Bonus Series! Conference Finals MVPs: Part 4 - Western Conference 1980-89, It's SHOWTIME in LA as the Lakers Dominate the West, Hakeem's Rockets Have Their Moment and the Weirdest WCF EVER in 1981!
Description
Today we continue in part 4 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!
During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.
This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?
Find out today as Josh tackles the Eastern Conference in the 1980s!
1980: Los Angeles Lakers vs Seattle SuperSonics - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (03:33 )
1981: Houston Rockets vs Kansas City Kings - Moses Malone (07:06 )
1982: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Magic Johnson (09:54 )
1983: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (12:13 )
1984: Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns - Magic Johnson (15:05 )
1985: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - James Worthy (22:16 )
1986: Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers - Hakeem Olajuwon (25:18 )
1987: Los Angeles Lakers vs Seattle SuperSonics - James Worthy (31:28 )
1988: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers - Magic Johnson (35:19 )
1989: Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns - Magic Johnson (40:21 )
Final award tally - (42:00 )
United States
