30th Anniversary of the 1991 NBA Finals (Michael vs. Magic)
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This pretty much ended the talk that MJ could check Lebron.
MJ couldn't check Magic at all. No knock on MJ because Lebron and Magic are just to big.
You not stopping Lebron at 6'6 215
Pip didn't "stop" Earv either. Such a fukkin exaggeration. He guarded him well no doubt, but you don't stop GREAT players.
Losing James and Byron hurt a lot. But we weren't even supposed to be there that year. Blazers were supposed to go back and Earv and the gang upset them in the WCF.
Here are Magic's stats from the 1991 NBA finals by the way
Game 1 19pts 10rbs 11ast
*Game 2 14pts 7rbs 10ast
*Game 3 22pts 6rbs 10ast
*Game 4 22pts 6rbs 11ast
*Game 5 16pts 11rbs 20ast
*=games where Pippen defended Magic
Johnsons's 1991 NBA Finals Stats:
18.6ppg 8.0rpg 12.4apg
Johnson's 1991 NBA Finals stats while guarded by Pippen: 18.5ppg 7.5rpg 12.8apg
Johnson's 1990-91 Regular season stats:
19.4ppg 7.0rpg 12.5apg
If you want to get real technical, consider that an assist causes your team to score 2 points, so Magic was actually slightly more productive for his team while guarded by Pippen than he was in Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals or the 1990-91 regular season.
And in games 3-5 Magic averaged 20ppg, 7.7rpg 13.7apg, all better than his regular season numbers. He even had 20 assists in game 5 when his two best offensive options-- James Worthy and Byron Scott, were out with injuries.
Pippen defending Magic caught the Lakers off guard in game 2, but Magic adjusted and performed very well the rest of the series.
Magic statistically did better while defended by Pippen than he did when he was defended by someone else. But Mike on Magic was not a good use of Mike's energy and effort.
Bulls probably still win, but you never know. Injuries are part of the game.
These LeStanleys still running with this narrative and Bron has no post game by the way.
