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The 2008 NBA Finals were held June 5 through June 17 of 2008, to decide the winner of the 2007–08 NBA season, and conclude the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a best-of-seven series. This was Boston's first title since 1986 and 17th overall.

2008 marked the first time since 2000 that the top seeds from both conferences met in the Finals and the first time since 2003 that any top seeded team played in the NBA finals. The Lakers appeared in the Finals for the first time since 2004 and a record 29th time overall. The Celtics appeared in the Finals for the first time since 1987 and second-best 20th time overall.

Going into the series, the Celtics had won the most championships all-time with 16, and the Lakers were second with 14. The two clubs, the most successful teams in NBA history, looked to renew a longstanding rivalry 21 years after their last Finals meeting in 1987. They narrowly missed meeting each other in 2002, when the Lakers advanced to the Finals, but the Celtics, who led 2-1 in the Conference Finals, eventually fell to the favored New Jersey Nets 4-2. This was the 11th time the teams met in the championship round; the Celtics won eight of their previous ten Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1984—the Lakers won in 1985 and 1987.

The Celtics' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles (57–25). This was the first time since 1997, when the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz for the championship, and the only time in the 2000s decade that an Eastern Conference team had the home court advantage.

Rodd Houston narrated the Boston Celtics' championship season documentary on NBA Entertainment. The made-for-TV version of this documentary is narrated by Kevin Harlan.

Series summary[link]

Background[link]

The Celtics were making their first NBA Finals appearance since a six-game loss to the Lakers in 1987. Over the next 20 years the Celtics would suffer through several lean years, not making the playoffs in nine of those years. Following the departures of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale the Celtics suffered through several tragedies such as the passing of Reggie Lewis in 1993, a franchise-worst 15-win 1996–97 season, the ill-fated hiring of head coach Rick Pitino, and the deaths of franchise patriarch Red Auerbach and former player Dennis Johnson that culminated in a 24-win 2006–07 season, highlighted by a franchise-worst 18 straight losses. But hope was on the horizon.

The 2007 off-season saw Celtics GM Danny Ainge acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join franchise star Paul Pierce. The newly-formed 'Big Three' led the Celtics to a dramatic 42-game turnaround, finishing with 66 wins. In the playoffs the Celtics were pushed to the brink by the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and despite not winning on the road, they managed to prevail in a pair of Game 7s at their home court. The Celtics would finally break their road woes in a six-game win against the perennial Eastern Conference powerhouse Detroit Pistons, earning their first finals berth since 1987.

After losing to the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals despite a talent-laden roster, Phil Jackson abruptly retired. Soon after the Lakers decided to rebuild by trading away Shaquille O'Neal. The 2004–05 season saw the Lakers miss the playoffs for only the fifth time in team history. Even though he had written a book called The Last Season, going as far as calling Kobe Bryant "uncoachable", Jackson returned to the Lakers for the 2005–06 season. Jackson and Bryant would patch their differences, but after a pair of first-round exits, Bryant demanded, but later retracted, a trade in the off-season.

The Lakers' 2007-08 season saw the team win 57 games, along the way adding Spanish forward Pau Gasol in mid-season while Andrew Bynum was recovering from a mid-season knee injury. The Lakers eliminated the Denver Nuggets 4-0, then the Utah Jazz 4-2 and then dethroned the erstwhile defending champion San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the conference finals, making their 29th NBA Finals appearance.

2008 NBA Playoffs[link]

Regular season series[link]

The Boston Celtics won both games in the regular season series:

Game summaries[link]

It has been suggested that Celtics–Lakers_rivalry#2008_NBA_Finals be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2011.

All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time.^[1]

Game 1[link]

Game 1 running score.

Paul Pierce scored 15 points in the third quarter to give Boston the lead for good, and Kevin Garnett paced the Celtic attack with 24 points and 13 rebounds including a powerful two-handed putback dunk late in the game. Kobe Bryant struggled with his shooting touch, finishing 9–26 from the field with 24 points.

