great Detroit Pistons team without their starting backcourt when both Magic Johnson and Byron Scott suffered those injuries.

In fact, Pat Riley received criticism because many believe that he pushed his players too hard in that mini boot camp before the finals began and that contributed to those injuries.

I didn't know this or blanked it out - had a lot going on at that time. I recall the two peat live as today. Thanks, weird that I'm just getting it.

[Pointguard]

Magic's Finals losses came to the f***ing '83 Sixers, one of the best teams ever, Bird's Celtics, Bad Boy Pistons, and peak Jordan and the Bulls. And, if I recall correctly, in '89 Magic himself got hurt and essentially didn't play in one game and they didn't have Byron Scott the entire series. Also, in '91, they got hit by injuries to key players mid-series and that team wasn't the same "Showtime Lakers."
Worthy and Scott were injured. Worthy definitely was, Scott might have just been playing absolutely terrible. And Jordan was hungry.

[AintNoSunshine]

But ther legacy is shaped differently. Lebron was hyped getting the best record in the league to lose it and then went to 2 other superstars to lose again and then finally win 2

Magic stuck wit his squad, and kept playing. Yeah he was losing but he didnt search for new teamates.


Poor Magic was stuck with Kareem and Worthy and Cooper and other great players:roll:

[longtime lurker]

Who gives a flying fvck if Magic lost 4 times when he has more than double the championships Bran has?

[eliteballer]

3 of the 4 times he lost it was because of injuries...

Worthy in 83

Magic and Scott in 89

and Worthy and Scott in 91.

[SOD 21]

3 of the 4 times he lost it was because of injuries...

Worthy in 83

Magic and Scott in 89

and Worthy and Scott in 91.

Bob McAdoo was also injured and only played the first two games of the finals, not to mention he wasn't healthy even in the games that he played. He was a dangerous 15 point per game scorer off the bench in the regular season, so he definitely missed. But with that said and even factoring in the injury to James Worthy, 1983 felt like it was just Phili's year. The series would have been closer and competitive, but I believe the 76er's still win.

That Piston team was great in 1989 and they were definitely due. But it is hard not to think that the Lakers had a great chance to beat them again with a healthy Magic and Scott. LA had gone 11-0 in the playoffs up until those injuries. But how can any team win with their starting backcourt out? That meant that they were missing over 40 points, 12 rebounds, 16 assists, 51% fg and 36% 3PT shooting? No team could, so too much to overcome.

I don't think anything was derailing Michael Jordan and his Bulls in 1991 on their way to their first title. No, they weren't healthy, but I doubt that it would have mattered. It was just the Bulls' time, so give them credit.