1987 NBA Finals

1987 basketball championship series February 2024 1987NBAFinals.png NBA 1987 Boston Celtics K. C. Jones 2 Los Angeles Lakers Pat Riley 4 June 2–14 Magic Johnson(Los Angeles Lakers) Celtics: Larry Bird (1998)Dennis Johnson (2010)Kevin McHale (1999)Robert Parish (2003)Bill Walton (1993)Lakers:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995)Michael Cooper (2024)Magic Johnson (2002)James Worthy (2003)Coaches:K. C. Jones (1989, player)Pat Riley (2008)Officials:Hugh Evans (2022)Darell Garretson (2016)Earl Strom (1995) Celtics defeated Pistons, 4–3 Lakers defeated SuperSonics, 4–0 The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1986–87 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in six games to win their tenth NBA championship, becoming the second team in league history to win ten or more championships. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's Junior sky hook in Game 4. This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals (more than any other Finals matchup). It would be Larry Bird's last Finals appearance, as well as the Celtics' last Finals appearance until the two teams met in 2008. This was the first NBA Championship Series conducted entirely in June. The last time there were no NBA Championship Series games in May was in the 1970–1971 season, when the finals (a four-game sweep that year) ended on April 30. It is also the first NBA Finals series to be conducted on a Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday rotation, which was in use until 1990 and revived since the 2004 NBA Finals; in between the NBA Finals were conducted on a Sunday-Wednesday-Friday rotation.Lewis Jon 2026-01-20 NBA adjusts Finals schedule; no Sunday games for first time since 1970 https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2026/01/nba-changes-finals-schedule-no-sunday-games/ 2026-06-21 Sports Media Watch Background Celtics-Lakers rivalryMuch was at stake in the 1987 NBA Finals. Rivals since their days in college, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entered the Finals each with three NBA championships. In terms of the Celtics–Lakers, each team also had won three championships in the 1980s. With the win in 1987 and the following year, the Lakers and Johnson would surpass their rival and be seen as the team and player of the 1980s.Jackson Scoop June 5, 2008 1980s vs. Today: Lakers-Celtics https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=80vstoday/lakersceltics 2026-06-21 espn.com (Page 2) Boston Celtics 1986–87 Boston Celtics season Thanks to the 1984 trade of Gerald Henderson and the subsequent fall of the Seattle SuperSonics, at the end of 1985–86 the Celtics were not only the best team in the NBA but also owned the second pick in the 1986 NBA draft. They chose Len Bias with the pick and had high hopes that the presence of the young Maryland Terrapins star would ensure that the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale, and Parish retired. Unfortunately, Bias died 48 hours after being drafted, after using cocaine at a party and overdosing.All-American Basketball Star, Celtic Choice, Dies Suddenly June 20, 1986 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/20/obituaries/all-american-basketball-star-celtic-choice-dies-suddenly.html The Celtics finished the regular season with a 59–23 record, best in the Eastern Conference. Despite retaining the core of the team that won the championship a year earlier, Boston endured numerous injuries to its roster. Their bench, an asset of the previous year's team, was decimated by injuries to Scott Wedman and Bill Walton.Goldaper Sam 1987-05-08 WALTON IS SIDELINED WITH BROKEN FOOT https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/08/sports/walton-is-sidelined-with-broken-foot.html 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331 With limited options, head coach K. C. Jones was forced to give his starting five of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge extended minutes, but the lengthy playing time took its toll on the players' health, and by the start of the playoffs, the Celtics were a roster full of walking wounded.The Boston Celtics, wounded and worn, staged a Boston... - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/05/17/The-Boston-Celtics-wounded-and-worn-staged-a-Boston/6246548222400/ 2026-06-21 UPI en After sweeping the Chicago Bulls in the first round, the Celtics were pushed to a Game 7 in the next two rounds by the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons, only to advance each time.1987 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals - Bucks vs. Celtics https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1987-nba-eastern-conference-semifinals-bucks-vs-celtics.