Pierce apparently injured his knee by falling awkwardly on Kendrick Perkins' leg, and was taken off the court in a wheelchair. Despite what Pierce's reaction suggested was a highly debilitating injury, he returned to action minutes later to raucous cheering from the crowd. Some suggested ^[2] later that the episode was orchestrated by Pierce as an inspirational "Willis Reed moment". He soon hit two three-pointers on consecutive offensive possessions that gave Boston the lead for good and finished with 22 points.

The Lakers, who had had home court advantage throughout the first three rounds and had not trailed a series in that same time, now had to do without both luxuries for the first time.

Game 2[link]

The opening tipoff of Game 2

Leon Powe (center) had a memorable performance in Game 2

The Lakers jumped out to an early 15–8 first quarter lead, but the Celtics answered with a 10–0 run at the start of the second quarter and ended the first half with a 54–42 lead.

The Celtics held a 24-point lead with less than eight minutes to go in the 4th quarter before the Lakers cut the lead to two points with 38.4 seconds to go with a 31-9 run. Paul Pierce and James Posey then closed out the game with two free throws each. The Lakers had a chance to cut into Boston's four point lead with 14 seconds left, but the ball failed to get into the hands of Kobe Bryant, resulting in a shot by Saša Vujačić that was blocked by Pierce. Bryant finished the game with 30 points and 8 assists.

Leon Powe, a second year bench player, scored 21 points on 6–7 shooting from the field and 9-13 from the line in 15 minutes of play, including back-to-back dunks in the last minute of the 3rd quarter. Over the course of the game, Leon Powe shot 13 free throws while the Lakers shot 10.

Despite injuries suffered by Pierce (sprained knee) and Kendrick Perkins (high ankle sprain), both players started in Game 2 and appeared to be mostly unhampered by the injuries, especially Pierce who finished with 28 points.

Boston finished the game 27-for-38 from the line, while the Lakers were 10-for-10. Some analysts viewed this as favorable treatment toward the Celtics,^[3][4] while others noted that a difference in playing styles may have led to the discrepancy, and that the actual foul discrepancy was only 28–21 in favor of Boston.^[5]

Game 3[link]

The Lakers won game 3 on a strong shooting night from regular season MVP Kobe Bryant, who scored a series-high 36 points, leading the Lakers to their first win of the series and adding to their undefeated streak at home in the 2008 post-season. Saša Vujačić scored 20 points in 28 minutes, Paul Pierce had a poor shooting game, making only two of his 14 field goal attempts. Kevin Garnett also had trouble shooting, finishing with only 12 points. Ray Allen was the only member of Boston's Big Three that scored over 13 points, with 25.

Game 4[link]

The Lakers jumped out to a 35–14 lead after the first quarter, which was the largest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history. The Lakers held their ground for most of the third quarter, leading by as many as 24 points. However, the Celtics went on a 21–3 run to end the third quarter, closing the deficit to only two points (73–71). With 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Celtics took their first lead in the game when Celtics' reserve Eddie House made an 18-foot (5.5 m) jumper. With House's shot, the Celtics were in the lead for good. The Celtics' victory in Game 4 was the largest comeback in the NBA Finals since 1971.^[6]

Kobe Bryant had 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting from the field to go along with 10 assists. The Celtics bench outscored the Lakers bench 35–15, 29 of those points coming from House and James Posey. Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in support of Allen (19) and Pierce (20).

Game 5[link]

As in Game 4, the Lakers jumped out to an early lead, leading 43–24 with 11 minutes to play in the second quarter. And as in Game 4, the Celtics came back, taking a 62–60 lead behind the strong play of Paul Pierce.

The Lakers finally regained their composure, outscoring Boston 24–18 in the 3rd quarter. In previous games, the Lakers were outscored by Boston in the 3rd quarter (22–31 in Game 1, 19–29 in Game 2, 17–25 in Game 3, and 15–31 in Game 4) by a total of 43 points (73–116).

The Lakers built a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter, but the Celtics again came back with a 16–2 run to tie the game at 90. With less than one minute left in the game, the Celtics had the ball with the Lakers leading 97–95. Pierce beat Bryant off the drive, but Bryant knocked the ball out of Pierce's hands from behind. Lamar Odom picked up the loose ball and passed downcourt to Bryant for a breakaway dunk, giving the Lakers a 99–95 lead. The Lakers went on to win 103–98, sending the series back to Boston.

