The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 258 - 1 Unprecedented History
[The Lakers and the Celtics were destined to meet again.]
The story of the 76ers and the Lakers reaching the finals three times in four years had become tiresome, and the viewership plummeted to an all-time low during the 1981 finals between the Rockets and the Celtics.
However, the finals between the Lakers and the Celtics were everything people wanted.
The Celtics breezed into the finals, losing only two games in the Eastern Conference.
The Lakers likewise lost only two games, but their Western Conference finals struggle against the Trail Blazers left a deep impression. The tenacity and resilience of the Portland people shone brightly, yet their moment had not yet arrived.
The Celtics hoped to establish themselves as a dynasty, not just as one of the best teams of an era.
Bird won his second consecutive MVP trophy in June—again, the moment of the Portland people had not yet arrived, as the Trail Blazers’ number 11 ranked second in the voting. (But he also received the Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, becoming an unprecedented figure, with no other rookie ever achieving the same. This isn’t about the Trail Blazers, but when you talk about that era, you can’t help but mention the unstoppable light seeping through.)
Johnson had the best regular season of his career, averaging 18.3 points and 12.6 assists per game.
When the Lakers won the last game of the Western Conference finals against the Trail Blazers with a score of 115-112, a weary Johnson finally began to dance and celebrate with excitement.
Four days earlier, the Boston Celtics had eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers, securing their spot in the finals.
"The New York Times"’s Sam Goldaper wrote, "Can the Celtics stop the Lakers, who average 129.2 points per game and have an 11-2 record in the playoffs? Can the Lakers contend with the Celtics’ front line, composed of Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, and Robert Parish?"
Just days later, perhaps worn out by the intense Western Conference finals against the Trail Blazers, the Lakers suffered a devastating defeat at the Boston Garden.
In the first game of the finals, the Celtics crushed the Lakers 148 to 114, a match that later came to be known as the Memorial Day Massacre.
The 34-point victory margin for the Celtics was the second-largest in playoff history, second only to the Washington Bullets’ 117-82 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978.
The Celtics set multiple finals records including most points scored in total, most points in a half (79 points), largest halftime lead (30 points, 79-49), and highest shooting percentage (61%).
After the game, the Lakers returned to the locker room with their heads down, feeling shocked, dejected, injured, and humiliated.
Usually, it was Riley or Johnson who would stand up to speak, to heal the wounds.
But instead, it was Jabbar who cleared his throat. He had just had one of the worst performances of his career—an embarrassing game with only 12 points and 3 rebounds.
"I want to apologize to all of you," he said, staring at the floor. "I played like trash. But I’m never going to play like that again. We’re going to win this series."
"I promise," he said, "we will win."
His teammates were surprised, just as they were in the sixth game of the Western Conference finals when he led them in a meditative moment to calm their emotions. He never used to be like this, to do these things, to speak this way. He was too proud.
The second game was scheduled three days later. When the Lakers players boarded the bus, they found Jabbar’s father already sitting inside. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
According to Lakers’ rules, family members weren’t allowed on the bus, but Riley didn’t stop him, and instead shook hands with the subway policeman.
Karim’s father didn’t say a word. He just sat on the bus, accompanying his son.
Before the game, Riley gave a motivational speech, quoting his father Leon Riley: "At some point, you have to dig your heels in, hold your ground, and fiercely overcome your opponent."
Michael Cooper said, "That talk made it seem like the score was already 5-0 before the game began."
Learning from the previous year, the Lakers ordered two MovinCool portable air conditioning units for their locker room, which, upon being plugged in, caused half of the Garden Arena to experience a short circuit and power outage.
But the Lakers didn’t care, they had got themselves a cool and comfortable locker room.
The second game became a turning point, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who had been declared dead three days earlier) scoring 33 points, grabbing 19 rebounds, handing out 8 assists, and blocking 4 shots in the Lakers’ 109-102 victory over Los Angeles.
The 37-year-old veteran once again became the soul of the team.
He was tired of Bird’s trash talk and Parrish’s physical collisions.
He could hook shot from anywhere within 15 feet, and he demolished the Bostonians’ prized frontcourt.
During the victory, the Lakers’ team PR, Rosenfield, threw a wet towel into the stands, hitting Mrs. Robert Parish in the face.
Rosenfield decided to apologize to Parish, and after explaining the situation, he asked if Parish was still angry.
"Not at all," Parish said. "I’ve been telling her to shut up for ten years. You’re the first person to manage it."
The Lakers won the third game 136-111 over the Celtics, while the Celtics narrowly clinched the fourth game with 107-105 to even the score.
Game five, the match that would decide the direction of the series, ironically became a stumbling block due to the 2-3-2 format suggested by Auerbach himself, forcing the pivotal game to be played in Los Angeles.
