Boston Celtics at LA Lakers - 2/15/1987

[@patrickbelvin7625]

Love that opening music. Bring it back. Ain't nothing wrong with old-school

[@ciscoflores5512]

The greatest openings for sports. The Goat CBS basketball

[@susanstamboulian646]

100% true. I have SO many of those openings, mostly Celtics games, on old VHS tapes. Brent Mussberger's were the best!

[@Oobaglunk]

Truth!

[@Gmen4life]

Yeah bro great times NBC sports NBA opening was great also

[@paulburgos8364]

Tenenenent tent tenent tent ten Tenenen ten ten teten ten. Tenenent ten tenen tent tenenen 😁😁I miss this. CBS #1 ❤

[@susanstamboulian646]

@@Gmen4life I thought it was pretty cool too, until I found out John Tesh invented the music. He's such a wuss.

[@susanstamboulian646]

I've been a Boston Celtics fan, since the arrival of Larry Bird. I followed the 80s so closely, I was able to name all 12 players on every roster in the NBA, the only person at my High School, to be able to do that. At the time, I was also able to name off all 24 players, of each Major League Baseball roster, and name every single AAA, AA, and A player for my favorite team, the New York Yankees. So, I know my Celtics' history very well, and especially the 80s Celtics. I will tell you, with 100% certainty, that the 2nd half of this particular game, marked the beginning of the end, for the 80s Celtics dynasty. After losing a big lead in this game, in the 2nd half, Boston simply stopped beating over .500 teams, on the road. Larry Bird made sure they brought their pride to any and all games in the old Boston Garden. If the Celtics lost a home game, it was huge news. They even played well in those absolutely bogus "home games" in the Hartford Civic Center, 3 per season. But, playing on the road, after this loss to LA, became a true struggle for the Boston Celtics. Even against far lesser teams, they struggled on the road. In the 87 playoffs, we amazingly won a road game, in The Mecca, the home of the Milwaukee Bucks, a very good and deep team, to go up 3-1, but shockingly, they lost game 5 back in Boston Garden, and of course Game 6, back in The Mecca. The Bucks, led by Jack Sikma, and Sidney Moncrief, were up by 10, with about 5-6 minutes remaining in Boston Garden, in Game 7, when Larry Bird came alive, and brought the Celtics back to win the game. Possibly 119-113 if memory serves correct. Then Bird stole the ball in Game 5 to preserve home court in the Detroit series in the ECF, and won a razor close Game 7, to move to the NBA Finals, against the greatest Lakers team of all-time, winning 2 of 3 in Boston, the only loss was by 1 point. But, in both the Pistons and Lakers series, Boston got absolutely torched in both the Silverdome, and the LA Forum. The 87-88 season saw little change away from home, and the 88-89 season was an unmitigated disaster on the road, with the Celtics not beating one single team above .500 the entire season, on the road, when Bird missed all but 6 games of the season, with double heel surgery. From the very early 90s, to until Bird retired, there would be a big turnaround on the road, with a nice mixture of vets like Bird, McHale, Parish, Bagley, and Joe Kleine, with young and athletic players, like Brian Shaw, Reggie Lewis, Kelvin Upshaw, Kevin Gamble, Ed Pinckney, Rick Fox, Dee Brown, Sherman Douglas, and Michael Smith. Many of these young guys, wouldn't have gotten any playing time, whatsoever, had KC Jones still been Head Coach. He just did NOT like playing young guys, and I doubt Reggie Lewis would have ever blossomed into a superstar, had KC stayed on. Chris Ford was simply a better Head Coach, and as a result of trusting his young players more often, they became a much better road team. Had Reggie Lewis, Lenny Bias, Brian Shaw, Kevin Gamble, and a decent center, played together in the 90s, I have little doubt that we would have won at least 1--2 Titles together. We were truly deprived of a good and exciting team. Sorry for the long post, guys, I'm just a lonely woman, having fun thinking about the past, and reliving a much funner and simpler time of my life. I'm just really depressed lately, and my security blanket is the 1980s, especially basketball, baseball, Mike Tyson fights, and Miami Hurricanes football, with all the awesome QBS, and three awesome coaches, my favorite being Jimmy Johnson. If you read my entire post, thank you so much. I was REALLY down tonight, and writing about all my memories sure helped me out. Thank you! ♥-- Susan

[@jamesdowsett-cooper5347]

Lakers fan here, thank you for the history lesson, I very much enjoyed reading it! Very cool insight, I wasn't alive when this game occurred haha. Keep watching those games to cheer ya up!

