1981 NBA Finals

1981 basketball championship series August 2023 200px NBA 1981 Houston Rockets Del Harris 2 Boston Celtics Bill Fitch 4 May 5–14 Cedric Maxwell(Boston Celtics) Celtics:Nate Archibald (1991)Larry Bird (1998)Kevin McHale (1999)Robert Parish (2003)Rockets:Moses Malone (2001)Calvin Murphy (1993)Rudy Tomjanovich (2020; coach)Coaches:Bill Fitch (2019)Del Harris (2022)Officials:Darell Garretson (2016)Earl Strom (1995) Celtics defeated 76ers, 4–3 Rockets defeated Kings, 4–1 The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1980–81 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the 62–20 Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the 40–42 Western Conference champion Houston Rockets. The Celtics defeated the Rockets in six games for their fourteenth NBA championship. This series has the distinction of featuring for the third time in NBA history, and last to date, a team with a losing record in the Finals. They were the first team since the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 to reach the championship round despite having more regular season losses than wins. This, along with 1986 (which was also played by the Celtics and the Rockets), was one of the only two NBA Finals of the 1980s not to feature the Lakers.Season Review: 1980-81 https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1980-81 2026-06-21 NBA.com As of , this is the last time the Celtics won the NBA championship on the road. Background Houston Rockets 1980–81 Houston Rockets season Prior to the season, the NBA moved the Rockets and San Antonio Spurs from the Central Division of the Eastern Conference to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. The Rockets and Spurs traded places with the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. The Midwest Division also took in the expansion Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets that season were led by Moses Malone, who practically carried the Rockets to the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Calvin Murphy, the shortest player in the league at the time, set two NBA records, sinking 78 consecutive free throws to break Rick Barry's mark of 60 set in 1975 end and achieving a free-throw percentage of .958, breaking Rick Barry's record set with the Rockets in 1978 end. Other key contributors of the 1980–81 team were Rudy Tomjanovich, Robert Reid, Mike Dunleavy Sr., Allen Leavell, Billy Paultz, Bill Willoughby, Calvin Garrett, Tom Henderson, and Major Jones. The Rockets clinched the last spot in the playoffs on the final night of the regular season following a loss by the Golden State Warriors to Seattle, as Golden State had the tiebreaker over Houston.https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/1981_games.html 1980-81 Golden State Warriors Schedule and Results Houston tied with Kansas City for second place in the Midwest behind San Antonio with a regular season record of 40–42 (this would be only the second time that an NBA team with a losing record would make the Finals, after 1959). Houston's playoff run began by drawing the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson in the first round. The Rockets upset Los Angeles, two games to one, with the Rockets winning both games in Los Angeles.Vecsey George Times Special To the New York 1981-04-06 Rockets Win, 89-86, and Eliminate Lakers in Playoffs https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/06/sports/rockets-win-89-86-and-eliminate-lakers-in-playoffs.html 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331Grant Michael 2023-08-18 Latest 'Winning Time' episode explores one of the biggest upsets in NBA history https://awfulannouncing.com/hbo/winning-time-upset-lakers-rockets.html 2026-06-21 Awful Announcing The Western Conference semifinals matchup featured the Rockets against the Spurs and multi-year scoring champion George Gervin in a Texas Shootout. The Rockets would win the series in seven games behind strong contributions from Murphy and Reid, including Murphy's career playoff high of 42 points in the climactic Game 7 at San Antonio.Upi 1981-04-18 ROCKETS OUST SPURS, GAIN WESTERN FINALS https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/18/sports/rockets-oust-spurs-gain-western-finals.html 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331 This set up an unlikely Conference finals matchup with Kansas City, being that both teams finished the regular season with identical losing records, together compiling just 80 total victories of 164 games played. The Kings, led by Otis Birdsong, Scott Wedman, and Phil Ford1980-81 Kansas City Kings Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/KCK/1981.