The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the
National Basketball Association (NBA)'s
1984–85 season, and the culmination of the
season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and
Eastern Conference playoff champion
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
against the
Western Conference playoff champion
Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the season. The Celtics had home court advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63–19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62–20 record. The Lakers looked to bounce back from the previous year's painful loss to the Celtics in the championship series, and were still seeking to beat Boston for the first time ever in NBA Finals history. Also for the first time since
1955
Events January
* January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama.
* January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut.
* January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijiangs ...
, the Finals implemented a 2–3–2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The final two games of the series would be played in Boston, if required. This change of format came after
David Stern had a conversation with Celtics legend
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. He served as a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Boston Celtics. ...
in 1984, who disliked the frequent traveling between games.
The 2–3–2 format would be used until the
2013 NBA Finals
The 2013 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2012–13 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference ...
, after which the 2–2–1–1–1 format returned
in 2014.
With the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved their first NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics in nine meetings, four to two games.
It was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it for 1986.
The video documentary ''Return to Glory'' recaps the
1985 NBA Playoff action.
Background
Los Angeles Lakers
After losing to the Celtics in the
previous year's finals, the Lakers entered the
1984–85 NBA season
The 1984–85 NBA season was the 39th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.
Notable occurrences
*The 19 ...
with a mission. Once again using the effective
Showtime offense
In basketball, Showtime was an era in Los Angeles Lakers history from 1979 to 1991 when the National Basketball Association (NBA) team played an exciting run-and-gun style of basketball. Led by Magic Johnson's passing skills and Kareem Abdul-J ...
, they ran away with the Western Conference-leading 62 wins. The team as a whole underwent a slight evolution, as
James Worthy
James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers ...
supplanted
Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Abdul-Lateef (born Jackson Keith Wilkes; May 2, 1953), better known as Jamaal Wilkes, is an American former basketball player who was a small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star, he won four NBA ...
as the starting small forward, while
Byron Scott
Byron Antom Scott (born March 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, Scott won three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their ...
began to earn more minutes as the backup to both
Magic Johnson and
Michael Cooper
Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the boys varsity coach at Culver City High School. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winnin ...
.
In the playoffs, the Lakers eliminated the
Phoenix Suns,
Portland Trail Blazers and
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, going 11–2 in the three playoff rounds.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics repeated with the NBA's best record by winning 63 games. For the second straight season,
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
won the
MVP award
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
, while
Kevin McHale won
Sixth Man Award for the second year running, despite making the transition from bench cog to starter late in the season with
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell (born November 21, 1955) is an American retired professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and played a key role in two c ...
nursing a knee injury.
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray Ainge ( ; born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and former professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
A three-sp ...
also emerged as the team's starting shooting guard, after the Celtics traded
Gerald Henderson
Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson Sr. (born January 16, 1956) is an American retired basketball player. He was a combo guard who had a 13-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston C ...
to the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
in the offseason.
The Celtics defeated the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Centr ...
,
Detroit Pistons and
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
, finishing with an 11–4 record heading into the finals. By that point, Boston's classic starting five under head coach
K. C. Jones
K. C. Jones (May 25, 1932 – December 25, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is best known for his association with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with whom he won 11 of his 12 ...
was solidified, featuring Bird, McHale and
Robert Parish in the frontcourt, and Ainge and
Dennis Johnson in the backcourt.
Road to the Finals
Regular season series
Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team:
Series summary
Game 1
The Celtics defeated the Lakers 148–114. It was dubbed the "
Memorial Day Massacre" and a profound embarrassment for the Lakers team.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had only 12 points and 3 rebounds, while
Magic Johnson pulled down only one rebound.
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray Ainge ( ; born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and former professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
A three-sp ...
of the Celtics started hot, scoring 15 points in the first quarter.
