It was the time of Bird and Magic. It was the time of Dr. J at the outset and the Bad Boys at the end. It was a time when the Houston Rockets teased and fell and it was a decade-long feast for Showtime. It was the 1980s in the NBA.
This blog compilation takes you into the season-long narrative of each year’s championship team. You’ll look at the key players from each team and then watch how their regular season narrative unfolded. Finally, you’ll read about each game in a playoff run that ended with champagne and the Larry O’Brien Trophy. You’ll read about the following…
*The arrival of Magic Johnson was the lynchpin for a new era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in place as the anchor, the Lakers immediately won a title in 1980. Watch them continue to come back throughout the 1980s, as Pat Riley replaced Paul Westhead on the bench, James Worthy replaced Jamaal Wilkes and Byron Scott took the spot of Norm Nixon. The beat just kept rolling on, with championships in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 19888.
*Larry Bird came into the league at the same time as Magic and by Bird’s second season, he was the one with a ring. Bird joined forces with Tiny Archibald and Cornbread Maxwell, who later gave way to Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson and Kevin McHale. With Larry Legend as the constant, the Celtics added 1984 and 1986 championships to their 1981 banner.
*Julius Erving spent a long time knocking on the door. His Philadelphia 76ers were consistently among the league’s best, but following a disappointing Finals loss in 1977, they kept getting stopped—mostly by the Lakers and occasionally by the Celtics. Dr. J needed a big man to help him and he got one of the all-time greats in Moses Malone. The result was a championship in 1983.
*By the end of the 1980s, there was a rising power in Detroit. Isiah Thomas was the best player, but more than other elite teams in this decade, the Pistons were about depth. They were also about physicality, earned the nickname “The Bad Boys” and they reveled in it. They challenged the Celtics and just missed in 1987. They reached the Finals in 1988, challenged the Lakers and just missed. In 1989, they brought the championship to the Motor City.
The format of this book is that of a compilation of articles. Each one appears individually on TheSportsNotebook.com and has been edited for the compilation. Taken collectively, they tell the story of the 1980s NBA champions.
This blog compilation takes you into the season-long narrative of each year’s championship team. You’ll look at the key players from each team and then watch how their regular season narrative unfolded. Finally, you’ll read about each game in a playoff run that ended with champagne and the Larry O’Brien Trophy. You’ll read about the following…
*The arrival of Magic Johnson was the lynchpin for a new era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in place as the anchor, the Lakers immediately won a title in 1980. Watch them continue to come back throughout the 1980s, as Pat Riley replaced Paul Westhead on the bench, James Worthy replaced Jamaal Wilkes and Byron Scott took the spot of Norm Nixon. The beat just kept rolling on, with championships in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 19888.
*Larry Bird came into the league at the same time as Magic and by Bird’s second season, he was the one with a ring. Bird joined forces with Tiny Archibald and Cornbread Maxwell, who later gave way to Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson and Kevin McHale. With Larry Legend as the constant, the Celtics added 1984 and 1986 championships to their 1981 banner.
*Julius Erving spent a long time knocking on the door. His Philadelphia 76ers were consistently among the league’s best, but following a disappointing Finals loss in 1977, they kept getting stopped—mostly by the Lakers and occasionally by the Celtics. Dr. J needed a big man to help him and he got one of the all-time greats in Moses Malone. The result was a championship in 1983.
*By the end of the 1980s, there was a rising power in Detroit. Isiah Thomas was the best player, but more than other elite teams in this decade, the Pistons were about depth. They were also about physicality, earned the nickname “The Bad Boys” and they reveled in it. They challenged the Celtics and just missed in 1987. They reached the Finals in 1988, challenged the Lakers and just missed. In 1989, they brought the championship to the Motor City.
The format of this book is that of a compilation of articles. Each one appears individually on TheSportsNotebook.com and has been edited for the compilation. Taken collectively, they tell the story of the 1980s NBA champions.
