And thank goodness that NBA Greatest Games didn’t remove the intro. Those of us who watched these live back in the day remember the intros and it takes you back. 😊
This was the series to determine “Team of the 80’s.” Both had 3 titles going in. Lakers won not only this series, but the next year as well (over Detroit) for 5 titles in the decade. In all, LA had 8 trips to the finals with 5 rings & Boston 5 trips to the finals with 3 titles in the 1980’s.
That missed rebound by McHale on Kareem's 2nd free throw miss was a dagger, he gets that, its game over, it was the equivalent imo when Magic in the 84 series missed two key free throws that would have won it for the Lakers if he had made them, game of literally freaking inches! 😔
these individual statistics go in this EXACT order for these 6 legends the #1 scoring from kareem abdul-jabbar #2 scoring from michael jordan #3 passing from magic johnson #4 scoring from larry bird #5 shotblocking from hakeem olajuwon and #6 scoring from shaquille o'neal
That Michael Cooper played a very tough defense on Bird, Bird said it himself several times Michael Cooper was the toughest defender he played against, said it at the announcement when he officially retired
The difference in this Finals was the benches. Boston practically had no bench while the Lakers Thompson, Cooper and Rambis dominated. Not to mention Boston was injured throughout most of the 87 playoffs. I knew once the Lakers won this game it was over, although I think the Lakers still would have won in 7 even if the Celtics won all of their home games. The Lakers were invincible at home that year.
The Eastern Conference in the 80's was WAY MORE TOUGHER than The West was. The Lakers had a cakewalk to The Finals most of those 80's seasons..while The Celtics had to go through tough teams like Philly, Milwaukee, Detroit, Atlanta...and The Bulls when Jordan got there. That 87 season Boston had to beat Atlanta in the 1st round (The Hawks were better than any team in The West, other than The Lakers)...Milwaukee in the semis (only The Lakers were better in The West than Milwaukee)..and Detroit in the conference finals (they would have beaten any team in The West...even The Lakers). Boston was banged up (plus they lost Len Bias to an overdose..imagine Bias on that Celtics team...who would The Lakers had to guard him?). If Len Bias had not died....Bird's, Mchale's and Parrish's careers would all have lasted longer. They would not have had to trade Danny Ainge in 89. Bias was almost as good as Jordan (I can only imagine how Bias would have flourished on a team with Larry Bird).
@@paullentz1972Excellent points and all are 100% spot on, no exaggeration, Kevin McHale was playing with a broken foot! The biggest thing imo that really hurt us was the death of Len Bias then just a few years later another superstar player in the making Reggie Lewis dies and the Celtics with all this happening, were still competitive, what a shame
@@paullentz1972 The west was not bad and had alot of tough teams like Denver, San Antonio, Houston, Portland, Phx, Utah, Dallas. Your post was ok up until you said Detroit would have beaten the 1987 Lakers, when the facts are that they couldnt even beat the much weaker 88 Lakers. The west was MUCH stronger than the east in 1988.
I dont know hoy the celtics lost this game. A game the dominated and got careless at the end. Both larry and magic proved capable of making the big shot. I also think the celtics players were no ratated they way they should and y led to a tire celtics team that could not finish the game the way they were supposed to do it.
no disrespect but the 1981 finals mvp should've been larry bird the 1988 finals mvp should've been magic johnson and the 1980 1982 and 1987 finals mvp's should've been kareem abdul-jabbar
no disrespect to superstar kevin mchale but legend larry bird was the best choice in terms of the 1986 finals mvp and i did do and will really LOVE legend hakeem olajuwon ALMOST as much as three even more elite players being kareem abdul-jabbar bill russell and wilt chamberlain
@@AD-ur1fk i previously heard the media was biased towards magic johnson and the 1980's best individual statistics for the lakers go in this EXACT order the #1 scoring from kareem abdul-jabbar #2 passing from magic johnson #3 rebounding from kareem abdul-jabbar #4 shotblocking from kareem abdul-jabbar and #5 scoring from james worthy
Heinsohn had no problem with Bird swinging at Bill Laimbeer after a hard foul, but Worthy was out of line for doing so? What a ridiculous homer he was.
