1984 NBA Finals

1984 basketball championship series August 2023 200px NBA 1984 Los Angeles Lakers Pat Riley 3 Boston Celtics K.C. Jones 4 May 27–June 12 Larry Bird(Boston Celtics) Celtics: Larry Bird (1998)Dennis Johnson (2010) Kevin McHale (1999)Robert Parish (2003) Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995)Michael Cooper (2024)Magic Johnson (2002)Bob McAdoo (2000)Jamaal Wilkes (2012)James Worthy (2003)Coaches:K.C. Jones (1989, player)Pat Riley (2008)Officials:Darell Garretson (2016)Hugh Evans (2022)Earl Strom (1995) Celtics defeated Bucks, 4–1 Lakers defeated Suns, 4–2 The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1983–84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs.Ballard Bill Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs June 4, 1989 Los Angeles Times Associated Press https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-04-sp-2773-story.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150402194946/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-06-04/sports/sp-2773_1_nba-finals-final-facts-20-point-scorer April 2, 2015 live The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games to win their fifteenth NBA championship. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). The 1984 NBA Finals has been often regarded as one of the greatest finals ever played, and is considered the "peak" of the 1980s Celtics-Lakers rivalry. This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic Johnson–Larry Bird pair entering the league. After alternating wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111–102. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 2–2–1–1–1 format until 2014. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 2–3–2 after Celtics president Red Auerbach complained to NBA Commissioner David Stern about the constant travel during the Finals (at the time, all NBA teams still traveled primarily by commercial aircraft, and players were sometimes forced to cram themselves into coach seats if first or business class seats were not available).Notebook | David Stern pins series format on Red Auerbach June 9, 2008 https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/notebook-david-stern-pins-series-format-on-red-auerbach/ Heat travel The Miami Herald December 29, 1988 353 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-heat-travel/118563265/ #FromtheArchives: How charter flights became the NBA's norm https://www.powerplays.news/p/fromthearchives-how-charter-flights Nba Teams Flying Chartered Skies November 13, 1991 https://www.deseret.com/1991/11/13/18951544/nba-teams-flying-chartered-skies/ Although the 2–2–1–1–1 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 2–3–2 format would be used up through 2013. As of 2025, MLB is the only major professional sports league to retain the 2–3–2 format for its playoff series.Complete history of baseball's postseason formats MLB.com https://www.mlb.com/news/baseball-postseason-format-changes Background The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75–64.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZDbhkX2t9A Magic vs. Bird: Their legendary 1979 NCAA title game battle 2021-01-08 March Madness 2026-06-21 YouTube After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979–80 season with high expectations. Bird, who was selected 6th in the 1978 NBA draft but committed back to Indiana State for his senior season, was named Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 32-game turnaround from the previous year, going from 29 to 61 wins. The expected Celtics–Lakers finals, however, never happened. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Celtics in the conference finals before losing to the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with Johnson earning Finals MVP honors for his Game 6 performance. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former.Larry Bird, Magic Johnson lifted the NBA with heated rivalry https://www.nba.com/news/magic-johnson-larry-bird-rivalry-40th-anniversary 2026-06-21 NBA.com The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each of the previous seven. Boston Celtics 1983–84 Boston Celtics season In the 1983–84 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. The Celtics were led by Bird, who won his first MVP award, and was complemented by 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, first-time all-star and Sixth Man Award winner Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Gerald Henderson and Danny Ainge. Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8PcihYZsts Game 7 1984 ECSF Knicks at Celtics 2025-01-23 Retro Junk (Including Classic NBA) 2026-06-21 YouTube and the Milwaukee Bucks in five.1983-84 Boston Celtics Schedule https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1984_games.