The National Basketball Association Finals will feature a dream matchup between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, the two most storied franchises in the history of the league.
Not only will the star power of current NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce be on display, but it also affords the league a chance to showcase the great history of these two franchises and the players who helped shape the NBA over the course of the past five decades.
The names. Oh, the names. Bill Russell, Jerry West, John Havlichek, Elgin Baylor, Sam Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish, James Worthy, Dennis Johnson are all part of NBA royalty in large part because of this great NBA Finals rivalry.
The Lakers/Celtics rivalry brought the NBA into full focus in the 1960s as they met for the championship seven times with the Celtics winning every series. In the 1980s, the rivalry, which featured Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, helped save the NBA as the league experienced a great comeback after a bad malaise in the 1970s when the NBA Finals were regulated to tape-delay broadcasts on CBS in the late-night. It was also a time when the league was known for its great teams as opposed to today, where individuals are marketed.
As the Lakers and Celtics embark on another great chapter of their great championship rivalry, here is a look back at some of the great moments of the Lakers-Celtics championship legacy. For you old-school NBA fans like myself, this is a time to reminisce. And for the younger readers out there, here is a good history lesson for you on some of the greatest moments in NBA history.
1962
At the end of Game 3 with the score tied at 115-115, Jerry West steals an inbounds pass and drives for the winning layup at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 117-115 victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.
In Game 5, Lakers’ star Elgin Baylor scores a then-playoff record 61 points, while grabbing 22 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a victory in Boston to give the Lakers a 3-2 lead in the series.
In Game 7, the famous scene of Bob Cousy dribbling out the final seconds of Boston’s 110-107 overtime victory is part of NBA folk lore. In that decisive seventh game, Celtics’ Hall of Fame center Bill Russell had 30 points and 40 rebounds, including the historic defensive play where he tracked down Jerry West to block his would-be layup late in regulation.
1969
After losing to the Celtics in the Finals for the sixth time in 1968, the Lakers trade for Wilt Chamberlain to join West and Baylor. An aging Celtics teams sputtered into the playoffs as the fourth-place team in the Eastern Conference. The dynasty was over, or so we thought.
In Game 4 with the Celtics trailing 88-87 with four seconds left, Sam Jones rubs Jerry West off a double screen, a.k.a. “The Picket Fence” for a jumper from the top of the key that rolls in at the buzzer to give the Celtics a dramatic 89-88 victory to square the series at 2-2.
In Game 7 in Los Angeles, the Lakers’ brass has already planned the championship party all the way to the balloons dropping down on the crowd after the game. In the closing seconds with the Celtics clinging to a one-point lead, John Havlichek has the ball knocked out of his hands from behind and into the hands of teammate Don Nelson. His jumper bounces off the rim and straight up in the air and back in the basket. Boston wins the game 108-106, handing the Lakers its most bitter defeat in the history of the franchise.
1984
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson meet for the NBA title for the first time since entering the league after their epic NCAA championship-game match-up in 1979.
In Game 2, the Celtics dropped the first game at home and faced the prospect of going down 2-0 as they trailed 113-111 with 18 seconds left in regulation. That was when reserve guard Gerald Henderson stole an ill-advised cross-court pass from James Worthy and converted a layup to tie the game, which the Celtics won in overtime 124-121.
After watching his team get blown out in Game 3, Larry Bird calls out his teammates on their lack of heart. That set the stage for Kevin McHale’s famous clothseline of Kirk Rambis, which turned the ’84 Finals into a streetfight. Boston rallied from a late deficit to win the game 129-125 in Los Angeles to take back home court advantage. The Celtics go on to win the series in seven games, driving another stake into the hearts of Laker Nation.
1985
It appeared to be more of the same as Boston opened the series with a 148-114 drubbing of the Lakers in what was dubbed as the “Memorial Day Massacre.”
The day before Game 2, Lakers captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shaved his head and ran several miles to cleanse himself of the stink of Game 1. He responded with a huge performance to lead the Lakers to victory in Game 2. In Game 6, Abdul-Jabbar clinched the Lakers’ title with a sky hook from deep in left corner as Los Angeles won the title in six games right there in Boston.
1987
The last meeting of these two storied franchises with the NBA title on the line. Magic Johnson provides the decisive shot in the closing seconds of Game 4 when he hits a junior hook shot over Robert Parish and Kevin McHale to give the Lakers a 107-106 victory and a 3-1 lead in the series. The Lakers return to LA and clinch the title with a rousing Game 5 victory in the Forum.
NBA Finals Schedule
(Games Televised on KDNL-TV, ABC)
Game 1: Thurs. June 5- Los Angeles at Boston, 8 p.m.
Game 2: Sun. June 8- Los Angeles at Boston, 8 p.m.
Game 3: Tues. June 10- Boston at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.
Game 4: Thurs. June 12- Boston at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.
Game 5: Sun. June 15: Boston at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.
Game 6: Tues. June 17: Los Angeles at Boston, 8 p.m.
Game 7: Thur. June 19: Los Angeles at Boston, 8 p.m.