[@stevenasaavedra]

I would like to hear your take on the Catholics vs Convicts Classic.

[@Mrd9960]

I remember one home game that they lost, it was ridiculous, they had a 30 point lead at home, 30 point! And lost it, to the 76ers, I think it was April 1988, it's one of those games that they got too relaxed and it bit them in the ass at the end.

[@susanstamboulian646]

@@stevenasaavedra Wow, you picked a great one for me. As a Miami Hurricane fan, I hate Notre Dame even more than I hate Florida State. I found it very hypocritical that the most luke warm believers of a Christian denomination, who have priests molesting young boys all over the place, would have the nerve to put ANYBODY down. Notre Dame was still whining about the 58-7 ass kicking we gave them in the Orange Bowl, a few seasons prior. Well, the blind squirrel found a nut for once, and beat Miami by a single point in 1988, when Jimmy Johnson, my favorite coach of any sport, of all-time, bravely decided to go for 2 at the very end, instead of kicking the extra point. That was the Canes only loss that season, and Notre Dame went on to win the National Championship, even though the entire world knew Miami was a superior team. Instantly, my mind focused on the 1989 game, which would be in the famous Orange Bowl, where Miami went on to have a decade long, 58 game home win streak. All I could think about for an entire year, is demolishing the Crying Irish. Then the horrible news came down, that Jimmy Johnson was leaving for Dallas. I was heartbroken. But, they got a great replacement with Dennis Erickson. By the time of the Notre Dame game, we had lost a game, I think to Florida State, but not 100% sure. We were ranked 7th and Notre Dame was #1 and had won over 20 games in a row. The crowd wound up being the largest in Orange Bowl history, with over 81,000 in attendance. We jumped out to a 10-0 lead, and somewhere in the 2nd quarter, Miami converted on a 3rd and 57! Craig Erickson (no relation to Dennis) had a cannon for an arm, and was able to complete the incredible pass. The one thing I remember more than most, was Erickson getting picked off, and returned for a touchdown, to tie the score at 10. That is probably the most angry I've ever been in my life, and I remember getting a sharp pain down my left shoulder and arm, and my heart tightened up big time. I had to relax, because I was so close to a heart attack. Miami got a late pick of their own late in the 2nd, by Bernard "Tiger" Clark, and he nearly ran it back for a pick six. A few plays later, Erickson threw a TD pass to put Miami up 17-10, and never looked back. We won 27-10, and although I was happy to ruin Notre Dame's season, all I could think about, is how much worse the beating it would've been had Jimmy Johnson still was coaching the Hurricanes. He despised Notre Dame, and in his final meeting with the team before departing to Dallas, his last words to his players were "Beat Notre Dame". The Canes went on to beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to win the National Championship. It was truly the most satisfying championship for one of my favorite sports teams ever, mostly because they beat those A-Holes from South Bend, and prevented them from repeating as National Champions. Other than those details about that game, I have very little memory of it. lol

[@susanstamboulian646]

@@Mrd9960 That sounds familiar. Kind of like losing that 22 point lead to Cleveland the other night, that I'm still seething about.

[@hollywoocdg]

The lead in and the theme song was so amazing

[@tedfordhyde]

The broadcast crew of Stockton and Heinsen is total professionalism. Great interaction between the two and great accuracy in their play-by-play calls. It is ridiculously better than what we have nowadays.

[@bobbenbrown123]

By a landslide. Absolutely LOVED their commentary together. They were like the John Madden/ Pat Summerall combo of football and like the Gorilla Monsoon/ Bobby Heenan combo of WWF wrestling

[@oguzhanylmaz7334]

1000 times better than today's freak shows.

[@Kevo1993]

Absolutely!!!!

[@richardlacey4923]

Now it’s flakes and blm

[@Jack-nt1mz]

Yes!