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com fell to the Rockets in five games, and the Rockets would break into the NBA Finals for the first time, the first of four in franchise history.1981 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2: Rockets vs Kings, April 22, 1981 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198104220KCK.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com It would be the only time two conference finalists in the playoffs both had losing records, and the second and last time to date a team with a losing record made it all the way to the Finals round (the first being the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers). Boston Celtics 1980–81 Boston Celtics season This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three".Quinn Justin Today in Boston Celtics history: Robert Parish, Kevin McHale trade; Bird, Ainge drafts https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2026/06/09/celtics-history-robert-parish-kevin-mchale-trade-bird-ainge-drafts/90378715007/ 2026-06-21 Celtics Wire M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the bench, and key cogs in Boston's balanced offensive attack. However, the Celtics lost future Hall of Famers Dave Cowens and JoJo White to retirement. Still, the Celtics, led by Bird, won 62 games and managed to squeak past Philadelphia for the league's best record due to tiebreakers. The Celtics's playoff run started with a first-round bye, straight into the conference semifinals. Despite the layoff, the Celtics easily swept the Artis Gilmore-led Chicago Bulls, and then faced the defending Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers for the right to advance to The Finals. After a hard-fought and physical series, the Celtics eventually came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to defeat the Sixers, repeating a feat they accomplished in 1968. Five of the games in the series ended with the winning team on top by two points or less, including a 91–90 nail-biter in Game 7.Quinn Justin 2025-05-17 Cedric Maxwell on the run to the 1981 Boston Celtics title https://sports.yahoo.com/article/cedric-maxwell-run-1981-boston-080023191.html 2026-06-21 Yahoo Sports (via Celtics Wire)1981 Boston Celtics: Season and Playoffs https://www.landofbasketball.com/teams_by_year/1980_1981_celtics.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20241208111721/https://www.landofbasketball.com/teams_by_year/1980_1981_celtics.htm 2024-12-08 2026-06-21 landofbasketball.com Both teams had met in the playoffs the year earlier, when the Rockets were in their final season in the Eastern Conference. The 1980 Eastern Conference semifinal matchup had a slightly different Celtics team, with Hall of Fame center Dave Cowens still playing for the team, as well not featuring perennial stars Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, both of whom would not arrive in Boston until the 1981 season. Rick Barry for Houston was also in the final season of his career in 1980. The Celtics blew out the Rockets in a four-game sweep, by a total of 74 points in the 1980 Eastern Conference semis. https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1980_ECS.html#BOS-HOU 1980 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals - Hawks vs. 76ers Basketball-Reference.com Road to the Finals 1981 NBA playoffs Houston Rockets (Western Conference champion) Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion)HOU6th seed in the West, 12th best league recordRegular seasonBOS1st seed in the East, best league recordDefeated the (3) Los Angeles Lakers, 2–1First roundEarned first-round byeDefeated the (2) San Antonio Spurs, 4–3Conference semifinalsDefeated the (5) Chicago Bulls, 4–0Defeated the (5) Kansas City Kings, 4–1Conference finalsDefeated the (2) Philadelphia 76ers, 4–3 (*)The Celtics were tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA's best record, but the Celtics earned the division title and the overall top seed based on tie-breakers. Regular season series The Boston Celtics won both games in the regular season series: #fff December 19, 1980 Houston Rockets 119 Boston Celtics |score2=133 Boston Garden, Boston March 4, 1981 Boston Celtics |score1=108 Houston Rockets 101 The Summit, Houston, Texas Series summary Game Date Home team Result Road team Game 1 May 5 Boston Celtics 98–95 (1–0) Houston Rockets Game 2 May 7 Boston Celtics 90–92 (1–1) Houston Rockets Game 3 May 9 Houston Rockets 71–94 (1–2) Boston Celtics Game 4 May 10 Houston Rockets 91–86 (2–2) Boston Celtics Game 5 May 12 Boston Celtics 109–80 (3–2) Houston Rockets Game 6 May 14 Houston Rockets 91–102 (2–4) Boston Celtics Game summaries Game 1 #eee May 5 7:35 p.m. EDT Boston Garden, Boston CBS Houston Rockets 95 Boston Celtics |score2=98 29–24 28–27 24–25 14–22 Robert Reid 27 Larry Bird 18 Moses Malone 