Magic Johnson says he faced adversity winning is first title

[rlsmooth775]

lol this is the same guy who won finals MVP in his rookie year

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Well Kareem was out for the clinching game and he put up a 40 point triple double iirc. So yeah...

[SamuraiSWISH]

Front Runner. Worse than LeBron. At least Bron stuck it out 7 years to the team that drafted him.

Magic's spoiled ass circumvented that entire process, refusing to be picked by the Bulls and build a franchise up on his shoulders ... he sat out that year's draft because he deliberately stated he wanted to play with Kareem.

No one ever gets on his case for this lack of competitiveness. He's in the clas of Tim Duncan with the red carpet of excuses.

[KirbyPls]

Front Runner. Worse than LeBron. At least Bron stuck it out 7 years to the team that drafted him.

Magic's spoiled ass circumvented that entire process, refusing to be picked by the Bulls and build a franchise up on his shoulders ... he sat out that year's draft because he deliberately stated he wanted to play with Kareem.

No one ever gets on his case for this lack of competitiveness. He's in the clas of Tim Duncan with the red carpet of excuses.

:applause:

[outbreak]

Well Kareem was out for the clinching game and he put up a 40 point triple double iirc. So yeah...

Every player who shoulders a big load for a team that wins a ring faces adversity. People here act like winning a title is easy for anyone which is just silly.

[Real14]

Whats a winning is?:confusedshrug:

[Hey Yo]

lol this is the same guy who won finals MVP in his rookie year
I saw that recent tweet to and wasn't sure if he was referring to Michigan St. title or Lakers?

If he is referring to Lakers then it's confirmed even further that he's a dope.

[Hey Yo]

Well Kareem was out for the clinching game and he put up a 40 point triple double iirc. So yeah...
It wasn't a trip-dub. Plus Jamaal Wilkes put up 37 and 10.

[Hey Yo]

Front Runner. Worse than LeBron. At least Bron stuck it out 7 years to the team that drafted him.

Magic's spoiled ass circumvented that entire process, refusing to be picked by the Bulls and build a franchise up on his shoulders ... he sat out that year's draft because he deliberately stated he wanted to play with Kareem.

No one ever gets on his case for this lack of competitiveness. He's in the clas of Tim Duncan with the red carpet of excuses.
That's not how it went down.

There was a coin flip on who would get the first pick overall. Johnson stated that if the Bulls had won the coin flip he would have stayed in school. But you are right that he said he wanted to play with Kareem.

Lakers win coin flip, he enters the draft and the rest is history.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

It wasn't a trip-dub. Plus Jamaal Wilkes put up 37 and 10.
42/15/7/3/1....close enough

[SamuraiSWISH]

There was a coin flip on who would get the first pick overall. Johnson stated that if the Bulls had won the coin flip he would have stayed in school. But you are right that he said he wanted to play with Kareem.
Semantics. He manipulated the situation like a competitive coward. Faced adversity? He essentially chose where he wanted to play pro ball at coming into the league.

[mehyaM24]

winning without kareem, as a rookie, in philadelphia, during the finals, in a close out game = GOAT finals performance post shot-clock era.

like magic, lebron, shaq, bird and pippen (jordan was 1-9 in the postseason before pippen was officially drafted) ALL turned their franchises into ELITE contenders.. from the jump.

magic is simply a winner - and arguably the greatest offensive player, ever

[ArbitraryWater]

That's not how it went down.

There was a coin flip on who would get the first pick overall. Johnson stated that if the Bulls had won the coin flip he would have stayed in school. But you are right that he said he wanted to play with Kareem.

Lakers win coin flip, he enters the draft and the rest is history.

That actually IS true.. Didn't expect Sam to say that, but its true... Magic threw a bitchfit ala Kobe.

Magic would have gone back to College if the Laker$ didn't take him #1 overall in the 1980 draft.

His career as a Bull would have been VASTLY different. Same for Kobe as Hornet.

[Hey Yo]

42/15/7/3/1....close enough
Why not just admit you were wrong instead of saying "close enough?"