[@NotLazySelectivelyMotivated]

The greatest basketball rivalry in NBA history.

[@cooper482011]

Hands down!

[@Trancymind]

This game is so exciting to watch and it is only a regular season game. What an intensity game.

[@cooper482011]

I agree

[@BDQ1975]

Dammm, I remember watching this game as a 11 Year Old, on that Sunday afternoon back in February 1987. I knew when LA won this game, they would win the title.

[@adamNDkipker]

1976 here I remember also

[@Dripking1159]

July 75. 11 years old too. Great memories…..

[@John-w2w2q]

March 70. This game was played a little more than a month before my 17th birthday. I turn 54 on the 21.

[@artistamisto]

In the post-game McHale said "The last time I looked, it didn't matter who wins the February championship. It's who wins the June championship that counts." The Lakers then proceeded to win the "June championship"... over the Celtics. Which counted. That was Boston's last gasp at anything close to a title! FTW!!!! 🤣

[@acornsucks2111]

Boston had injuries, and no bench to speak of.

[@Schloch83]

As a Lakers fan, i will thank the Celtics franchise, for this great rivalry. Hope to see both team in the finals one day

[@frankjones3198]

Celtics fan here and I feel the same way about the lakers

[@ariesmike26]

Best coverage of the NBA, NBC and CBS, it would be great if both networks shared coverage.

[@user619tlsdca5]

God, remembering back watching this game being one of millions in US all into Basketball of serious fad of the era of watching and playing. Today, those millions like me no longer even watching NBA Games due to the rule changes from being traditional American rules of Man on Man to the ever growing Intl based rules of today's NBA. The game today is of an international craze due to their homegrown players succeeding in their NBA. The gameis just not appealing to watch anymore for US of the game being boring of stand around Defenses ( rare for team to play man over zone today, few teams try ) of many jump shots and not enough exposed matchups of certain players manning up the other ( tense vibe of watching these matchups ) But this game brings me back, ON HOW WE WERE SO INTO THE GAME OF THE MANY PLAYERS WE WATCH OF BEING COMPETETIVE FOR THE MATCHUPS OF PLAYERS FROM START TO FINISH.

[@jikan-tabi-1888]

Bird v Magic. Lakers, Celtics, Pistons. And a young MJ. Fabulous 80s nba.

[@artistamisto]

Great game. Lakers showtime FTW! I remember watching this back in the day and cheering like crazy. Lakers 80's dynasty allowed some legendary big men to finally get rings. In 1980 it was Jim Chones and Spencer Haywood, though the latter had mistakenly chosen drugs. 1982 and 1985 it was Bob McAdoo, the ex-scoring champ with the funky jump shot. They came within 1 dirty Rambis takedown to get big man Swen Nater a ring in 1984. Boston won the ex-Blazer FA pickups in 1986 when they got Bill Walton and Lakers got Maurice Lucas. Then the Lakers got Mychal Thompson 2 rings during the back-to-back titles. In the post game an exasperated Bird said "If San Antonio needed money, we would've sent them money. But to go and help the Lakers like that is just terrible." Good times. Showtime!!! 🏀🏆

[@markdeviney7307]

Need more games from 80s , even late 70s if you have them. Great quality video here also

[@edwardstokes4209]

Loved CBS intro Best ever

[@Rico-ow3ys]

Great memories. Miss the 80's. They need a documentary on the NBA in the 80's.

[@Joseph-np7fw]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqqqi2CFprF7mJosi=v1jkapuGqkz3431n

[@AmeliaScarehart]

Love These Classic Games ... Especially between these two Goliath's

[@Raymond-zi7tp]

One of the worst thing to happen to the nba was when they went to espn.

[@butchcoolidge4448]

I think people tend to forget just how great and impactful Magic Johnson was.

[@arsenioseslpodcast3143]

Man could barely dribble. And he’s overrated. Look at Bird?! I’m amazed people even think bird is better than lebron. You call this basketball? Lmfao!

[@Trancymind]

@@arsenioseslpodcast3143Bird played with a broken knuckle on his dominant shooting hand throughout most of his NBA career and had a healthy back from 1980-1984. Despite these injuries, he was the best basketball player on the planet during the early to mid 80's. Just imagine if he didn't have these injuries. Bird is way more mentally tougher than Lebron I can tell you that.