15 Larry Bird 21 Mike Dunleavy 7 Larry Bird 9 15,320 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 9 John Vanak Boston leads the series, 1–0 No one figured this series to be much of a Finals.Gelso Nick 2022-09-24 The NBA in 1981: That Cinderella Season - Part 2 https://www.clnsmedia.com/boston-celtics-houston-rockets-1981/ 2026-06-21 CLNS Media Houston, in fact, had lost its previous dozen games to the Celtics, including a 4–0 series sweep in the previous years' playoffs. But Malone, who had averaged nearly 28 points and 15 rebounds over the season, would have none of the "Boston Curse". He came into the series fired up, going so far as to call the Celtics "chumps". The Celtics, meanwhile, were coming off three close games in the Eastern Conference finals in upsetting the heavily favored Philadelphia 76ers. So, the Celtics were tired and flat.June 2026 Houston led 57–51 at the half and kept that intensity through the game. Late in the fourth period, with the Celtics trailing 87–84, Bird put up an 18-footer from the right side. As soon as he turned it loose, he immediately rushed in for the rebound. He caught the ball in midair as his momentum was carrying him out of bounds on the baseline just right of the lane. In an instant, he switched the ball to his left hand (a right-handed shot would have hit the side of the backboard) and flipped it in the basket. Bird would finish with 18 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists. Moses Malone would grab 15 rebounds, but was held to 13 points.June 2026 The crowd went nuts over Bird's shot, with general manager Red Auerbach leading the cheers. Bill Russell, who was broadcasting the game for CBS, looked on in disbelief.June 2026 The shot carried Boston to a 98–95 win and Auerbach proclaimed, "It was one of the best shots I've ever seen a player make."Bird Hayden 2017-06-01 In his first Finals game, Larry Bird made the 'greatest play' Red Auerbach ever saw https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2017/06/01/in-his-first-finals-game-larry-bird-made-the-greatest-play-red-auerbach-ever-saw/ 2026-06-21 Boston.com Game 2 #eee May 7 7:35 p.m. EDT Boston Garden, Boston CBS Houston Rockets |score1=92 Boston Celtics 90 22–26 23–23 23–19 24–22 Moses Malone 31 Larry Bird 19 Moses Malone 15 Larry Bird 21 Reid, Tom Henderson, Leavell 3 each Archibald, Gerald Henderson 4 each 15,320 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 4 Ed T. Rush Series tied, 1–1 Malone would come up big in this game, scoring 31 points and pulling down another 15 boards. Bill Willoughby would add 14 off the bench to make up for poor shooting by Robert Reid (0 for 7) and Calvin Murphy (4 for 13). Reserve guard Allen Leavell's late basket would give the Rockets the 92–90 victory. Bird would lead the Celtics once again with 19 points and 21 rebounds. The victory was Houston's eighth road win of the playoffs, a record that stood until the 1995 Rockets won nine playoff games en route to winning the championship.1981 NBA Finals - Rockets vs. Celtics https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1981-nba-finals-rockets-vs-celtics.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Game 3 #eee May 9 2:35 p.m. CDT The Summit, Houston, Texas CBS Boston Celtics |score1=94 Houston Rockets 71 21–17 20–13 24–18 29–23 Cedric Maxwell 19 Moses Malone 23 Larry Bird 13 Moses Malone 15 Larry Bird 10 Malone, Reid, Leavell 2 each 16,121 No. 9 John Vanak No. 12 Earl Strom Boston leads the series, 2–1 With the series back in Houston, Robert Reid, matched up with Larry Bird, would begin to garner attention for his defense on the Celtics star, holding him to three baskets and eight points. But, the Celtics would not need Bird's scoring in this one. The Rockets shot a paltry 3 for 17 in the second quarter, fell behind by 17, and never recovered. The Celtics had six players who scored in double figures, led by Cedric Maxwell with 19 points.Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets - Final Score - May 09, 1981 https://www.foxsports.com/nba/nba-finals-game-3-boston-celtics-vs-houston-rockets-may-09-1981-game-boxscore-63354 2026-06-21 foxsports.com His teammates, meanwhile, played some pretty good defense of their own, holding the Rockets to 71 points, the lowest output for an NBA team in a Finals game since the Syracuse Nationals scored 71 in the 1955 NBA Finals (which was, incidentally, the year the shot clock was introduced). The record low stood until it was shattered by the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of the 1998 Finals when they lost 96–54 to Chicago Bulls.NBA Team Postseason Records for Points https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/team_post_pts.