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com1987 NBA Eastern Conference Finals - Pistons vs. Celtics https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1987-nba-eastern-conference-finals-pistons-vs-celtics.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Still, the Celtics' health became a question mark as they entered the Finals. Los Angeles Lakers 1986–87 Los Angeles Lakers season The Lakers finished the regular season with a league-best 65–17 record. Head coach Pat Riley made a strategical move, shifting the offensive focus to Magic Johnson.Hansford Corey 2026-04-16 This Day In Lakers History: Magic Johnson Leads L.A. To 11th Straight Win As They Prepare For Championship Run https://lakersnation.com/this-day-lakers-history-magic-johnson-11th-straight-win-prepare-nba-finals-run/ 2026-06-21 Lakers Nation The Lakers acquired center Mychal Thompson via trade midway through the season. Both moves helped alleviate the load off of the aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who turned 40 during the playoffs. A.C. Green supplanted Kurt Rambis in the starting lineup.1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1987.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com During the Lakers' path to the Finals they swept the Denver Nuggets in the first round, defeated the Golden State Warriors in five games during the second round, and swept the Seattle SuperSonics in the conference finals. Their only loss was a Sleepy Floyd 51-point outburst in Game 4 in Oakland, which allowed the Warriors to avoid a sweep.Simmons Bill Suddenly feeling Sleepy https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/040511 2026-06-21 espn.com (Page 2) This 1987 Lakers team is widely considered both Magic Johnson's best team, and one of the greatest teams in NBA history.LOS ANGELES LAKERS 1987 : WHEN SHOWTIME REACHED PERFECTION - ParisBasketball https://parisbasketball.com/en/basketball-101/los-angeles-lakers-1987-when-showtime-reached-perfection/ 2026-06-21 parisbasketball.com There are many reasons for this, besides Magic Johnson being league MVP that year instead of Larry Bird:1986-87 NBA Awards Voting https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1987.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Kareem was still in late prime condition, the Lakers had many scoring options, they had a strong defense which included defensive player of the year Michael Cooper, and Mychal Thompson's elite post defense meant they had another body to throw at the likes of McHale and Parish of the Celtics.Edes Gordon 1987-02-14 Lakers Trade a No. 1 to Find a No. 2 : L.A. Gets Mychal Thompson in Exchange for Picks, Players https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-02-14-sp-3005-story.html 2026-06-21 Los Angeles Times en-US Road to the Finals 1987 NBA playoffs Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion) Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion)LAL1st seed in the West, best league recordRegular seasonBOS1st seed in the East, 2nd best league recordDefeated the (8) Denver Nuggets, 3–0First roundDefeated the (8) Chicago Bulls, 3–0Defeated the (5) Golden State Warriors, 4–1Conference semifinalsDefeated the (4) Milwaukee Bucks, 4–3Defeated the (7) Seattle SuperSonics, 4–0Conference finalsDefeated the (3) Detroit Pistons, 4–3 Regular season series The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular season series: #fff December 12, 1986 Los Angeles Lakers |score1=117 Boston Celtics 110 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts February 15, 1987 Boston Celtics 103 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=106 The Forum, Inglewood, California Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 June 2 Boston Celtics 113–126 (0–1) Los Angeles Lakers Game 2 June 4 Boston Celtics 122–141 (0–2) Los Angeles Lakers Game 3 June 7 Los Angeles Lakers 103–109 (2–1) Boston Celtics Game 4 June 9 Los Angeles Lakers 107–106 (3–1) Boston Celtics Game 5 June 11 Los Angeles Lakers 108–123 (3–2) Boston Celtics Game 6 June 14 Boston Celtics 93–106 (2–4) Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 #eee June 2 9:00 pm EDT The Forum, Inglewood, California CBS Boston Celtics 113 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=126 26–35 28–34 31–32 28–25 Larry Bird 32 James Worthy 33 Larry Bird 7 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Dennis Johnson 13 Magic Johnson 13 17,505 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 25 Hugh Evans Los Angeles leads the series, 1–0 The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep of the Seattle SuperSonics, while the Celtics were coming off a grueling seven-game win over the Detroit Pistons. Magic Johnson led a 126–113 victory with 29 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and no turnovers. James Worthy, on the receiving end of many of Johnson's passes, had 33 points and nine rebounds. The Lakers ran 35 fast breaks in the first two quarters and led by 15 at intermission.