[SamuraiSWISH]

Magic forced his way to the Lakers. He never faced adversity until the '91 Finals when the GOAT was staring him in the face on the opposite side of the ball. Put the fear of god in him.

http://sportsthenandnow.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Magic-Jordan.jpg

[Hey Yo]

winning without kareem, as a rookie, in philadelphia, during the finals, in a close out game = GOAT finals performance post shot-clock era.

like magic, lebron, shaq, bird and pippen (jordan was 1-9 in the postseason before pippen was officially drafted) ALL turned their franchises into ELITE contenders.. from the jump.

magic is simply a winner - and arguably the greatest offensive player, ever
It's not a GOAT finals close out game performance considering he had a teammate that put up 37-10 in that game

Magic had a lot of help.

[ArbitraryWater]

Magic forced his way to the Lakers. He never faced adversity until the '91 Finals when the GOAT was staring him in the face on the opposite side of the ball. Put the fear of god in him.

http://sportsthenandnow.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Magic-Jordan.jpg

And then Mike had to be taken off of him and Scottie had that shit on lock down :bowdown:

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

winning without kareem, as a rookie, in philadelphia, during the finals, in a close out game = GOAT finals performance post shot-clock era.

like magic, lebron, shaq, bird and pippen (jordan was 1-9 in the postseason before pippen was officially drafted) ALL turned their franchises into ELITE contenders.. from the jump.

magic is simply a winner - and arguably the greatest offensive player, ever

Amazing performance indeed. I have the game on DVD (original broadcast):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au7WJbus5BM

Don't think we'll ever see a rookie play with such poise.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Front Runner. Worse than LeBron. At least Bron stuck it out 7 years to the team that drafted him.

Magic's spoiled ass circumvented that entire process, refusing to be picked by the Bulls and build a franchise up on his shoulders ... he sat out that year's draft because he deliberately stated he wanted to play with Kareem.

No one ever gets on his case for this lack of competitiveness. He's in the clas of Tim Duncan with the red carpet of excuses.
One of the best posts on ISH ive read in a while
glad to see not every basketball fan is a sheep and cant think for themselves

[SamuraiSWISH]

And then Mike had to be taken off of him and Scottie had that shit on lock down :bowdown:
Nah, that was just one game. They put MJ back on him again. He limited his effectiveness very well pressuring him up the court. Bulls couldn't afford MJ getting into foul trouble when he was having to carry a 31 ppg 11 apg offensive load.

Meanwhile Magic NEVER attempted to guard Jordan. And why would he? Sleepy Floyd dropped 51 on him. Imagine what motivated Finals Jordan would do to him?

He'd get sodomized like his son at the LA gay clubs.

[jlip]

Magic forced his way to the Lakers. He never faced adversity until the '91 Finals when the GOAT was staring him in the face on the opposite side of the ball. Put the fear of god in him.



So the '83 and '84 Finals didn't happen? Only the '91 Finals was tough?

[mehyaM24]

And then Mike had to be taken off of him and Scottie had that shit on lock down :bowdown:

correct. you have to wonder how the lakers would have fared with kareem available - and scott, worthy healthy. i dont think the bulls win any titles with those guys at full strength (srs).

from day 1, magic was a winner. even without another top 10 player (scottie had jordan), he still managed to lead his team to the last dance.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au7WJbus5BM
:pimp:

[gts]

lol this is the same guy who won finals MVP in his rookie year


context? an actual quote or something?

[gts]

That's not how it went down.

There was a coin flip on who would get the first pick overall. Johnson stated that if the Bulls had won the coin flip he would have stayed in school. But you are right that he said he wanted to play with Kareem.

Lakers win coin flip, he enters the draft and the rest is history.

this is more to the truth...

Samurai love ya dearly but you got that sequence of events all screwed up :lol

[SamuraiSWISH]

So the '83 and '84 Finals didn't happen? Only the '91 Finals was tough?
I'm exaggerating. We all remember "Tragic Johnson" ...


Samuarai love ya dearly but you got that sequence of events all screwed up
Um the essence was the same.