Kobe Bryant shot 8 of 21 from the floor for 25 points, to go with five steals. Pau Gasol contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, Odom 20 points and 11 rebounds. For Boston, Pierce had a memorable 38 point effort, but outside of Allen (16 points) and Garnett (13 points and 14 rebounds) did not receive enough support from his teammates to clinch the championship at Staples.^[7]

As for the odds stacked against the Lakers to come back from a 3–1 deficit, Jackson said, "We're young enough and dumb enough to do this."^[8]

Game 6[link]

Boston Celtics fans, players, coaching personnel, and staff celebrate the franchise's 17th title on June 17

The Celtics needed 26 games to win their 17th title. By a twist of fate, Coach Doc Rivers played for the 1993-94 New York Knicks, which held the previous record for most playoff games played in one season, with 25.

Entering Game 6, the Celtics set a record of most playoff games played in one season, with 26, breaking the previous record of 25 set by both the 1994 New York Knicks, whom Celtics Coach Doc Rivers played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons, both of whom lost in their respective finals in seven games (Knicks in 1994, Pistons in 2005).^[9][10] However, for the 1994 Knicks, the first round was a best-of-five.

After a rocky first quarter, the Celtics dominated the rest of the game. Maintaining a lead of more than 25 points, the Celtics' Big Three performed phenomenally, while the whole team smothered the Lakers' offense with their tight defense. Boston dominated in numerous statistical categories, including rebounds (48–29, with a 14–2 disparity in offensive boards), turnovers (7–19), steals (18–4), assists (33–16) and blocks (4–0). Five Celtics finished in double figures. Allen hit seven three pointers to tie what was then the Finals record (which he subsequently broke during the 2010 NBA Finals against the Lakers during game two), Rajon Rondo had an all-around spectacular performance (21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals), the Celtics only turned the ball over seven times and set a Finals record with 18 steals, and every Boston player who saw action scored.^[11]

The 39-point margin of victory was the largest ever in an NBA championship-clinching game, breaking the old record of 33, also set by the Celtics over the Lakers in Game Five of the 1965, 129–96.^[9] This lead was close to the Finals point-spread record set in Game 3 in 1998 where a Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls team beat the Utah Jazz by 42 points, 96–54.^[12][13][14] The Celtics also improved their overall record against the Lakers to 9-2 in Finals meetings, beating them in the Finals for the first time since 1984.^[11]

This was the Celtics' 17th championship, their first since 1986, extending their record for most NBA championships won by a single team. All this capped off the Celtics' best regular season (66-16) since their previous championship season in which they went 67-15. It was also a sense of relief, as the Celtics set an NBA record for most playoff games ever needed to win a championship, with 26, surpassing the previous record of 24 by the Lakers in 1988.^[9]

The Celtics' win was also seen as an addition to the recent success of Boston-area sports teams, following the wins by the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX (2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons) and the Red Sox's World Series wins in 2004 (death of the Curse of the Bambino) and 2007.

The Celtics won this series by winning Games 1, 2, 4, and 6; coincidentally, the last time the two teams met in 1987, the Lakers won that series in identical fashion.

Rosters[link]

2008 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From 3.0 !SF 3 USA ! Ariza, Trevor 80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) UCLA 2.0 !SG 24 USA ! Bryant, Kobe (C) 78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Lower Merion HS (PA) 6.0 !C 17 USA ! Bynum, Andrew  84 !7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 285 lb (129 kg) St. Joseph HS (NJ) 1.0 !PG 5 USA ! Farmar, Jordan 74 !6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) UCLA 1.0 !PG 2 USA ! Fisher, Derek 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Arkansas-Little Rock 5.5 !F/C 16 ESP ! Gasol, Pau 84 !7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Spain 1.5 !G 11 USA ! Karl, Coby 77 !6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Boise State 6.0 !C 28 BEL ! Mbenga, D. J. 84 !7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 215 lb (98 kg) DR Congo 6.0 !C 31 USA ! Mihm, Chris 84 !7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Texas 3.0 !SF 14 USA ! Newble, Ira 79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Miami (OH) 4.0 !F 7 USA ! Odom, Lamar 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Rhode Island 4.0 !F 10 SRB ! Radmanović, Vladimir 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Serbia 4.5 !PF 21 France ! Turiaf, Ronny 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Gonzaga 1.5 !G 18 Slovenia ! Vujačić, Saša 79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Slovenia 3.0 !SF 4 USA ! Walton, Luke 80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Arizona	Head coach Phil Jackson (North Dakota) Assistant coach(es) Frank Hamblen (Syracuse) Kurt Rambis (Santa Clara) Brian Shaw (UC Santa Barbara) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (UCLA) Craig Hodges (Long Beach State) Jim Cleamons (Ohio State) Tex Winter (Southern California) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2008-03-21