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU3UipnfGpg 1987 NBA FINALS GAME 1 BOS @ LAL 2024-07-31 Stanley Hudson 2026-06-21 YouTube Game 2 #eee June 4 9:00 pm EDT The Forum, Inglewood, California CBS Boston Celtics 122 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=141 34–38 22–37 36–32 30–34 Larry Bird 23 Byron Scott 24 Robert Parish 14 Johnson, Rambis 5 each Dennis Johnson 9 Magic Johnson 20 17,505 No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 14 Jack Madden Los Angeles leads the series, 2–0 Prior to the game, Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons and Larry Bird held a joint press conference to quell the controversy of Dennis Rodman and Thomas racial comments towards Bird after losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After that game, Thomas told reporters that he agreed with teammate Dennis Rodman’s statement that Bird would be just another guy if he were black. Thomas said he meant the comment to be a joke.1987-06-05 Notebook : Thomas Tells His Side but Doesn't Get a Fee of $3,000 From CBS https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-05-sp-2875-story.html 2026-02-18 Los Angeles Times en-US Thomas later stated how Bird accepting his apology essentially saved his career.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KIC8NXuDfdU When Larry Bird Saved Isiah Thomas Career en 2026-02-18 www.youtube.com The Celtics plan for Game 2 was to concentrate on stopping Magic Johnson. Danny Ainge, at 6'5", could not deal with the 6'9" Magic. In this game, Michael Cooper emerged as a great 3 point shooter. He hit six 3 pointers, a playoff record. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added 23 points on 10 of 14 shots, while Magic posted 20 assists and 22 points. It all added up to a 141–122 rout, Boston's sixth straight road loss in the playoffs.1987 NBA Finals Game 2: Celtics vs Lakers, June 4, 1987 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198706040LAL.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com en Game 3 #eee June 7 1:00 pm EDT Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers 103 Boston Celtics |score2=109 29–22 27–38 22–26 25–23 Magic Johnson 32 Larry Bird 30 Magic Johnson 11 Larry Bird 12 Magic Johnson 9 Ainge, McHale 5 each 14,890 No. 10 Darrell Garretson No. 17 Joe Crawford Los Angeles leads the series, 2–1 The Celtics recovered from their two knockout blows in Games 1 and 2 with a counterpunch of their own. A little-used backup center, Greg Kite, provided the spark. Kite, entering the game late in the first quarter when Robert Parish encountered foul trouble, played 20 minutes, and while he failed to score, he grabbed nine rebounds, blocked a Magic Johnson layup, and did solid body work on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The defensive minutes Kite gave Boston from the bench were just enough, as Larry Bird scored 30 points and Dennis Johnson hit 11 of 22 attempts from the field to finish with 26 points. The resurgent Celtics shot 17 of 21 from the floor in the second quarter. Kevin McHale Celtics' forward bounced back in Boston with 21 points and 10 rebounds while letting the air out of James Worthy's game, limiting the Lakers' forward to only 13 points and three rebounds. Magic led the Lakers with 32 points in the 109–103 loss.1987 NBA Finals Game 3: Lakers vs Celtics, June 7, 1987 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198706070BOS.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com en Game 4 #eee June 9 9:00 pm EDT Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers |score1=107 Boston Celtics 106 22–29 25–26 31–30 29–21 Magic Johnson 29 Kevin McHale 25 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11 Kevin McHale 13 Cooper, Johnson 5 each Dennis Johnson 14 14,890 No. 12 Earl Strom No. 25 Hugh Evans Los Angeles leads the series, 3–1After their Game 3 win, Larry Bird said, "This (Game 3) was the most important game of the series for us. If we lost, it might've been tough to get up for Game 4. Now it's going to be easy." In what would be one of, if not the greatest Finals game of all time,Rossignol Derrick 2026-04-13 The 25 greatest playoff games in NBA history