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com Los Angeles Lakers 1983–84 Los Angeles Lakers season The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott.@ramonashelburne Ramona Shelburne February 7, 2019 This is really NBA minutia but.. Today’s Lakers-Clippers trade is the first between the teams since 1983! Norm Nixon, Eddie Jordan and a 1986 2nd-round pick that became Jeff Hornacek went from the Lakers to the Clippers for Byron Scott, Swen Nater and a pick (Bruce Dalrymple) https://x.com/ramonashelburne/status/1093604878075625472 X, formerly known as Twitter The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (54–28) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six.1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1984_games.html 2026-06-21 Basketball-Reference.com However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals.Parquet Professor 2015-03-03 Revisiting and analyzing the Epic 1984 NBA Finals https://www.celticsblog.com/2015/3/3/8139605/revisiting-and-analyzing-the-epic-1984-nba-finals 2026-06-21 CelticsBlog This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. Road to the Finals 1984 NBA playoffs Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion) Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion)LAL1st seed in the West, 2nd best league recordRegular seasonBOS1st seed in the East, best league recordDefeated the (8) Kansas City Kings, 3–0First roundDefeated the (8) Washington Bullets, 3–1Defeated the (4) Dallas Mavericks, 4–1Conference semifinalsDefeated the (5) New York Knicks, 4–3Defeated the (6) Phoenix Suns, 4–2Conference finalsDefeated the (2) Milwaukee Bucks, 4–1 Regular season series The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular season series: #fff February 8, 1984 Los Angeles Lakers |score1=111 Boston Celtics 109 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts February 24, 1984 Boston Celtics 108 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=116 The Forum, Los Angeles, California Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 May 27 Los Angeles Lakers 115–109 (1–0) Boston Celtics Game 2 May 31 Los Angeles Lakers 121–124 (OT) (1–1) Boston Celtics Game 3 June 3 Boston Celtics 104–137 (1–2) Los Angeles Lakers Game 4 June 6 Boston Celtics 129–125 (OT) (2–2) Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 June 8 Los Angeles Lakers 103–121 (2–3) Boston Celtics Game 6 June 10 Boston Celtics 108–119 (3–3) Los Angeles Lakers Game 7 June 12 Los Angeles Lakers 102–111 (3–4) Boston Celtics Game 1 #eee May 27 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers |score1=115 Boston Celtics 109 34–22 31–30 27–36 23–21 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Kevin McHale 25 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 8 Larry Bird 14 Magic Johnson 10 Larry Bird 5 14,890 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 8 John Vanak Los Angeles leads the series, 1–0 Led by Magic Johnson, the Lakers fast break offense scored 52 points en route to a 115–109 victory at Boston Garden to open the series. Game 2 #eee May 31 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers 121 Boston Celtics |score2=124 OT 26–36 33–25 28–29 26–23 8–11 James Worthy 29 Larry Bird 27 Magic Johnson 10 Larry Bird 13 Magic Johnson 10 Ainge, Henderson 5 each 14,890 No. 14 Jack Madden No. 11 Jake O'Donnell Series tied, 1–1 In Game 2, the Lakers led 113–111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. With the Celtics down by one near the end of overtime, Scott Wedman hit a shot from the baseline with 14 seconds remaining to put Boston ahead. The Lakers' chance to win on the ensuing possession was thwarted by a Robert Parish steal, followed by Larry Bird sinking a pair of free throws to secure the 124–121 victory for the Celtics. Cotton Anthony June 11, 1984 The Lakers put on the breaks https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/06/11/the-lakers-put-on-the-breaks https://web.archive.org/web/20210125100334/https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/06/11/the-lakers-put-on-the-breaks dead January 25, 2021 Sports Illustrated Minute Media June 7, 2024 Game 3 #eee June 3 The Forum, Inglewood, California CBS Boston Celtics 104 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=137 26–29 20–28 33–47 25–33 Larry Bird 30 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24 Robert Parish 12 Magic Johnson 11 Cedric Maxwell 5 Magic Johnson 21 17,505 No. 22 Paul Mihalak No. 12 Earl Strom Los Angeles lead the series, 2–1 In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137–104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_cUpWGtdKw Magic Sets Finals Assist Record and Bird Calls Out Teammates Split Screen Edition 2023-09-20 The Sporting Page 2026-06-21 YouTube It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Game 4 #eee June 6 The Forum, Inglewood, California CBS Boston Celtics |score1=129 Los Angeles Lakers 125 OT 32–33 26–35 30–22 25–23 16–12 Larry Bird 29 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Larry Bird 21 Magic Johnson 11 Dennis Johnson 14 Magic Johnson 17 17,505 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 20 Jess Kersey Series tied, 2–2 In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129–125 victory in overtime. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRzsGr1fmlA 1984 NBA FINALS GAME 4 BOS @ LAL 2024-11-03 Stanley Hudson 2026-06-21 YouTube The Lakers took an early lead in overtime, but a controversial foul call on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, had been his 6th foul, and he was out of the game. The Laker momentum was stalled, and Larry Bird came up with a crucial jumper over Magic Johnson with 16 seconds remaining in overtime, then M.L. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hNWBfs7v_tY Kevin McHale clotheslined Kurt Rambis in the 1984 NBA Finals! 😱 en 2026-06-21 www.youtube.com Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter,2011-03-15 Lakers Moments: Abdul-Jabbar and Bird, head-to-head https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/sports-now/story/2011-03-15/lakers-moments-abdul-jabbar-and-bird-head-to-head 2026-06-21 Los Angeles Times and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure.Simmons Bill I loved this game https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/030225 2026-06-21 espn.com (Page 2) Earlier in the game, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the stands following the inbound play during the second quarter.oldskoolbballofficial The most intense NBA Finals Game ever was between Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers (Game 4, 1984) - Kareem swings elbow at Larry Bird, Kevin McHale clotheslines Kurt Rambis, Larry Bird shoves Michael Cooper to the stands. https://www.instagram.com/reels/CcdeOmuFoi9/ Instagram Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. Game 5 #eee June 8 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers 103 Boston Celtics |score2=121 26–26 27–29 24–33 26–33 James Worthy 22 Larry Bird 34 Kurt Rambis 9 Larry Bird 17 Magic Johnson 13 Gerald Henderson 9 14,890 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 12 Earl Strom No. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans) Boston leads the series, 3–2 In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3–2 series lead with a 121–103 victory, as Larry Bird scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97 °F °C heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden.Helin Kurt 2014-06-06 When the Finals got hot before: Game 5, 1984, Bird vs. Magic in “heat game” https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/when-the-finals-got-hot-before-game-5-1984-bird-vs-magic-in-heat-game 2026-06-21 NBC SportsThe Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half.Hubbard Jan June 9, 1984 Celtics turn on heat, 121-103 The Dallas Morning News It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2–3–2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. Game 6 #eee June 10 The Forum, Inglewood, California CBS Boston Celtics 108 Los Angeles Lakers |score2=119 33–29 32–30 22–24 21–36 Larry Bird 28 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30 Larry Bird 14 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Larry Bird 8 Magic Johnson 10 17,505 No. 14 Jack Madden No. 11 Jake O'Donnell Series tied, 3–3 In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119–108 victory. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war."Vecsey George 1984-06-12 SPORTS OF THE TIMES; THE CELTICS' RED-EYE FLIGHT https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/12/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-celtics-red-eye-flight.html 2026-06-21 The New York Times 0362-4331 Game 7 #eee June 12 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts CBS Los Angeles Lakers 102 Boston Celtics |score2=111 30–30 22–28 26–33 24–20 James Worthy 21 Cedric Maxwell 24 Kurt Rambis 9 Robert Parish 16 Magic Johnson 15 Cedric Maxwell 8 14,890 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 12 Earl Strom Boston wins the series, 4–3 In Game 7, the heat that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91 °F °C during the game, due to additional fans being brought in to try to cool the air). The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as they came away with a 111–102 victory. In the game, the Lakers rallied to cut a 14-point-deficit to three with one minute remaining when Cedric Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series.1984 Finals Game 7: Balanced Effort From Bird, Maxwell, Parish, and Johnson Leads Celtics To Title https://www.nba.com/watch/video/1984-finals-game-7-celtics-vs-lakers 2026-06-21 NBA.com This was the Celtics' first championship