[@willshad]

@@arsenioseslpodcast3143 Barely dribble? He was the best passer in NBA history.

[@jayrodriguez9211]

@@arsenioseslpodcast3143😂😂😂 What Magic was doin with a basketball then is the equivalence of what you see Kyrie doing with one today difference between Magic and him is 4 rings and a billion dollars 🤷🏻‍♂️ and Bird averaged 24-10-6 for his career he’s literally one of the greatest to ever live 😂

[@comicbookninja5268]

Congrats to Laker great Michael Cooper for making it to the Hall of Fame. That's now 4 hall of famers on this Laker team.

[@GarryWilliams-k1g]

Ainge and Norm Nixon should be next in the Hall. They both provided needed for their Championships.

[@GarryWilliams-k1g]

needed help.

[@leroystover1062]

Hey DENNIS JOHNSON WE MISS U what a guard follow him when he was SEATTLE, NEW YORK ,PHEONIX,CELTICS😊❤

[@PizzaTime727]

This is the NBA rivalry I started with as a kid.

[@OneR003]

When the NBA was actually the NBA.. this is basketball. If this type of basketball was still being played like this today, there would be soo many flagrant calls, suspensions.. Showtime era.. Ive been a huge die hard Laker fan since Magic Johnson..

[@mikeyposs3132]

I guess you weren't around when the bad boy Pistons played nasty and dirty!

[@EphOph]

It’s still the NBA. Trademarks and copyright still on the books Find a way to breathe your last breath. Please.

[@gregpettis1113]

Did you see the travel violation they called on bird in the beginning. Today players can literally take 4 steps

[@OneR003]

Like I said, the game has changed soo much. Today you have these ticky-tack fouls and players complain..

[@goatrectum]

@@EphOph Well said!

[@mokwls1]

Get chills to the opening of the these old CBS games... Nothing better... Maybe NBC was close

[@timatkinson9291]

Watching this it almost felt live, had to catch myself. Great game, great rivalry.

[@lamontmelrose7640]

It's amazing just watching all of these hall of famers on the court at once...poetry in motion

[@bryanburnap4537]

This unfortunately was the day Celtics fans realized it wasn't 1986 anymore :(

[@MoveInSilence23]

You got the "At The Half" with it?! Hell yeah!! Go Lakers

[@Rob-157]

Back in the '80s everybody would watch the playoff games. You could hear people throughout the neighborhood reacting to almost every play. What a decade. Gotta love Mychal Thompson. Solid player and person

[@MIXPRO68]

man I was 18 years old watching this game.Great feelings seeing the CBS NBA opening and watching this classic rivalry.this is why ,in my opinion,present day basketball doesnt have the same great energy the way the NBA of the 80's(and 90's) had.

[@tthomaselli2]

I was born in early-1989. I miss hearing this old CBS theme & seeing these on-screen graphics. Heck, just hearing the intro in the background, for example makes me feel old...

[@rrrrrrtt1]

These were great games. It brought families together (surrounding a TV at the park while eating a picnic). Fun opening with a little information about the town and early basketball history. I also like TWIB and early MLB openings.

[@emmanuelwilliams6004]

This is Basketball at its best this is one reason why I (was) a Super Diehard NBA Basketball Fan I love this . Unfortunately It is very difficult for me to watch the NBA today I barely eve watch todays NBA on any level. I remember these days I would never miss a game today’s,NBA has taken several turns for the worst !!

[@mrmartywaring]

Although NBA on NBC was special & worthy, the NBA on CBS was it!! Growing up during this era was fun for any NBA fan

[@prof.michaelnetta6311]

NBA on NBC is synonymous with the bulls. CBS is lakers Celtics 80s basketball

[@jaydogtitan-ok3vw]

I remember this game well, 39 points for Magic, This was truly the golden era of the NBA, Celtics-Lakers in the 80s was beyond awesome.

[@tonymazz1721]

What a great game. This is how I remember those Celtic/Laker battles from the 80s.