https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/the_25_greatest_playoff_games_in_nba_history/s1__43724061 2026-06-21 YardbarkerSilverman Blake 2026-06-11 Best Moments in NBA Finals History—Where Does OG Anunoby’s Knicks’ Game-Winner Rank? https://www.si.com/nba/finals/best-moments-nba-finals-history-where-does-og-anunoby-knicks-game-winner-rank 2026-06-21 SI en-US the Celtics took it right to the Lakers, controlling the boards and taking a 55–47 lead into halftime. The Celtics had a balanced scoring attack with Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Danny Ainge, and Dennis Johnson all scoring in double figures. In the 3rd quarter, Bird finally got hot by scoring 12 in the quarter and helping the Celtics lead by as many as 16 points. But Los Angeles fought back to cut the Celtics lead to 85–78 going into the 4th. In the 4th quarter the Lakers continued fighting back until they managed to tie the game at 95–95 on a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skyhook with 5:30 remaining. The Celtics responded on both ends of the court by going on an 8–0 run, helped by good defense which led to 2 fast-break lay-ups to take a 103–96 lead with 2 minutes left. Then the Lakers called time out. On the Celtics' next possession, Robert Parish lost the ball to Michael Cooper. Cooper passed the ball ahead to Magic Johnson, who started a break. Cooper spotted up in 3-point territory, while Magic drove, forcing Cooper's defender to help out. Magic then kicked the ball out to a now wide open Cooper who drilled the three to cut the lead to 103–100. On the Celtics next possession, Larry Bird forced a pass to Kevin McHale in the post, which instead sailed out of bounds, giving possession right back to the Lakers. James Worthy then hit a tough fade-away over Kevin McHale and Robert Parish in the lane to cut the deficit to one. On the very next possession, Bird missed a step-back jumper over the outstretched frame of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Lakers got the ball back with just under 45 seconds remaining. The Lakers called a timeout to set up a pick for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The pass was there for an alley-oop dunk, and the Lakers took a 104–103 lead, their first lead since early in the 1st quarter. The Celtics called timeout with 29 seconds left in the game. Out of the timeout Bird threw the ball inbounds and was immediately face-guarded by James Worthy. In fact, Worthy had a fist-full of Bird's jersey to make sure Bird would not score. With Worthy's defense, the Celtics could not get their best player the ball and instead went through the motions of their offense until Danny Ainge got open. That forced Worthy to let go of Bird and help out on Ainge. Bird immediately got himself open by going to the 3-point line right in front of the Lakers' bench. Ainge found Bird wide open and Bird hit the three point bomb with 12 seconds left, to put Boston up 106–104 and sent the Boston Garden crowd into a frenzy. On the next possession, Abdul-Jabbar was fouled and went to the line, where he made the first and missed the second. The officials ruled that McHale fumbled the ball out of bounds with seven seconds left. What followed was another play for the ages. Magic set a pick on Kevin McHale, which almost opened up a lay-up for Worthy, but Dennis Johnson was able to switch over in time on help defend. However, that left McHale scrambling to guard Magic who just got open and received the inbounds pass near the left sideline. Twenty feet from the basket, Magic had the advantage on the post-defender McHale, who was also playing through a bad ankle injury. Magic dribbled, hesitated to get McHale off-balance, then drove into the paint. Magic then lofted a hook shot, which just cleared the fingertips of both McHale and Parish, and swished through the net giving the Lakers a 107–106 lead with only 2 seconds left.https://www.facebook.com/reel/834806747976279/ Magic Johnson knocked down the sky hook to take a 3-1 lead in the 1987 NBA Finals! LA would go on to defeat Boston in 6 games, winning their fourth title in seven years. NBA en 2026-06-21 Facebook The Celtics still had one last shot: Dennis inbounded the ball to Bird, who had broken to the corner. Larry, to his surprise, found himself wide open behind the 3-point line right in front of the Lakers' bench. Bird caught the inbounds pass from Johnson, turned, and put up a fall-away jumper as time expired.Simmons Bill June 8, 2012 That Was Supposed to Go In https://grantland.com/features/remembering-greatest-shot-larry-bird-ever-took-missed/ 2026-06-21 Grantland.com en-US The shot missed as the Boston crowd