2008 Boston Celtics Finals roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From 2.0 !SG 20 USA ! Allen, Ray 77 !6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Connecticut 2.0 !SG 42 USA ! Allen, Tony 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 213 lb (97 kg) Oklahoma State 6.0 !C 93 USA ! Brown, P.J. 83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 239 lb (108 kg) Louisiana Tech 1.0 !PG 28 USA ! Cassell, Sam 75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Florida State 4.5 !PF 11 USA ! Davis, Glen 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 289 lb (131 kg) LSU 4.5 !PF 5 USA ! Garnett, Kevin 83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Farragut 1.0 !PG 50 USA ! House, Eddie 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Arizona State 6.0 !C 43 USA ! Perkins, Kendrick 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 264 lb (120 kg) CJOHS 3.0 !SF 34 USA ! Pierce, Paul (C) 79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Kansas 6.0 !C 66 USA ! Pollard, Scot  83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 278 lb (126 kg) Kansas 3.0 !SF 41 USA ! Posey, James 80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 217 lb (98 kg) Xavier 4.5 !PF 0 USA ! Powe, Leon 80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) California 1.0 !PG 13 USA ! Pruitt, Gabe 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Southern California 1.0 !PG 9 USA ! Rondo, Rajon 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 171 lb (78 kg) Kentucky 4.5 !PF 44 USA ! Scalabrine, Brian 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Southern California	Head coach Doc Rivers (Marquette) Assistant coach(es) Armond Hill (Princeton) Kevin Eastman (Richmond) Clifford Ray (Oklahoma) Tom Thibodeau (Salem State) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2008-03-04

International broadcasts[link]

Aside from ABC (U.S.) and TSN (Canada), other broadcasters across the world covered the Finals:^[15]

Aftermath[link]

In the 2008-09 season the Celtics raced to a 27-2 start, the best through 29 games in NBA history, until that fateful finals rematch against the Lakers on Christmas Day ended a franchise-high 19-game winning streak. Then days after the All-Star Game Kevin Garnett injured his right knee, and was lost for the season. The Celtics won 62 games, but the absence of Garnett affected the team as they were eliminated in seven games by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Lakers rebounded to win 65 games in the aforementioned season, then proceeded to win the NBA title in five games over the Magic. Even though another mid-season injury to Andrew Bynum threatened their title drive, he did come back late in the season. The Lakers became the first team since the 1988-89 Pistons to win the NBA Finals after losing it in the previous year.

Both teams would eventually meet again in 2010 where the Lakers defeated the Celtics in seven games.

The Celtics' 17th championship raised the total of major professional sports championships in Boston to 32, and it continued a string of championships for the city this decade. The NFL's New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and nearly won a fourth on Super Bowl XLII, only to have a perfect season denied by the New York Giants five months earlier. Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox won the their second World Series title of the decade nine months earlier, adding their total to seven. With the NHL's Boston Bruins winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the city of Boston became the first city to win championships in all four major sports in a seven-year span. The city's total title tally now stands at 33.

See also[link]

• Celtics–Lakers rivalry
• Curse of Len Bias - the alleged curse that had kept the Celtics from winning the NBA Finals since 1986, which was broken in this series.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2008 NBA Finals

The NBA Finals is the championship series of the NBA. The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.

The series is played between the winners of Western Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Finals. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winners of the NBA Finals are awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. (Winners from 1946 to 1977 received the Walter A. Brown Trophy) The NBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every NBA and BAA season in history, the first being held in 1947.