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Game 4 #eee May 10 12:05 p.m. CDT The Summit, Houston, Texas CBS Boston Celtics 86 Houston Rockets |score2=91 26–26 24–24 17–25 19–16 Cedric Maxwell 24 Mike Dunleavy 28 Cedric Maxwell 14 Moses Malone 22 Larry Bird 7 Tom Henderson 9 16,121 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 4 Ed T. Rush Series tied, 2–2 Reid continued his air-tight defense on Bird, holding him to another eight points, while scoring 19 himself. The star of this game was Mike Dunleavy, Sr., who had 28 points. Malone would add 24 points and 22 rebounds as the Rockets tied the series. Another key was the Rockets' relentless offensive rebounding and second-chance opportunities; they grabbed 28 offensive rebounds (Reid had 10 and Malone nine with four put-back dunks) on the way to out-shooting the Celtics in attempts, 103 to 74.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWhceLb_XCw 1981 NBA FINALS GAME 4 BOS @ HOU 2024-11-03 Stanley Hudson 2026-06-21 YouTube Game 5 #eee May 12 9:05 p.m. EDT Boston Garden, Boston CBS Houston Rockets 80 Boston Celtics |score2=109 19–34 18–25 18–18 25–32 Moses Malone 20 Cedric Maxwell 28 Moses Malone 11 Cedric Maxwell 15 Allen Leavell 6 Larry Bird 8 15,320 No. 12 Earl StromNo. 22 Paul MihalikNo. 7 Joe Gushue (alternate) Boston leads the series, 3–2 The Rockets had a losing regular season record at 40–42, but, up to Game 5, they showed they definitely belonged in the finals with the Celtics. So, no one could blame Moses Malone for doing some trash-talking. Earlier, he had simply declared, "Boston ain't that good." Before Game 5, though, Malone went a little too far, saying, "I could get four guys off the street in Petersburg (Virginia, Malone's hometown) and beat them."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-F66hn9NYQ Bill Russell REACTS: Moses Malone Celtics “ain’t that good” 2022-09-30 NBA History & Storytellers on CLNS 2026-06-21 YouTube Malone's word would prove to motivate the Celtics. With Bird still struggling offensively, Cedric Maxwell shouldered the load, scoring 28 points and pulling down 15 rebounds and sparking several fast breaks to a Celtics rout, 109–80.Houston Rockets vs Boston Celtics May 5, 1981 Game Summary https://www.nba.com/game/hou-vs-bos-0048000048 2026-06-21 NBA.com The infamous on-air incident between Rick Barry and Bill Russell occurred early in the third quarter of this game.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcY3CmT3sm8&t=96s The infamous Rick Barry-Bill Russell Watermelon Grin incident FULL YouTube Game 6 #eee May 14 9:05 p.m. CDT The Summit, Houston, Texas CBS Boston Celtics |score1=102 Houston Rockets 91 25–24 28–23 29–20 20–24 Larry Bird 27 Robert Reid 27 Larry Bird 13 Moses Malone 16 Nate Archibald 12 Tom Henderson, Reid 5 each 16,121 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 14 Jack Madden Boston wins the series, 4–2 Motivated from Malone's previous barbs, the Celtics took it right to the Rockets back at The Summit, leading 84–67 in the final period. However, as coach Fitch looked on in disgust, the Celtics went five minutes without a basket as the Rockets, led by Calvin Garrett, reeled off 13 unanswered points in a furious comeback and eventually cut the lead to only three, with the Houston crowd erupting louder after each basket. Larry Bird then finally broke out of his shooting doldrums to personally blunt the Rockets' rally. Bird hit a 15-foot jumper, fed series MVP Maxwell for a basket, and hit a back-breaking, 24-foot, three-point shot to put the Rockets away for good and send Boston to its 14th NBA Championship, and at last a championship ring for 11-year veteran Nate Archibald.Tiny Archibald Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/architi01.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.comQuinn Justin Today in Boston Celtics history: Celtics win '81 championship vs. Rockets; Braun signed https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2026/05/14/celtics-history-celtics-win-81-championship-vs-rockets-braun-signs/90011584007/ 2026-06-21 Celtics Wire As of , this is the most recent time the Celtics have clinched a championship on the road, with each of their next four titles being won at home. Player statistics Boston Celtics Boston Celtics |- | align="left" | Chris Ford || 6 || 6 || 30.7 || .500 || .222 || .778 || 2.7 || 2.3 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 10.5 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Cedric Maxwell || 6 || 6 || 37.8 || .568 || .000 || .759 || 9.5 || 2.8 || 0.2 || 1.0 || 17.7 |- | align="left" | Larry Bird || 6 || 6 || 42.8 || .419 || .333 || .813 || 15.3 || 7.0 || 2.3 || 0.5 || 15.3 |- | align="left" | Kevin McHale basketball || 6 || 0 || 13.8 || .387 || .000 || .571 || 3.3 