For the next two weeks, members of our #NBArank panel are recounting the greatest NBA Finals games. First, we asked five NBA writers to share their favorites. Starting June 9, we'll unveil Kevin Pelton's top 25.
Magic Plays Center: 1980 NBA Finals, Game 6, Lakers vs. Sixers
Chris Broussard: I'll never forget the sight of Magic Johnson jumping center against Philadelphia's Caldwell Jones to start Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. Magic lost the tip, but that was about the only thing he didn't conquer that night.
He sank a skyhook, made acrobatic layups, dunked on opponents, led the fast break, hit jump shots (well, set shots), made all 14 of his free throws, and scored 9 points in the final 5 minutes to turn a 2-point lead into a comfortable double-digit victory.