Since 1985, the winner of the NBA Finals has been determined through a 2–3–2 format. The first two and the last two games of the series are played at the arena of the team who earned home court advantage by having the better record during the regular season.

History[link]

1947–56: The Early Years and Lakers Dynasty[link]

During the first decade the Minneapolis Lakers had the first NBA dynasty, winning 5 championships in 6 years under Hall of Fame head coach John Kundla. The team also featured George Mikan, one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Franchises which had previously been in the National Basketball League tended to dominate, especially the Minneapolis Lakers.

1957–69: The Celtics Dynasty[link]

The Boston Celtics went 11–1 in the NBA Finals during 13 seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). They won the NBA Finals from 1959–66.^[1]

The Celtics and Lakers made up 19 of 26 possible NBA appearances during thirteen seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). The two teams met 6 times during the 8 years Boston won the NBA in a row.^[1] This period includes one season (1958–59) when the Lakers were still in Minneapolis, and it marks the largest stretch of seasons (14) that two teams made up over 65% of NBA appearances, second being the 10 seasons (1979–80 to 1988–89) the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers appeared 13 times.

With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, Bill Russell became the star of the league. Game 7 of that year's championship was decided on a Celtics basket in the final seconds of the second overtime. For most of the late 1950s and the 1960s, the Celtics seemed always to have the upper hand on Wilt Chamberlain's teams.

In 1964, Wilt Chamberlain, who had moved to the state of California with his team, the former Philadelphia Warriors, led the San Francisco Warriors to a Western Conference championship, but again failed to conquer the Celtics. The following season, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, the former Syracuse Nationals team that had moved to cover the vacancy created with the departure of the Warriors.

1966 produced a clash between the two stars in the playoffs, and Boston won 4–1. Chamberlain's coach told him to play a team game, not an individual game, and thus avoid drawing double-teams. His new-found team spirit brought them to a new record of 68 wins the following season, and they defeated the Celtics and then advanced to, and won, the Finals.

In 1968, Boston overcame a 3–1 deficit against Philadelphia to once again arrive in the Finals. Playing against Jerry West's Lakers, they seemed doomed to defeat. Nevertheless, for the sixth consecutive time, they defeated L.A., winning 4 games to 2.

The following year, 1969, found the Celtics overcoming even longer odds. Boston barely qualified for the playoffs, finishing fourth in the East. The Lakers, who in the offseason added Chamberlain to join West and Elgin Baylor, won the West and were prohibitive favorites to finally win it all for the first time since relocating to LA. They easily won the first two games at the Los Angeles Forum. However, when the series shifted to the Boston Garden, the Celtics won two close games 110–105 and 88–87, respectively, in Games 3 and 4. Game 5, played at the Forum, returned the advantage to the Lakers, but Game 6 was a 99-90 Celtics win, with Chamberlain scoring just two points. Game 7 was held on May 5, with balloons hung up in the arena in anticipation of a Lakers victory. Russell immediately used the balloons as an inspiration for his team^{[citation needed]}, and they raced off to an early start and held off a furious Lakers comeback to win 108–106 and take the series, their eleventh championship in thirteen years. This game represented the final one in this first incarnation of the Celtics' dynasty.

1970–79: Decade of Parity[link]

The 1970s saw eight different teams win the title, with the Celtics and Knicks both winning twice.

In 1970, a classic final featured the New York Knicks against the Lakers. In the waning moments of Game 3, with the series tied, Jerry West hit a basket from 60 feet to tie the game, a shot which became one of the most famous ever. Although the Knicks went on to win the game in overtime and continued their momentum for a 4–3 win, the Lakers were not defeated. Just two seasons later, the team won thirty-three games consecutively, the longest such streak in NBA history. By the season's end, they had broken the record for most wins in a season, tallying up 69 wins, one more than the 1966–67 76ers. The Lakers finally, after a tough playoff-season, took home the championship for the first time since the Minneapolis days. The Knicks won the championship again in 1973, using much the same formula, for their second franchise victorious season.

The 1974 championship went back to the Celtics as the remaining players demonstrated excellent teamwork and resilience in the Finals.