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.7 || 4.7 |- | align="left" | Tiny Archibald || 6 || 6 || 33.8 || .364 || .000 || .875 || 1.2 || 5.5 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 10.3 |- | align="left" | Rick Robey || 6 || 0 || 16.3 || .559 || .000 || .563 || 3.7 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 7.8 |- | align="left" | Gerald Henderson || 6 || 0 || 15.8 || .559 || .000 || .833 || 1.7 || 1.7 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 7.2 |- | align="left" | Robert Parish || 6 || 6 || 27.8 || .506 || .000 || .632 || 7.7 || 1.0 || 1.2 || 2.0 || 15.0 |- | align="left" | M.L. Carr || 6 || 0 || 18.3 || .459 || .000 || .750 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 4.7 |- | align="left" | Terry Duerod || 4 || 0 || 1.5 || .429 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 1.5 |- | align="left" | Eric Fernsten || 4 || 0 || 2.5|| .000 || .000 || .667 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.5 Houston Rockets Houston Rockets |- | align="left" | Tom Henderson Tom Henderson (basketball) || 6 || 6 || 32.2 || .395 || .000 || .733 || 2.2 || 4.2 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 6.8 |- | align="left" | Allen Leavell || 5 || 0 || 14.6 || .303 || .000 || .714 || 1.4 || 3.4 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 5.0 |- | align="left" | Robert Reid Robert Reid (basketball) || 6 || 6 || 40.7 || .375 || .000 || .696 || 7.5 || 3.3 || 2.0 || 0.8 || 14.7 |- | align="left" | Mike Dunleavy Mike Dunleavy, Sr. || 6 || 6 || 27.5 || .415 || .429 || .800 || 2.3 || 3.2 || 1.7 || 0.2 || 17.7 |- | align="left" | Billy Paultz || 6 || 6 || 32.7 || .403 || .000 || .625 || 6.0 || 1.3 || 1.2 || 0.7 || 11.2 |- | align="left" | Moses Malone || 6 || 6 || 44.8 || .403 || .000 || .673 || 15.7 || 1.3 || 0.8 || 2.2 || 22.3 |- | align="left" | Bill Willoughby || 6 || 0 || 22.3 || .269 || .000 || .739 || 4.5 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 7.5 |- | align="left" | Calvin Murphy || 4 || 0 || 22.0 || .395 || .000 || .833 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 9.8 |- | align="left" | Calvin Garrett || 4 || 0 || 10.8 || .556 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.8 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | Major Jones || 3 || 0 || 6.0 || .500 || .000 || .333 || 1.7 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | Rudy Tomjanovich || 3 || 0 || 5.7 || .125 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.7 https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1981-nba-finals-rockets-vs-celtics.html 1981 NBA Finals - Rockets vs. Celtics Television coverage The 1981 NBA Finals received the lowest television rating in history up to that point, with a 6.7 rating. (It would remain the lowest ever until the 2003 Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New Jersey Nets drew a 6.5 rating.)Conway Nick 2016-08-06 NBA Finals Ratings, 1976-2016 https://nickconwayblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/06/nba-finals-ratings-1976-2016/ 2026-06-21 nickconwayblog.wordpress.com en Due to this, the 1981 finals were the last to be broadcast on tape-delay, with weeknight games airing after the late local news in most cities. Games 3 and 4 were played back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10, to give CBS two live Finals games; it is the last time Finals games were played on consecutive days. Game 3 was the last Finals contest played on a Saturday until Game 5 in 2021. Game 4 tipped off at noon Central (1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific) in order for CBS to telecast golf following the game. Had Game 7 been played, it would have tipped off at 1 p.m. Eastern. Following the Finals, Gary Bender became the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS' coverage of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, while Rick Barry's contract, following his questionable racial comments about Bill Russell during the Finals, was not renewed. Russell would remain the main color analyst for the next two years alongside newly promoted main play-by-play commentator Dick Stockton. Curiously, Barry and Russell would reunite, this time on the NBA on TBS for two seasons beginning in the 1984–85 season. Russell was replaced as CBS' lead analyst following the 1983 Finals by former Celtics teammate Tom Heinsohn.Suns Broadcaster Bender Reflects on His Career Phoenix Suns https://www.nba.com/suns/news/bender_broadcaster_reflects_110411.html 2026-06-21 www.nba.com Brent Musburger narrated the duration of the 1981 NBA Playoffs on film, known as "The Dynasty Renewed". The 1981 film was expanded from 30 minutes to one hour, with more highlights from rounds prior to the finals.