[@mokwls1]

Mychal Thompson future daddy of one of the greatest shooters in NBA history... Splash brother klay... Greatness

[@emptyhand777]

6:00 TRAVELING called on BIRD! 7:02 TRAVELING called on MAGIC! I miss this era of the NBA, traveling called on the two biggest stars in the same game. The current NBA can't compete with this.

[@jaycarlos3559]

Sad part is I didn’t see a travel on either play

[@wolfwiles]

​@@jaycarlos3559I get the point he's making with the comment but neither one of them traveled lol

[@redpillfreedom6692]

​@@jaycarlos3559Neither play would be called traveling in today's game

[@jeffreylc]

The BEST basketball broadcasting duo ever!

[@richardlacey4923]

Dick Stockton hubie brown too

[@fiddleronthecube7835]

Refs used to call traveling. Today, the players take two, three, or four steps without being called for traveling. Bullshitball is what I call today's game.

[@cupchamp5]

They let Harden travel all over the court

[@joeshab123]

Such better basketball then what they put out today. They called a travel on Bird early on, then one on Magic soon after. Can you imagine, enforcing the rules? Even on the stars? And no constant whining after every call, unlike those crybabies today. And they don't just throw up a 3 every time downcourt, they actually post up, fast break, offensive rebound, shoot midrange shots. If only bball was still like this, damn.

[@redpillfreedom6692]

Kareem just barely kept that double-digit streak alive.

[@xxxxbigrich5752]

I was fortunate to go to game 6 of the finals in 1985 when the Lakers beat Boston at the garden. Incredible memories in Boston. I went to high school & college in Boston but I’m a yankee fan!

[@jwalk31]

Look at this. Just look at it. First, a game between the best of the east and west. Second, the most infamous rivalry in the NBA, and all of sports. And Third an introduction to one of the best pieces to the Lakers back to back championship. And these team battled in a regular season game, because it really meant something. They HATED each other. Winning was bragging rights. And it showed on the court. If only a quarter of the teams battled like this every game today, the league would look and be so much better. Oh and by the way, to all those people who say Magic was not a scorer.... This game shows why he is STILL better than Lebron and everyone in the NBA right now.

[@paulsonj72]

This broadcast followed th Daytona 500. For many yers CBS scheduled an NBA game to follow Daytona

[@johnmanier7968]

And it was usually Celtics-Lakers in LA. The Celtics typically took a long West Coast swing in mid-February, right after the All-Star Break.

[@paulsonj72]

@@johnmanier7968 From 1985-90 when CBS showed an NBA game after Daytona each year it was Celtics vs Lakers except in 1988 when it w as Pistons vs Lakers. They also showed Celtics vs Lakers in 1982. In 1982 they had both games between the teams which were played back to back Sunday’s. In 1979 and 1980 they had regional games and in 1981 and 1983 and 84 no NBA game followed Daytona.

[@danielnovosad3392]

Assistant Coach Bill Bertka will be 97 on August 8th! 🎉 🎂 🎈 🎁

[@JarvisYoung-wo4dl]

Karreem is still my favorite Laker of All times!

[@matteoromenghi]

La créme de la créme. The '80's, the best decade ever.

[@xeladouglas4495]

Wow so good! Those 80s lakers and celts would dominate now!

[@vickystokes8514]

Old school basketball the best in world. This game is the history books and im much more excited to c this than any game today. #alphamalesrthebest

[@moeball740]

Their mentioning Mychal Thompson coming in as Kareem's backup barely scratches the surface of his value. By Kevin McHale's own admission, when he was at U of Minnesota with Mychal, Kevin said that Mychal defended him better than anyone else in practices and really made McHale work for his points. The Lakers knew this and part of the reason they got Thompson was specifically to try to slow McHale down.

[@MichaelMurphy-kj3xf]

Interesting. It's funny that they didn't have time to stitch Thompson's name on the back of his shirt in time for this game

[@robfalter2522]

far superior to the nba today

[@matthewdunham1689]

Indeed, did you see the hit Anige took on that first quarter layup attempt? How many of today's super stars would lose their minds had that been them? 😂

[@alandenson6649]

Ball handling was emphasized.

[@frederickjefferson2289]

More fundamentally sound in those days. 3point shooting is much better but the midrange game is non-existent today along with the back to the basket game ( from what I have seen, I don't watch as much).