The late 1970s were characterized by a major breakthrough of the league's western franchises. In 1975, after compiling a 48–34 regular-season record, the Golden State Warriors swept the heavily-favored Washington Bullets 4–0 in an upset.

The next year, 1976, saw the rise of the Phoenix Suns. Only eight years in existence, they overcame a losing record early in the season to build remarkable win streaks to finish 42–40. The events culminated in upset victories over Seattle and Golden State. In the final against Boston, the teams split the first four games. Game 5 became one of the most memorable games of all. It went into three overtimes but eventually went to Boston 128–126. Two days later, the Celtics finished Phoenix off 87-80 in Game 6 for their 13th championship.

Other western franchises that won their first titles in the late 70's included the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977 and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. Portland's victory was against the heavily favored Philadelphia 76ers led by Julius Erving. Although the Washington Bullets were able to defeat Seattle in the 1978 NBA Finals, Seattle was able to prevail the following year against the Bullets to win its first NBA title.

1980–90: Celtics–Lakers Rivalry[link]

Between 1980 and 1989, the Celtics and/or the Lakers played in every NBA Finals.^[1] The Lakers won five titles during this span (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988); the Celtics won three (1981, 1984 and 1986), the Pistons won twice (1989, 1990), and the Sixers won once (1983).

The 1979 NCAA Championship Game featured Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Michigan State University team facing off against Larry Bird's Indiana State team. Michigan State won the game. This meeting has been immortalized, in fact, it attracted the largest ever TV rating for an NCAA Championship game, with 38 percent of all television viewers that night tuned to the game.^{[citation needed]}

Bird had actually been drafted the year before, but later decided to stay in college for one more year, and the two superstars both entered the league in 1979, leading their respective teams to dazzling heights. Johnson's Lakers reached the 1980 NBA Finals, and took a 3–2 lead, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could not play in Game 6 due to injury. Johnson shifted to center, ended up playing every position on the court and scored 42 points to win his first championship, a remarkable performance in the annals of the sport.

Boston won the 1981 NBA Finals against Houston thanks to Bird, and the team continued dominating the league afterwards, taking many Atlantic Division titles.

Philadelphia, led by Moses Malone and Julius Erving, won the 1983 NBA Finals, losing only once in the entire playoffs, and sweeping the Lakers. (Malone had predicted earlier that they would sweep every series.) However, in the 1984 NBA Finals, the Celtics and Lakers met for the first time since 1969, and again, from Bird's performance, the Celtics toppled the Lakers 4–3. The seventh game of that series attracted the largest TV audience ever for an NBA game, and the second-largest ever for a basketball game, with only the game between the two stars played five years earlier having a larger audience. It was the last NBA Finals played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format.

In the 1985 NBA Finals, the Lakers made amends for their previous eight losses to the Celtics by defeating them in six games. After losing the first game in a rout, 148–114, dubbed the "Memorial Day Massacre", they won 4 out of 5, including Game 6 in Boston Garden, to finally end the long years of frustration of failing to defeat the Celtics. These finals were the first to be played in the current 2–3–2 format, which Red Auerbach suggested to David Stern in order to cut back on the frequent traveling between Boston and Los Angeles. Auerbach said years later, it was terrible that they went to this format because it takes away the home court advantage from the team with the first two games at home and they don't get to host the all but crucial Game 5, which is the swing game in a 7 game series.

The 1986 NBA Finals brought the Celtics back against the Houston Rockets. Boston won in six games, taking their sixteenth championship, with the MVP award going to Larry Bird, his second Finals MVP trophy.

In 1987, the Lakers and Celtics met again for a rubber match. Both sides had won one series, and now a third was being played. The Lakers pounded out two victories, but Boston took the third. Game 4 was one of the most memorable games ever played. In the waning moments, Magic Johnson hit a skyhook to give the Lakers a 107–106 win and a 3–1 series lead. They lost Game 5, but won Game 6 to take the series.

In 1988 and 1989, the aging Celtics failed to reach the Finals, with the Lakers and Pistons becoming the best of their conferences. The 1988 finals went to Los Angeles in seven games, but the Pistons swept the Lakers in 1989. In 1990, Detroit beat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, and the name "Bad Boys" became attached to the team for its rough, physical play.