Scott Wedman
Scott Dean Wedman (born July 29, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player who played thirteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Kansas City-Omaha Kings with the sixth pick in the first ...
made all 11 shots he took from the field. Afterwards, Abdul-Jabbar apologized to his teammates for his terrible performance.
The 34-point differential set a new record for a Finals game between the Celtics and Lakers in their
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
. This record would stand until the
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defe ...
, when the Celtics defeated the Lakers, 131-92.
Game 2
The Lakers recovered from the Game 1 loss behind Abdul-Jabbar's 30 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 8 assists. Lakers swingman
Michael Cooper
Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the boys varsity coach at Culver City High School. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winnin ...
finished with 22 points on an 8 for 9 shooting performance, including several clutch outside jumpers down the stretch. The series was evened at 1–1.
Game 3
The Celtics held a 48–38 lead in the second quarter before the Lakers rallied and led, 65–59, at halftime. The Lakers pulled away in the second half and won the game 136–111. Abdul-Jabbar scored his 4,456th career point and became the league's all-time leading playoff scorer, which had previously been held by Lakers guard
Jerry West
Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American basketball executive and former player. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames included "Mr. Clutch", for his ability ...
.
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
's shooting slump from game 2 continued. He shot a combined 17 of 42 from the field in games two and three.
James Worthy
James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers ...
led the Lakers with 29 points.
Game 4
The Celtics tied the series in the fourth game with a 107–105 win with a buzzer-beating jumper by
Dennis Johnson, who scored 27 points. Kevin McHale led all players with 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds for the Celtics.
Game 5
In this game, the Lakers stomped out the Celtics by jumping out to a 64–51 lead and stretched it to 89–72 before the Celtics cut the deficit to 4 points, late in the 4th quarter. The Celtics would cut the lead to 4 points several times, but the Lakers answered each time. Magic Johnson made three shots, Kareem added four more shots, and Cooper hit 2 outside jumpers, and the Lakers came away with a 120–111 victory to take a 3–2 series lead.
Game 6
In the series clincher, the game was tied at halftime. The Lakers would hold the Celtics to just 18 third quarter points to pull away. Abdul-Jabbar scored 29 points and James Worthy scored 28 of his own, as Los Angeles became the first team to clinch a title at the
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...
. Magic Johnson dished out a game-high 14 assists. Celtics' forward Kevin McHale scored 32 points and grabbed 16 rebounds--both game-highs--before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Larry Bird's dismal shooting continued as he hit just 12 of 29 shots.
The 38-year-old Abdul-Jabbar was named
MVP of the series, his second Finals MVP award and first since
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Jan ...
(back when he was known as Lew Alcindor), averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 blocks in the six games. Worthy averaged 23.7 points for the Lakers, while Magic Johnson scored 18.3 points per game to go along with 14.0 assists and 6.8 rebounds. Los Angeles shot 51.2% as a team for the series.
McHale led Boston in scoring (26.0) and rebounding (10.7) while shooting 59.8% from the floor. Bird averaged 23.8 points and 8.8 rebounds on just 44.9% shooting. Celtics' guard Dennis Johnson led both teams in minutes played (247). Boston shot 47.6% from the floor while out-rebounding Los Angeles 259-256.
It was the first time (and only time until 2022) in NBA Finals history where the other team clinched the championship against the Celtics in Boston. It was also only the Celtics' second Finals series defeat, having previously lost to the
St. Louis Hawks in
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
.