let out a collective groan and the Lakers' bench danced off the court to celebrate the victory. The win gave the Lakers a commanding 3–1 series lead.1987 Finals- Game 4: Lakers vs Celtics https://www.nba.com/watch/video/1987-finals-game-4-lakers-vs-celtics 2026-06-21 NBA.com en Game 5 #eee June 11 9:00 pm EDT Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers 108 Boston Celtics |score2=123 25–25 23–38 29–33 31–27 Magic Johnson 29 Dennis Johnson 25 Magic Johnson 8 Kevin McHale 14 Magic Johnson 12 Dennis Johnson 11 14,890 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 4 Ed T. Rush Los Angeles leads the series, 3–2 The Celtics had to win Game 5 in the Garden, and would control most of the game. Danny Ainge set the tone by nailing 5 of 6 from 3-point range to give Boston early control, including a halfcourt heave at the buzzer before halftime. Magic countered for Los Angeles with 29 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals, but he received little help. Before the game Bird had told his teammates, "If they want to celebrate, let's not let them do it on the parquet."Dodson Aaron On this day in NBA Finals history: The last Celtics-Lakers series of the '80s tipped off https://andscape.com/features/nba-finals-history-last-celtics-lakers-series-1987/ 2026-06-21 Andscape en-US The Celtics had incentive enough. They got their second win, 123–108, and the series jetted back across the continent. This was the last NBA Finals game played at Boston Garden. When the Celtics returned to the Finals in 2008, they had moved to TD Garden, which opened in 1995.Tomase John 2020-05-05 What it was like being at the Celtics' final game at Boston Garden 25 years ago https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/what-it-was-like-being-at-the-celtics-final-game-at-boston-garden-25-years-ago/342743/ 2026-06-21 NBC Sports Boston Game 6 #eee June 14 3:30 pm EDT The Forum, Inglewood, California CBS Boston Celtics 93 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=106 32–25 24–26 12–30 25–25 Dennis Johnson 33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Johnson, McHale 10 each Mychal Thompson 9 Danny Ainge 6 Magic Johnson 19 17,505 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 17 Joe Crawford Los Angeles wins the series, 4–2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arrived for Game 6 with a shaved head and a determination to close out this series. For a while, though, it appeared like the Celtics would steal it. Magic Johnson had only four points at the half and Dennis Johnson poured in 18 for the Celtics on his way to a game-high 33 as Boston led 56–51 at intermission. The Lakers scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut it to 56–55. On the Celtics' ensuing possession, James Worthy deflected a pass and gave chase. Worthy went to the floor, batted the ball inbounds to a breaking Magic Johnson, and Magic slammed home a breakaway dunk. This gave the Lakers their first lead of the game 57–56, since early in the first quarter, and they never trailed again. The Lakers outscored the Celtics 30–12 in the third quarter for an 18-point turnaround, mostly on fast breaks. The score at the end of three quarters was 81–68, Lakers. The Celtics only scored 12 points in the third quarter, one more than the record for the lowest scoring quarter in playoff history. Worthy would finish with 22 points, and Mychal Thompson had 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, but the play of the Lakers' two superstars, Magic and Kareem, would be the dagger that finished off the Celtics. Magic recovered from his cold first half to post 16 points, 19 assists, and eight rebounds, and Kareem would pump in a team-high 32 points.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSlSpYBSz3k 1987 NBA FINALS GAME 6 BOS @ LAL 2024-07-31 Stanley Hudson 2026-06-21 YouTube1987 NBA Finals Game 6: Celtics vs Lakers, June 14, 1987 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198706140LAL.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com "Magic is a great, great basketball player," Bird stated flatly, settling the issue for the moment. "The best I've ever seen."