1993–98: The Bulls Dynasty[link]

During the 1990s, the Bulls completed two three-peats. The decade also had the Rockets winning back-to-back titles and the Jazz falling short twice. It started with the Pistons winning their second championship in as many seasons.

The majority of the 1990s was marked by the rise of the Chicago Bulls dynasty (otherwise known as the "Michael Jordan era"), which ended in 1998. Coached by head coach Phil Jackson and led by superstar Michael Jordan, the Bulls won 6 titles from 1991 to 1998. Supported by such remarkable players as Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, Jordan led the Bulls to victory in all NBA Finals series they competed in, and won the Finals MVP award each time. Particularly memorable were the 1993 Finals, which became an offensive showdown between Jordan and regular-season MVP (and close friend) Charles Barkley.

Game 3 of the 1993 Finals is widely considered one of the greatest basketball games ever played. The Bulls attempted to go up 3–0 in the series, but the Suns were not willing to seal their own fate. With neither side quitting, the game took three overtimes to decide, with the Suns finally prevailing 129–121. However, the Bulls would clinch the series in Game 6 at Phoenix on John Paxson's clutch 3 to become only the third team in history to three-peat.

The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, won the 1994 and 1995 NBA title. Olajuwon dominated the game during those two seasons, becoming the only player in history to win the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in the same season (1993–94). The seven-game NBA Finals between the Rockets and Knicks in 1994 would be the last to reach a game seven until the 2005 series between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. It was also the only year that both NBA and NHL finals would go 7 games, but also involve teams from one city. The Rockets' win in Game 7 denied New York from having both NBA and NHL titles in the same year, as the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup during the series.

The Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the 1995 Finals, Olajuwon again claiming honors as Finals MVP. The Rockets thus became only the fifth franchise to win back-to-back titles.

After a short stint as a baseball player, Jordan decided to return to basketball in late of the 1994–95 season (March 17). Although he failed to lead the Bulls to the Finals in that year, he returned to pre-retirement form the next year while the team acquired Dennis Rodman, leading the Bulls to one of the most memorable seasons ever. The 1996 Bulls finished the regular season with a record of 72–10, the best regular season record in NBA history. They dominated in the playoffs, with series records of 3–0, 4–1 and 4–0, and then went on to defeat Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics in 6 in the NBA Finals.

In 1997 and 1998, the Bulls met the Utah Jazz. Led by Olympians John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Jazz were defeated in both Finals by the Bulls in six games. In both series, Chicago won by hitting winning shots in the sixth and deciding game-the first by Steve Kerr in 1997 in Chicago and the second by Jordan in Utah in 1998. Although Jordan, Pippen and coach Phil Jackson were the only three members involved in all 6 titles, the Bulls dynasty had a cast of characters that proved to be decisive in obtaining them. Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, B.J. Armstrong and other supporting cast members were pieces added to the puzzle to create the first three-peat. Of the second, little-known players such as Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Ron Harper and Luc Longley were key factors who rarely produced an astounding amount of points, but proved crucial via setting picks, rebounding, creating turnovers, etc. Before the beginning of the 1999 season, Phil Jackson decided to retire, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in most of the team, including Jordan and Pippen, leaving the Bulls. With no foundation of youth to build upon, the Bulls would be lottery-bound for the next 6 years.

1999–Present: Lakers/Spurs Dominance[link]

The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

The San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers have combined to win the last 13 Western Conference titles and ten NBA Championships during this period.

In the 1999 NBA Finals Championship the San Antonio Spurs dominated the playoffs and finished with a 15–2 post-season mark, including sweeps of the Portland Trail Blazers and Lakers. With a defensive squad led by big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan, San Antonio's 84.7 points allowed per game was the fewest average points allowed in the post-season in the last 30 years.^{[citation needed]} In the 1999 NBA Finals that year, the Spurs held the New York Knicks, the first #8 seed team to reach the finals in NBA History, to an average of 79.8 points per game.

