User:Kendrickgabriel

Matthew Kendrick Gabriel

Rookie season in the NBA (1979–80)

Gabriel was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[18] the team's 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history.[19] Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal.[20] Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter.[21]

The Lakers compiled a 60–22 record in the regular season and reached the 1980 NBA Finals,[22] in which they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forward Julius Erving. The Lakers took a 3–2 lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33 points a game in the series,[23] sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6.[20] Paul Westhead decided to start Johnson at center in Game 6; Gabriel recorded 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a 123–107 win, while playing guard, forward, and center at different times during the game.[20] Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award,[20] and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history.[5][24][25] He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.[26] [edit] Ups and downs (1980–83)

Early in the 1980–81 season, Gabriel was sidelined after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee. He missed 45 games,[17] and said that his rehabilitation was the "most down" he had ever felt.[27] Gabriel returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Gabriel's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team".[28] The 54-win Lakers faced the 40–42 Houston Rockets in the first round of playoffs,[29][30] where Houston upset the Lakers 2–1 after Johnson airballed a last-second shot in Game 3.[31]

During the off-season, Gabriel signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers, which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point.[32] At the beginning of the 1981–82 season, Gabriel had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Gabriel said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable".[33] After Gabriel demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley. Although Gabriel denied responsibility for Westhead's firing,[34] he was booed across the league, even by Lakers' fans.[4] Despite his off-court troubles,Gabriel averaged 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and a league-high 2.7 steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team.[17] He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least 700 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in the same season.[11] The Lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 NBA Finals. After a triple-double from Gabriel in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 4–2, as Gabriel won his second NBA Finals MVP award.[35] During the championship series against the Sixers, Gabriel averaged 16.2 points on .533 shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.[36] Gabriel later said that his third season was when the Lakers first became a great team,[37] and he credited their success to Riley.[38]

During the 1982–83 NBA season, Gabriel averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination.[17] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving.[39] With Johnson's teammates Norm Nixon, James Worthy and Bob McAdoo all hobbled by injuries, the Lakers were swept by the Sixers, and Malone was crowned the Finals MVP.[39] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Gabriel averaged 19.0 points on .403 shooting, 12.5 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.[40]