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoFbi-w-eeY Larry Bird calls Magic Johnson best player he's ever seen 2012-06-19 MerkinMuffly 2026-06-21 YouTube Indeed, Magic would gain the NBA Finals MVP award and his fourth championship ring.Hardwood Classics: 1987 NBA Finals Los Angeles Lakers https://www.nba.com/lakers/news/170303-hardwood-classics-1987-finals 2026-06-21 www.nba.com For the Lakers, this would be their last NBA Finals series triumph over the Celtics until 2010. This would also be the last time the NBA championship was ever clinched in an afternoon game. Following the 1991 NBA Finals all Finals games would be played in primetime. Team rosters Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers 1986–87 33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar C 7 2 225 1947–04–16 UCLA 24 Adrian Branch SG 6 8 185 1963–11–17 Maryland 21 Michael Cooper SF/SG 6 5 170 1956–04–15 New Mexico 45 A. C. Green PF 6 9 220 1963–10–04 Oregon State 32 Magic Johnson PG 6 9 215 1959–08–14 Michigan State 1 Wes Matthews PG 6 1 170 1959–08–24 Wisconsin 31 Kurt Rambis PF 6 8 213 1958–02–25 Santa Clara 4 Byron Scott basketball SG 6 3 195 1961–03–28 Arizona State 52 Mike Smrek C 7 0 250 1962–08–31 Canisius 55 Billy Thompson basketball SF 6 7 195 1963–12–01 Louisville 43 Mychal Thompson C 6 10 226 1955–01–30 Minnesota 42 James Worthy SF 6 9 225 1961–02–27 North Carolina Pat Riley Bill Bertka Randy Pfund Boston Celtics Boston Celtics 1986–87 44 Danny Ainge SG 6 4 175 BYU 1959-03-17 33 Larry Bird SF 6 9 220 Indiana State 1956-12-07 34 Rick Carlisle SG 6 5 210 Virginia 1959-10-27 20 Darren Daye SF 6 8 220 UCLA 1960-11-30 43 Conner Henry SG 6 7 195 UC Santa Barbara 1963-07-21 3 Dennis Johnson PG 6 4 185 Pepperdine 1954-09-18 50 Greg Kite C 6 11 250 BYU 1961-08-05 32 Kevin McHale basketball PF 6 10 210 Minnesota 1957-12-19 00 Robert Parish C 7 0 230 Centenary College of Louisiana 1953-08-30 31 Fred Roberts PF 6 10 218 BYU 1960-08-10 12 Jerry Sichting PG 6 1 168 Purdue 1956-11-29 11 Sam Vincent basketball SG 6 2 185 Michigan State 1963-05-18 5 Bill Walton C 6 11 235 UCLA 1952-11-05 8 Scott Wedman SF 6 7 215 Colorado 1952-07-29 K.C. Jones Jimmy Rodgers Chris Ford Player statistics Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers |- | align="left" | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar || 6 || 6 || 33.8 || .510 || .000 || .667 || 7.3 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 2.5 || 21.7 |- | align="left" | Adrian Branch || 4 || 0 || 2.5 || .167 || .000 || .500 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 1.3 |- | align="left" | Michael Cooper || 6 || 0 || 29.8 || .540 || .609 || 1.000 || 2.3 || 4.7 || 1.7 || 0.3 || 12.0 |- | align="left" | A.C. Green || 6 || 6 || 24.0 || .500 || .000 || .700 || 5.2 || 0.2 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 7.8 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Magic Johnson || 6 || 6 || 39.3 || .541 || .500 || .960 || 8.0 || 13.0 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 26.2 |- | align="left" | Wes Matthews || 4 || 0 || 3.3 || .333 || .000 || .500 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.3 |- | align="left" | Kurt Rambis || 6 || 0 || 9.3 || .429 || .000 || .833 || 2.5 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.8 |- | align="left" | Byron Scott || 6 || 6 || 30.2 || .484 || .083 || .909 || 3.0 || 2.3 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 11.8 |- | align="left" | Mike Smrek || 4 || 0 || 2.3 || .333 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.5 |- | align="left" | Mychal Thompson || 6 || 0 || 28.5 || .561 || .000 || .778 || 5.2 || 0.7 || 0.8 || 1.2 || 11.2 |- | align="left" | James Worthy || 6 || 6 || 39.7 || .523 || .000 || .526 || 5.3 || 4.0 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 20.7 Boston Celtics Boston Celtics |- | align="left" | Danny Ainge || 6 || 6 || 39.0 || .500 || .429 || 1.000 || 3.0 || 5.0 || 1.2 || 0.3 || 12.5 |- | align="left" | Larry Bird || 6 || 6 || 42.3 || .445 || .500 || .921 || 10.0 || 5.5 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 24.2 |- | align="left" | Darren Daye || 6 || 0 || 8.3 || .625 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 4.5 |- | align="left" | Conner Henry || 4 || 0 || 3.8 || .444 || .000 || .500 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.5 |- | align="left" | Dennis Johnson || 6 || 6 || 40.7 || .481 || .125 || .885 || 4.3 || 9.3 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 21.0 |- | align="left" | Greg Kite || 6 || 0 || 12.7 || .222 || .000 || .500 || 3.0 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 0.8 || 0.8 |- | align="left" | Kevin McHale basketball || 6 || 6 || 38.5 || .585 || .000 || .818 || 9.0 || 2.0 || 0.2 || 1.0 || 20.5 |- | align="left" | Robert Parish || 6 || 6 || 30.5 || .592 || .000 || .593 || 6.5 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 1.2 || 16.7 |- | align="left" | Fred Roberts || 5 || 0 || 8.0 || .727 || .000 || .545 || 1.8 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 4.4 |- | align="left" | Jerry Sichting || 6 || 0 || 9.3 || .267 || .000 || .000 || 0.7 || 1.8 