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOsbiqPUi5I 1981 Celtics -The Dynasty Renewed: The 1981 NBA Playoffs and Championship Series 2025-01-27 Retro Junk (Including Classic NBA) 2026-06-21 YouTube Team rosters Boston Celtics Boston Celtics 1980–81 7 Nate Archibald G 6 1 170 UTEP 1948–09–02 33 Larry Bird F 6 9 220 Indiana State 1956–12–07 30 M.L. Carr F 6 6 205 Guilford College 1951–01–09 40 Terry Duerod G 6 2 180 Detroit 1956–07–29 45 Eric Fernsten C 6 10 205 San Francisco 1953–11–01 42 Chris Ford G 6 5 190 Villanova 1949–01–11 43 Gerald Henderson G 6 2 175 VCU 1956–01–16 31 Cedric Maxwell F 6 8 205 University of North Carolina at Charlotte 1955–11–21 32 Kevin McHale basketball F 6 10 210 University of Minnesota 1957–12–19 00 Robert Parish C 7 0 230 Centenary 1953–08–30 53 Rick Robey C 6 11 230 Kentucky 1956–01–30 USA Bill Fitch (Coe) USA K.C. Jones (University of San Francisco) USA Jimmy Rodgers (Ohio State) Houston Rockets Houston Rockets 1980–81 #CE1141 #FFFFFF #FDB927 #000000 10 Mike Dunleavy Sr. G 6 3 180 South Carolina 1954–03–21 00 Calvin Garrett F 6 7 190 Oral Roberts 1956–07–11 6 Tom Henderson basketball G 6 3 190 Hawaii 1952–01–26 11 Major Jones F 6 9 225 Albany State 1953–07–09 30 Allen Leavell G 6 1 170 Oklahoma City 1957–05–27 24 Moses Malone C 6 10 260 Petersburg HS (VA) 1955–03–23 23 Calvin Murphy G 5 9 165 Niagara 1948–05–09 5 Billy Paultz C 6 11 235 St. John's 1948–07–30 50 Robert Reid basketball F 6 8 228 St. Mary's (TX) 1955–08–30 45 Rudy Tomjanovich F 6 8 228 Michigan 1948–11–24 32 Bill Willoughby F 6 8 205 Dwight Morrow HS (NJ) 1957–05–20 USA Del Harris (Milligan) USA Herb Brown (Vermont) USA Carroll Dawson (Baylor) Aftermath At the team's championship parade, Bird continued the verbal back and forth with Malone. "I think after all the hollering and screaming, I look out in the crowd and see one thing (a large printed sign) that typifies our season." Bird confirmed the sign's message, joking that 'Moses does eat s--t.'The fans loved it when Boston Celtics star Larry... - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/05/20/The-fans-loved-it-when-Boston-Celtics-star-Larry/2591359179200/ 2026-06-21 UPI Moses Malone would win his second Most Valuable Player award in 1981–82; however, the Rockets could not build on their miracle playoff run from 1981 and were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics the following year.1982 NBA Western Conference First Round - Rockets vs. SuperSonics https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1982-nba-western-conference-first-round-rockets-vs-supersonics.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com In the 1982 off-season, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, who had just lost the Finals to the Lakers.September 16, 1982 Mose Malone Traded https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19820916&id=V69dAAAAIBAJ&pg=4683,2228079&hl=en September 13, 2015 Observer-Reporter Google News Archive Search His addition to the already stacked team of Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, and Bobby Jones, led the 76ers to run away with the Eastern Conference. In the 1983 NBA Finals, they swept the Lakers in a rematch from 1982, with Malone winning Finals MVP (he also won the league's regular season MVP).Morales Valerie September 13, 2015 Moses Malone, the Best Offensive Rebounder in NBA History http://thecommittedgeneration.com/moses-malone-the-best-offensive-rebounder-in-nba-history/ September 14, 2015 the Committed Generation September 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150914040953/http://thecommittedgeneration.com/moses-malone-the-best-offensive-rebounder-in-nba-history/ dead With the loss of Malone, the Rockets quickly fell to the bottom of the standings. They selected Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon in back-to-back drafts in 1983 and 1984. Sampson at 7'4 and Olajuwon at 7'0 formed a Twin Towers frontcourt. They helped lead the Rockets to their second NBA Finals appearance of the decade in 1986, which they coincidentally also lost to the Celtics in six games.1986 NBA Finals - Rockets vs. Celtics https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1986-nba-finals-rockets-vs-celtics.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Only Robert Reid and Allen Leavell remained on the Houston Rockets for both the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals, while the core of Bird, McHale, and Parrish were still there for the 1986 Celtics. The Rockets did not win an NBA championship until 1994. See also 1981 NBA playoffs References External links NBA History NBA Official Website Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Boston NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Houston NBA Finals Category:Events at the Boston Garden