[@mattjones1378]

It is because players/teams hated each other. Today's nba, they are all pretty much friends and buddies.

[@TheLaf33]

The correct date is 02/15/1987. Thanks for the game.

[@John-w2w2q]

It was as played on a Sunday I believe.

[@openyaeyez]

Correction it was actually played on 2/15/1987

[@springfieldbearpatrol2937]

For most of this game the Celtics put on a clinic defensively. I've never seen a team so effectively shut down Kareem in the post like that. Looked to me like they were doubling then cutting off all the passing lanes. I say this as a Laker fan.

[@annonymous_hendik]

I was about to be 11 years old and I was watching this game. It was cloudy and drizzling in LA that day and I remember asking myself why is this new guy Mychal Thompson wearing 00 like Parish 😂😂

[@jzbass72]

Mychal Thompson’s first game as a Laker, which explains why he’s wearing 00 instead of his usual 43. We traded for him a couple of days earlier and he basically just ran through a few plays with Bill Bertka. He was the final piece of the puzzle that year and Bird knew it. Larry was very upset when he found out that the Spurs dealt Mychal to us.

[@mattbradford8227]

I was watching and all the games of the NBA Finals in June when I was only 12. The Celtics was my team but the Lakers was so fun to watch (not against Boston though) in the open court so many times. Magic's halfcourt ringer to end the third turned out to be the difference. Big time players make big time shots in big time games. Both had identical 37-12 records on this day. And it led to LA getting home court in the Finals. The Lakers only lost to Boston once in the 80's in the '84 season. And after that they owned Boston from 1985 on. I don't know if Boston could have beaten them if they got past the Rockets in the 1986 playoffs. This was when players not only deeply cared about all the games of the season but they played it with such fire, intensity and poise. Highlights worth watching over and over and over again. And I sure will be.

[@gilbetovidal9706]

CBS Sports !!!!! Um dos melhores canais de esportes !!!! Eu sou fã de esportes !!!!!

[@A1KX100]

MAGIC IS HIM!!!!!! 😂😂👏🏾👏🏾🐐

[@Oobaglunk]

Magic completely dominated Bird in this one..

[@williamguillen6684]

Tuvieron que pasar años para que Jordan dominará la NBA en los 80' no tenía oportunidad.

[@kik5323]

@@williamguillen6684unfortunately he didn’t have the teammates like Magic and Larry had. Nothing wrong with working your way to the top. The Lakers and C’s had tremendous supporting casts to go with both Magic and Larry.

[@williamguillen6684]

@@kik5323 estas muy claro -Los Laekers de final 91 no eran Showtime worty lesionado, no estaba Cooper ni Karin y Scott fallaba todo y entrenador nuevo. Y los fan de los Bulls dicen que los Laekers eran un gran equipo ese año. Se lo suficiente de baloncesto para afirmar que los Laekers de 87 le gana al a los bulls de 91.

[@cheater25ify]

Thanks , amazing quality friend

[@cryptohalloffame]

it's like a college game, lots of excitement

[@thepassportog]

McHale is so underrated

[@lasallebrown3310]

I was born this day 🎉grew up to be a Jordan and Kobe fan Iverson and TMac

[@LakerEB82]

It's also my dads birthday who has been a life long celtic fan. While I've been a laker fan lol I would have only been 4 on this day

[@lasallebrown3310]

@@LakerEB82 right on ! Honored to share the day with him.

[@thunderlightning1980]

NBA needs to return to CBS!

[@ronaldspikes5370]

I Agree

[@joseyeastwood]

The Tom Chambers interview at halftime was the perfect example of how far the all star game has fallen you could see how honored he was to play in the game in how he felt a lot of pressure to live up to being there in that he hoped to play in it again.

[@Coolmike19]

Also too you have so many HOF guys on this one court, this just give me goosebumps just watching this, you can't beat this era

[@damienkirksey7026]

The ad between Mark Jackson (St. John) Danny Manning (Kansas) were teammates in the NBA

[@LesterMoore]

Nothing compares to the NBA of the 60s, 80s and early 90s. Especially today's run and gun NBA.

