1979–80 NBA season
The 1979–80 NBA season was the league’s 34th season. It ran from October 12, 1979 to March 30, 1980 (regular season), with playoffs from April 2–30 and the Finals May 4–16, 1980. There were 22 teams, each playing 82 games. The season introduced the NBA’s three-point line.
Key points:
- Draft: Magic Johnson was the top pick, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Regular season: The Boston Celtics were the top seed.
- Most valuable player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers).
- Top scorer: George Gervin (San Antonio Spurs).
Playoffs and Finals:
- Eastern champions: Philadelphia 76ers; runners-up: Boston Celtics.
- Western champions: Los Angeles Lakers; runners-up: Seattle SuperSonics.
- NBA Finals: Lakers defeated the 76ers 4–2.
- Finals MVP: Magic Johnson.
- Finals venues: The Forum (Inglewood, California) and The Spectrum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
Television: CBS and USA Network. The season ended with the Lakers winning the championship.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:08 (CET).