Magic manipulated in some way his ultimate destination. And it was to a team with already established superstars. That doesn't take any kind of heart.

That wreaks of lack of competitiveness, and easy way out. The same thing people get on LeBron for currently. Does it not?

[ArbitraryWater]

So the '83 and '84 Finals didn't happen? Only the '91 Finals was tough?

Nah... REAL adversity.

Headlights on you, Legend vs Legend, ALPHA of the team..... AND something to prove.

All of that never appeared for Magic until 1991, and at that point he was a 5-time Champion...

He didn't face a Durant, future Top 20, 2nd in MVP, creeping up on him, all in the Finals battling it out for their FIRST EVER title.

[Hey Yo]

2010

" Magic Johnson, who Jordan did ultimately succeed in beating, for his first NBA Title, in 1991. Magic, who just echoed Jordan’s sentiment by saying he would never have joined forces with LeBron James.

Magic, who never won an NBA Finals without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Magic, who won four of his five NBA titles playing for the man who just recruited LeBron to Miami.

Obviously Magic, who was part of the most storied individual rivalry in NBA history, would not have joined forces with Larry Bird. They had been rivals since college, when they played one of the most memorable national title games against each other.

From 1980 to 1987, either Larry Bird or Magic Johnson was the NBA Finals MVP five of eight times. They faced each other three times in the Finals in those years.

http://npinopunintended.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/shut-up-michael-jordan-and-magic-johnson-and-probably-larry-bird-eventually/

http://npinopunintended.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/aagk122magic-johnson-michael-jordan-posters.jpg?w=570

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Nah... REAL adversity.

Headlights on you, Legend vs Legend, ALPHA of the team..... AND something to prove.

All of that never appeared for Magic until 1991, and at that point he was a 5-time Champion...

He didn't face a Durant, future Top 20, 2nd in MVP, creeping up on him, all in the Finals battling it out for their FIRST EVER title.

Basketball is a TEAM sport. F*ck that hero ball, mano y mano bullshit. :oldlol: Magic is a PG - only a complete idiot would think he never faced adversity (this despite going to multiple game 7's and winning titles on the biggest stage).

[chazzy]

Nah... REAL adversity.

Headlights on you, Legend vs Legend, ALPHA of the team..... AND something to prove.

All of that never appeared for Magic until 1991, and at that point he was a 5-time Champion...

He didn't face a Durant, future Top 20, 2nd in MVP, creeping up on him, all in the Finals battling it out for their FIRST EVER title.
:facepalm

[Hey Yo]

Fact is, Magic wouldn't have sniffed the Finals if not for Kareem in 1980

Definitely overrated in my book. Had no jumpshot and his defense was shit.

[SamuraiSWISH]

Basketball is a TEAM sport. F*ck that hero ball, mano y mano bullshit. :oldlol: Magic is a PG - only a complete idiot would think he never faced adversity (this despite going to multiple game 7's and winning titles on the biggest stage).
Calm down. But c'mon that was the Finals billed as Magic v.s. Michael. Just as the preivous ones were Bird's Celtics v.s. Magic's Lakers. Didn't make it actual selfish hero ball. MJ dropped off 11 dimes a game that series ...

:coleman:

Out Magic'ed ... Magic himself.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Fact is, Magic wouldn't have sniffed the Finals if not for Kareem.

Dumb post. He made the finals without Kareem in 1991.

[ArbitraryWater]

Basketball is a TEAM sport. F*ck that hero ball, mano y mano bullshit. :oldlol: Magic is a PG - only a complete idiot would think he never faced adversity (this despite going to multiple game 7's and winning titles on the biggest stage).

Sure, I excaggerated... But still, that was the first time he was challenged as Underdog, and without Kareem.

BTW: That "mano y mano" stuff is Swish-esque, but in cases like this I must agree.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Calm down. But c'mon that was the Finals billed as Magic v.s. Michael. Just as the preivous ones were Bird's Celtics v.s. Magic's Lakers. Didn't make it actual selfish hero ball. MJ dropped off 11 dimes a game that series ...