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 1.3 |- | align="left" | Sam Vincent || 4 || 0 || 8.3 || .500 || .000 || .700 || 1.0 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 4.8 |- | align="left" | Bill Walton || 5 || 0 || 4.8 || .600 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 1.2 Television coverage The Boston Celtics season documentary Home of the Brave, narrated by David Perry, recaps Boston's 1987 seasonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvPOiDsKy4 1987 Celtics Home of the Brave 2023-11-22 Larry Legend Club 2026-06-21 YouTube while the Los Angeles Lakers documentary Drive for Five, narrated by legendary Lakers announcer Chick Hearn, recaps the Lakers' magnificent 1987 season in route to a fourth title of the 1980s.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzRNpSmvQDE The Drive for Five Los Angeles Lakers 86-87 World Championship Season On and Off the Court 2025-05-31 MoeDee's Basketball 2026-06-21 YouTube CBS' James Brown filled in for Pat O'Brien when he attended the birth of his son. Brown was on for Games 3 and 4. Both Brown and O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. While Lesley Visser was on for all the games as sideline reporter for CBS as she reported on the Celtics' sideline. Dick Stockton and Tom Heinsohn worked play-by-play and color commentary respectively. It was the fourth consecutive and last Finals series to pair Stockton and Heinsohn together; Heinsohn was demoted in favor of Billy Cunningham following the series. At the time, Stockton and Heinsohn had worked the most number of NBA Finals series together. ESPN/ABC's Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy later broke the record for the most complete NBA Finals series called by a single television play-by-play/color commentary team following the 2011 NBA Finals, and called a record 14 complete NBA Finals series in total (the 2022 NBA Finals did involve the trio of Breen, Jackson and Van Gundy, but Mark Jones filled in for Breen on play-by-play in Games 1 and 2 due to his recovery from COVID-19, and Van Gundy missed Game 1 for the same reason). Aftermath The 1987 Finals would be the Celtics' last until their 2008 championship season, but would be the last for the 'Big Three' of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. In K.C. Jones' final season as Celtics' coach they still won the Atlantic Division title by winning 57 games, but the Celtics fell in six games to the Detroit Pistons, in the rematch of their Eastern Conference finals showdown in 1988. The Celtics would not reach that far again for the next 14 years. The Celtics did not reach the NBA Finals again until 2008, where they defeated the Lakers in six games; by then, the general manager of the team was former player Danny Ainge.Dzen Gary 2008-05-14 Ainge named Executive of the Year https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2008/05/14/ainge_named_exe/ 2026-06-21 Boston.com Following their championship win, Lakers coach Pat Riley guaranteed a repeat championship during the team's championship parade a few days after winning the NBA Finals. As Riley predicted, the Lakers would repeat as champions the following season, as they narrowly defeated the Detroit Pistons in seven games after a controversial foul on the Pistons saved the Lakers from elimination in Game 6.Alter Marlowe Isiah Thomas produced historic game. Then Detroit Pistons were robbed of first NBA title https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2020/06/19/detroit-pistons-bad-boys-isiah-thomas-1988-nba-finals/3226382001/ 2026-02-23 Detroit Free Press en-USCorp Sean 2014-06-20 Riley admits to phantom foul that cost Pistons championship in 1988 https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2014/6/20/5828542/riley-admits-to-phantom-foul-that-cost-pistons-championship-in-1988 2026-02-23 Detroit Bad Boys en-US The Lakers were the first repeat NBA champions since the 1968–1969 Celtics.List of NBA champions NBA.com https://www.nba.com/news/history-nba-champions 2026-05-06 NBA en Prior to 2008, the Celtics and Lakers came close to renewing their rivalry in 2002. But while the Lakers reached the Finals, the Celtics were upset by the New Jersey Nets, who were coached by Byron Scott, in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. See also 1987 NBA playoffs References External links NBA History zrL2nLzIjCQ&list=PLDB5FF51F30D95FA5 Game 6 Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:1980s in Los Angeles County, California NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Boston Category:Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California NBA Finals NBA Finals