On this day, May 16, 1980, Erving "Magic" Johnson showed the basketball world what he was made of. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the Laker's most dominant player in the series up till then, suffered a sprained ankle in game 5 of the 1980 NBA finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the win and the 3-2 lead in the series, the L.A. Lakers were preparing for a loss in game 6 in Philadelphia. It was then when rookie Magic, showing veteran leadership, told his teammates that there is no reason for worry and assured that he would take care of everything.
source:nba.com
Indeed he did, Magic played every position during the game, including center, filling up for Kareem's absence, and gave a historical performance with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists in a 123-107 victory that secured the 1980 NBA championship to LA.
It remains one of the greatest moments of the NBA Final's history.
video source: NBA youtube page