Player statistics
;Los Angeles Lakers
, -! style="background:#FDE910;"
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 35.5 , , .604 , , .000 , , .769 , , 9.0 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.5 , , 25.7
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 0 , , 25.5 , , .588 , , .286 , , .905 , , 2.0 , , 3.7 , , 1.2 , , 0.3 , , 10.2
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 39.2 , , .494 , , .500 , , .871 , , 6.8 , , 14.0 , , 2.2 , , 0.0 , , 18.3
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 0 , , 14.5 , , .550 , , .000 , , .643 , , 3.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 5.2
, -
, align="left" , , , 2 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 0 , , 19.5 , , .379 , , .000 , , .714 , , 3.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , , 8.2
, -
, align="left" , , , 4 , , 0 , , 6.5 , , .500 , , .600 , , .667 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 4.8
, -
, align="left" , , , 1 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .500 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 22.0 , , .500 , , .000 , , .538 , , 8.5 , , 0.8 , , 1.3 , , 0.5 , , 7.5
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 34.7 , , .395 , , .286 , , .556 , , 3.7 , , 2.2 , , 2.5 , , 0.2 , , 11.2
, -
, align="left" , , , 4 , , 0 , , 6.8 , , .600 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 3.5
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 39.0 , , .564 , , .000 , , .700 , , 4.5 , , 3.2 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 23.7
;Boston Celtics
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 33.8 , , .414 , , .400 , , .750 , , 3.0 , , 7.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 11.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 40.2 , , .449 , , .333 , , .850 , , 8.8 , , 5.0 , , 1.8 , , 0.7 , , 23.8
, -
, align="left" , , , 4 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .545 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.5 , , 2.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 3.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 3 , , 0 , , 2.7 , , .375 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.3
, -
, align="left" , , , 2 , , 0 , , 3.5 , , .500 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 0.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 2.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 41.2 , , .382 , , .000 , , .857 , , 4.3 , , 9.5 , , 1.7 , , 0.7 , , 16.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 5 , , 0 , , 8.8 , , .444 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , 0.6 , , 0.2 , , 0.0 , , 1.8
, -
, align="left" , , , 5 , , 0 , , 10.8 , , .500 , , .000 , , .700 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 0.4 , , 0.0 , , 2.6
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 40.0 , , .598 , , .000 , , .727 , , 10.7 , , 1.3 , , 0.3 , , 1.8 , , 26.0
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 6 , , 37.2 , , .481 , , .000 , , .771 , , 9.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.8 , , 17.2
, -
, align="left" , , , 6 , , 0 , , 17.5 , , .611 , , .636 , , .556 , , 3.3 , , 1.7 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 9.3
, -
, align="left" , , , 4 , , 0 , , 9.3 , , .500 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.3 , , 2.8 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 3.5
Television coverage
The Finals were telecast by
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
in the United States, with its coverage anchored by
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger (born May 26, 1939) is an American sportscaster, currently the lead broadcaster and managing editor at Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN).
With CBS Sports from 1973 until 1990, he was one of the original members ...
.
Dick Stockton
Richard Edward Stokvis (born November 22, 1942), known professionally as Dick Stockton, is an American retired sportscaster. Stockton began his career in Philadelphia, then moved to Pittsburgh, where he worked as the sports director for KDKA-TV ...
did play-by-play with
Tom Heinsohn
Thomas William Heinsohn (August 26, 1934 – November 9, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. He was associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcast ...
as color analyst, working their second Finals together.
Pat O'Brien worked sideline duties for both teams.
Celebration
The Lakers were invited to a reception at the
White House with
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ronald Reagan, where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presented the President with a jersey. The following Tuesday would be declared "Laker Day" by
Los Angeles Mayor
The mayor of the City of Los Angeles is the official head and chief executive officer of Los Angeles. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and is limited to serving no more than two terms. (Under the Constitution of California, all j ...
Tom Bradley with a parade beginning at 9th and Broadway.
Team rosters
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics
See also
*
1985 NBA Playoffs
The 1985 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984–85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Ce ...
References
External links
NBA History*
{{DEFAULTSORT:1985 Nba Finals
National Basketball Association Finals
Finals
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
NBA Finals
NBA Finals
20th century in Los Angeles County, California
NBA Finals
May 1985 sports events in the United States
June 1985 sports events in the United States
Sports competitions in Boston
Sports competitions in Inglewood, California
NBA Finals
NBA Finals
Boston Garden