that they claimed at home since 1966. Player statistics Boston Celtics Boston Celtics |- | align="left" | Danny Ainge || 7 || 0 || 14.0 || .432 || .250 || .500 || 1.1 || 2.1 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 6.0 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Larry Bird || 7 || 7 || 43.6 || .484 || .667 || .842 || 14.0 || 3.6 || 2.1 || 1.1 || 27.4 |- | align="left" | Quinn Buckner || 7 || 0 || 8.0 || .333 || .000 || .500 || 0.9 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | M. L. Carr || 4 || 0 || 7.0 || .364 || .000 || .833 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 3.3 |- | align="left" | Carlos Clark || 3 || 0 || 3.7 || .400 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 1.3 |- | align="left" | Gerald Henderson || 7 || 7 || 25.6 || .468 || .000 || .667 || 2.6 || 4.0 || 1.4 || 0.0 || 12.3 |- | align="left" | Dennis Johnson || 7 || 7 || 36.4 || .395 || .500 || .865 || 3.0 || 4.7 || 1.6 || 0.3 || 17.6 |- | align="left" | Greg Kite || 4 || 0 || 3.3 || .250 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.5 |- | align="left" | Cedric Maxwell || 7 || 7 || 34.6 || .458 || .000 || .855 || 5.6 || 3.3 || 1.1 || 0.3 || 13.0 |- | align="left" | Kevin McHale basketball || 7 || 0 || 30.6 || .452 || .000 || .778 || 5.9 || 1.1 || 0.3 || 1.1 || 13.4 |- | align="left" | Robert Parish || 7 || 7 || 36.6 || .440 || .000 || .588 || 11.4 || 1.3 || 1.6 || 1.6 || 15.4 |- | align="left" | Scott Wedman || 4 || 0 || 18.3 || .459 || .500 || .000 || 5.3 || 2.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 9.3 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers |- | align="left" | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar || 7 || 7 || 38.9 || .481 || .000 || .679 || 8.1 || 4.4 || 1.7 || 2.1 || 26.6 |- | align="left" | Michael Cooper || 7 || 7 || 37.4 || .468 || .500 || .773 || 3.6 || 5.3 || 1.1 || 0.7 || 13.4 |- | align="left" | Magic Johnson || 7 || 7 || 42.1 || .560 || .000 || .744 || 7.7 || 13.6 || 2.0 || 0.9 || 18.0 |- | align="left" | Mitch Kupchak || 3 || 0 || 4.0 || .500 || .000 || .750 || 2.3 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 0.3 |- | align="left" | Bob McAdoo || 6 || 0 || 24.3 || .459 || .000 || .655 || 5.5 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 1.3 || 12.5 |- | align="left" | Mike McGee basketball || 3 || 0 || 14.0 || .375 || .000 || .714 || 2.7 || 0.0 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 7.7 |- | align="left" | Swen Nater || 7 || 0 || 8.6 || .421 || .000 || .857 || 3.1 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 4.0 |- | align="left" | Kurt Rambis || 7 || 7 || 22.3 || .629 || .000 || .545 || 6.4 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 7.1 |- | align="left" | Byron Scott || 7 || 0 || 15.0 || .474 || .200 || .714 || 1.1 || 0.7 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 6.0 |- | align="left" | Larry Spriggs || 2 || 0 || 3.5 || .667 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | Jamaal Wilkes || 7 || 0 || 14.1 || .448 || .000 || .750 || 1.9 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 4.6 |- | align="left" | James Worthy || 7 || 7 || 39.1 || .638 || .000 || .656 || 4.4 || 2.3 || 1.4 || 0.3 || 22.1 Team rosters Boston Celtics Boston Celtics 1983–84 44 Danny Ainge G/F 6 4 175 Brigham Young University 1959–03–17 33 Larry Bird F 6 9 220 Indiana State 1956–12–07 28 Quinn Buckner G 6 3 190 Indiana University 1954–08–20 30 M.L. Carr G/F 6 6 205 Guilford College 1951–01–09 40 Carlos Clark G 6 4 210 University of Mississippi 1960–08–10 43 Gerald Henderson G 6 2 175 VCU 1956–01–16 3 Dennis Johnson G 6 4 182 Pepperdine University 1954–09–18 50 Greg Kite C 6 11 250 Brigham Young University 1961–08–05 31 Cedric Maxwell F 6 8 205 University of North Carolina at Charlotte 1955–11–21 32 Kevin McHale basketball F/C 6 10 210 University of Minnesota 1957–12–19 00 Robert Parish C 7 0 230 Centenary College of Louisiana 1953–08–30 8 Scott Wedman G/F 6 7 215 University of Colorado 1952–07–29 K.C. Jones Jimmy Rodgers Chris Ford Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers 1983–84 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 33 C 7 2 225 UCLA 1947–04–16 Michael Cooper 21 G 6 5 170 New Mexico 1956–04–15 Calvin Garrett 0 F 6 7 190 Oral Roberts 1956–07–11 Magic Johnson 32 G 6 8 215 Michigan State 1959–08–14 Eddie Jordan basketball 15 G 6 1 170 Rutgers 1955–01–29 Mitch Kupchak 25 F 6 9 230 North Carolina 1954–05–24 Bob McAdoo 11 C 6 9 210 North Carolina 1951–09–25 Mike McGee basketball 40 F 6 5 190 Michigan 1959–07–29 Swen Nater 41 C 6 11 240 UCLA 1950–01–14 Kurt Rambis 31 F 6 8 213 Santa Clara 1958–02–25 Byron Scott 4 G 6 3 195 Arizona State 1961–03–28 Larry Spriggs 35 F 6 7 230 Howard 1959–09–08 Jamaal Wilkes 52 F 6 6 190 UCLA 1953–05–02 James Worthy 42 F 6 9 225 North Carolina 1961–02–27 Pat Riley Bill Bertka Dave Wohl Television coverage The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfL3iMqjRDg NBA Recap: Pride & Passion (1983-84 NBA Season Coverage) 2024-08-23 Retro Junk (Including Classic NBA) 2026-06-21 YouTube Stockton, the play-by-play announcer for the series, was joined by Tom Heinsohn, and the duo would call the next four NBA Finals until 1987. Legacy and Aftermath 1985 NBA Finals 1987 NBA Finals thumb|President Ronald Reagan presented with a Celtics jacket at the team's White House visit Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". . . (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Only the strong survive. . . talent just don't get it. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded."Mark Hirshbeck "The Lives of Riley" p.86 Johnson dribbling out the clock of a tied game in Game 4 and Worthy's turnover to Henderson in Game 2 were considered two of the biggest blunders in NBA history.Toporek Brian 2026-06-11 De'Aaron Fox's layup and the 5 biggest blunders in NBA Finals history, ranked https://fansided.com/nba/deaaron-fox-layup-and-the-5-biggest-blunders-in-nba-finals-history-ranked 2026-06-11 FanSided en-UShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSlWNU5_JVc Magic "Tragic" Johnson Chokes - 1984 NBA Finals 2016-03-24 Nobody Touches Jordan 2026-06-11 YouTube Johnson himself would receive tremendous criticism for his performance in the Finals by fans and media, after being thoroughly outplayed by rival Larry Bird.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ1bd2g3p1Y Magic Johnson chokes away the 1984 NBA Finals 2011-03-04 MerkinMuffly 2025-12-20 YouTube2010-06-17 Springer: Game 7 loss tough to shake for Magic https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=5297142 2025-12-20 ESPN.com en Following the Finals, he was jokingly named "Tragic Johnson" for his performance in the series.Bonk Thomas 1985-05-26 The Playoff Heat : Is Magic Shooting for Redemption? https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-26-sp-5963-story.html 2025-12-20 Los Angeles Times en-USHansford Corey 2023-09-25 Lakers News: Magic Johnson Opens Up About 1984 NBA Finals Loss Motivating Him https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-magic-johnson-opens-up-about-1984-nba-finals-loss-motivating-him/ 2025-12-20 Lakers Nation en-US Both teams met again in the Finals the next year, although a bar fight involving Larry Bird outside a Boston bar (Chelsea's) during the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals impacted the Celtics in the series.Quinanola Derick 2023-03-29 Larry Bird's Injury In A Bar Fight Cost Celtics 1985 NBA Title https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/larry-birds-injury-bar-fight-cost-celtics-1985-nba-championship 2025-12-20 ClutchPoints en Bird suffered a temporary finger injury which affected his play; he struggled in the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Sixers and throughout the 1985 Finals. In the series, the Lakers returned the favor and defeated the Celtics in six games, clinching the title at Boston Garden after years of torment and bad misfortune at the arena. The Celtics would then win their next championship two years later over the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in six games. The Celtics and Lakers met for the third time in the 1980s in 1987, which the Lakers also won in six games. Johnson, who by then had shaken and outgrown the "Tragic Johnson" nickname, would win his third NBA Finals MVP in the series, highlighted by a "junior sky hook" game-winner in Game 4.Top NBA Finals moments: Magic Johnson's junior sky hook NBA.com https://www.nba.com/news/history-finals-moments-magic-johnsons-junior-sky-hook 2026-02-27 NBA en In popular culture The 1984 NBA Finals (as well as the 1985 and 1987 Finals) has been covered in-depth in many documentaries, including ESPN’s 30 for 30 Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies, Hulu's Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, and HBO’s Celtics City and Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals. The 1984 Finals was dramatized in the Season 2 of HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which was based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman.Leger Justin 2023-09-18 How ‘Winning Time' 1984 NBA Finals episode compares to reality https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/how-winning-time-1984-nba-finals-episode-compares-to-reality/553663/ 2025-12-20 NBC Sports Boston en-US See also 1984 NBA playoffs References External links NBA History Boston Globe story about Game 5 (published 7 June 2009) Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:1980s in Los Angeles County, California Category:1984 in Boston Category:Basketball competitions in Boston Category:Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Events at the Boston Garden