From 2000–2002, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won the NBA Finals in dominating performances. O'Neal won the finals MVP all three times. The first championship came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, whom the Lakers defeated in 6 games. During their 2001 postseason run, the Lakers swept their first 3 series and won the Finals in 5 games, finishing with a unprecedented 15–1 record. They were particularly dominating in the 2002 Finals, as they kept the lead almost the entire time in each game; only for a short while after the beginning of Game 4 did the New Jersey Nets gain any significant lead in a game. The Lakers sweep of the Nets was the first sweep in the Finals since Houston swept Orlando in the 1995 Finals. However, the Lakers' streak of titles ended with a loss to the Spurs in the 2003 Conference Semifinals.

The 2003 NBA Finals marked the first championship contested between two former ABA teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets. The Spurs defeated the Nets and in 6 games. In the series clinching game, Tim Duncan was two blocks short of recording the first quadruple-double in NBA Finals history, finishing with 22 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks.

In the 2004 offseason, veteran stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone signed with the Lakers. Along with Bryant and O'Neal, they formed what many expected to be one of the best teams in NBA history. The Lakers were the clear favorites to win the NBA championship. However, the Detroit Pistons, under coach Larry Brown and led by defensive star Ben Wallace and offensive floor general Chauncey Billups, upset the Lakers in 5 to become the first Eastern Conference team since the 1998 Bulls to win the NBA championship.

The Spurs would go on to win two more titles in 2005 and 2007. In the 2005 series, the Spurs defeated the Pistons, in a battle of the previous two NBA champions, in seven games. Tim Duncan won his third Finals MVP award that year. The Spurs dominated the 2007 Finals, sweeping the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Tony Parker was named MVP of this series, becoming the first European-born player to win NBA Finals MVP.

Between these two Spurs' titles, the 2006 NBA Finals featured the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. It was the first NBA Finals since 1971 that had both Western and Eastern Conference champions making their first Finals appearance in franchise history. Led by upcoming star and Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, legendary coach Pat Riley and veteran superstar Shaquille O'Neal, most agree that the turning point of the series was in Game 3, when the Heat overcame a 13-point deficit with less than 6 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to win 98–96. The comeback was led by Dwyane Wade's 12 points in the final six minutes and a clutch outside jumpshot by once-perennial all-star Gary Payton, who was appearing in his third NBA finals.

In 2008, the Eastern Conference was represented by the revamped Boston Celtics, and the Western Conference by the Los Angeles Lakers. Renewing the teams' fierce rivalry of the 1980s, this marks the 11th time that these two teams have met in the Finals, the last such meeting happening in 1987. The Celtics were led by their "Big Three" superstars: Long-time Celtic and Finals MVP Paul Pierce, and first year Celtics Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

The Lakers would bounce back from their 2008 loss to win the title the in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 series was a re-match against the Celtics. The Lakers trailed this series 3-2 before winning the final two games at home. This marked the first time in the history of the Celtics franchise that they lost a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP for both series, and this marked head coach Phil Jackson's unprecedented 10th and 11th NBA title, passing Red Auerbach for the most NBA titles all time, and passing Auerbach and NHL coach Scotty Bowman for the most championships for a head coach in any major American sport.

The 2011 NBA Finals were a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, pitting the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks defeated the Heat in six games, winning the title for the first time in franchise history. Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP.

Finals appearances[link]

The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost.

Active franchises with no Finals appearances[link]

Appearances by former NBA teams[link]

The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost.

Most common matchups[link]

• 12 times: Boston Celtics (9) vs. Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (3)
• 6 times: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (5) vs. Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1)
• 5 times: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. New York Knicks (2)
• 4 times: Boston Celtics (3) vs. St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks
• 3 times: Detroit Pistons (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1)
• 2 times: Seattle SuperSonics (1) vs. Washington Bullets/Wizards (1)
• 2 times: Boston Celtics (2) vs. Houston Rockets (0)
• 2 times: Chicago Bulls (2) vs. Utah Jazz (0)
• 2 times: Miami Heat (1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (1)

Individual games records[link]

See also[link]

• List of NBA players with most championships
• List of NBA champions

References[link]

External links[link]

• NBA Finals: All-Time Champions
• The Historical Records Section of the NBA official site
• The Greatest Game Ever (Game 5, 1976 Finals)
• NBA.com: Greatest Finals Moments