:coleman:

Out Magic'ed ... Magic himself.

It's the same tired argument w/ Paul and Westbrook. Everyone gives CP3 shit for not chucking as much as Westbrook (or not having his aggression), but the reality is, dude is one of the smartest, and gifted leaders in the game. A PG's job isn't to fall in love with the 1 on 1, individual matchup.

Mike outplayed Magic and murked the entire Laker backcourt. I don't deny that.

[jlip]

Dumb post. He made the finals without Kareem in 1991.


Yep. He also made it in '89 when Kareem was a 41 yr. old 10/5 guy playing 22 minutes a game. Magic actually led the Lakers to the Finals that year by sweeping their way through the Western Conference.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Well, he did got drafted into a team that had Kareem still in his prime, plus Jamal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, Michael Cooper and Spencer Haywood.. but he was still great and had a beastly game6 in the Finals, plus champions always face adversity.




Nah, that was just one game. They put MJ back on him again. He limited his effectiveness very well pressuring him up the court. Bulls couldn't afford MJ getting into foul trouble when he was having to carry a 31 ppg 11 apg offensive load.

Meanwhile Magic NEVER attempted to guard Jordan. And why would he? Sleepy Floyd dropped 51 on him. Imagine what motivated Finals Jordan would do to him?

He'd get sodomized like his son at the LA gay clubs.

Jordan couldn't guard Magic in the post, that's that... Bird also killed him down there everytime MJ "tried" to guard him. Too much skill, smarts and size from those guys.

Sleepy dropped 51 on him? Magic didn't guard Floyd, Scott or Cooper did.
Magic was never what you call a good defender (although versatile and smart) plus he "couldn't" really guard those small(er), very quick PG's (on the other end those PG's couldn't even dream of guarding him though)... but you don't need to be lying.
Ofc he wouldn't be guarding Jordan, Lakers had players better suited for that, and him/the coach were smarter than that... Same reason why Jordan (who obviously was a great defender) had to be switched off of Bird at one point, and why Pip was put on Magic in those Finals.

[Hey Yo]

Dumb post. He made the finals without Kareem in 1991.
I should have stated "in 1980"....... what the thread's premise is about.

Still overrated though.

[Hey Yo]

Yep. He also made it in '89 when Kareem was a 41 yr. old 10/5 guy playing 22 minutes a game. Magic actually led the Lakers to the Finals that year by sweeping their way through the Western Conference.
Then got swept by Detroit in the Finals.

West was weak.

[Stringer Bell]

Then got swept by Detroit in the Finals.

West was weak.

I think we missed out on a good series because of the injuries. Pat Riley decided to have a mini training camp before the finals where players were going all out. So of course Scott gets hurt before the Finals, and Magic pulls a hamstring in game 2.

Pistons probably would have won anyway, but it would have been a good series. 6 games, possibly another 7 game series. Even without Magic & Scott, 2 of the games went down to the wire.

[Deuce Bigalow]

winning without kareem, as a rookie, in philadelphia, during the finals, in a close out game = GOAT finals performance post shot-clock era.

like magic, lebron, shaq, bird and pippen (jordan was 1-9 in the postseason before pippen was officially drafted) ALL turned their franchises into ELITE contenders.. from the jump.

magic is simply a winner - and arguably the greatest offensive player, ever
Bob Pettit's 50 points in 1958 is probably GOAT

[tontoz]

Magic manipulated in some way his ultimate destination.

WTF are you talking about? He didn't manipulate anything. He was picked number 1 in '79 a few months after the NCAA title game.

Just because he may have threatened to do something doesn't mean he actually did.

[TheMarkMadsen]

That actually IS true.. Didn't expect Sam to say that, but its true... Magic threw a bitchfit ala Kobe.

Magic would have gone back to College if the Laker$ didn't take him #1 overall in the 1980 draft.

His career as a Bull would have been VASTLY different. Same for Kobe as Hornet.

I triple dog dare you to make two consecutive post without mentioning Kobe.