[@DeepFreezz]

Greatest Game

[@jobymartinez9059]

To me, the peak of any sports era in US history was the NBA in 80's and 90''s. For about a 15 year stretch, it was must see TV. Baseball fans will chime in with their opinion and I'll admit the NFL is on a great streak, but unless you lived during those times its hard to understand how huge just the Bulls/Knicks playoffs were.

[@arsenioseslpodcast3143]

If you think this was good basketball….lmao. The offense, the dribbling. Lord. Overrated players from top to bottom. Absolutely disgusting.

[@jobymartinez9059]

I think it was great basketball and those overrated players somehow entertained the hell out of everyone. The NBA grew massively. If all the players were overrated top to bottom, where were all the badass players hiding at? They were afraid of the millions of dollars? @@arsenioseslpodcast3143

[@julianjunior8165]

Classic players for a classic teams.

[@briankleinschmidt3664]

I was 16. This was good basketball. I am 53 teams don't compete like that anymore. The Bird/Johnson rivalry started in college. There was a high concentration of talent in that period.

[@damienkirksey7026]

Just imagine if Len Bias alive

[@thsu8]

Celtics 3-peat easily from 1986-1988. Detroit gets them in 89.

[@dylanstyles8056]

​@@thsu8Lakers would have still taken the titles in '87 and '88

[@thsu8]

@@dylanstyles8056 Lol. Lakers barely beat 88 Pistons with Isiah on one leg. Detroit was better in 88.

[@dylanstyles8056]

@@thsu8Wait, you mean that same '88 Piston team that let LA go into their own gym and whip them in game 3 to take back control of that series? And you're going to make the Thomas injury as the excuse? Ok then, in '89 LA swept it's way to The Finals and then both Magic & Scott were out and were swept. But look closer. In every game even without those two it came down to the last couple minutes.. So clearly, if those two had been on the court they would have beaten Detroit that year because clearly they were the better team right? Too bad it doesn't work that way. Lakers steamrolled Boston in '87 and proceeded to repeat that next year.

[@thsu8]

@@dylanstyles8056 You mean the same 88 Pistons team that even after the stomach punch Game 6 loss came within a phantom Bill Laimbeer foul of winning that Dead Man Walking Game 7 at the Forum when Isiah played at about 25% health with a swollen ankle? You know the Pistons swept the two regular season meetings in the 89 season, right? There is zero chance Detroit loses the 89 Finals with or without Magic and Byron Scott. That was a payback series like the 2014 Spurs after the Ray Allen bailout sequence in 2013.

[@felixalbertoreyeshidalgo]

magic jhonson the best player in history

[@nohisocitutampoc2789]

First quart. They look like dance practicing a ball game. Magnificent

A era de ouro do basquete!

[@theroncalfee9160]

I miss these Lakers greats

[@LifesLessons100]

When basketball was basketball...

[@PJPSHELBY]

either of these teams would wipe the floor with any team in the NBA in the past two decades

[@destinypirate]

Look how expressive people are- shouting in sheer Joy in the stands. Cheerleaders look lighthearted and free spirited. Players are laid back and friendly. The times have changed...

[@Goat1229]

Whenever you heard this intro, you knew an epic game was in store!

[@richardmahfouz4392]

This Celtics team was one player short against the Lakers, and you would see it again when they played in the finals in that 86-87 season, that player for Boston would have been Len Bias had he not died.

[@comicbookninja5268]

Bill Walton was injured.

[@richardmahfouz4392]

@@comicbookninja5268 ...Yes he was, and no question that was a problem for Boston, but even if he wasn't, the acquisition of Mychael Thompson really helped L.A. in terms of being able to bring someone off the bench to give Kareem a rest, Walton provided that exact same thing for Robert Parrish, so yes Walton being able to play certainly would have helped, but the Lakers evened that out with Mychael Thompson. What the Celtics really needed was someone to come off the bench and provide reliable offense when Bird or McHale needed a rest, that guy would have been Len Bias...

[@comicbookninja5268]

@@richardmahfouz4392 the death of Len Bias was the beginning of a 20+ year championship drought for the Celtics that included some of the worst teams in franchise history. I remember how shocking his death was and put the franchise in a tail spin. Larry Bird never played in another Championship series after that year and his career ended with continuous injuries.

[@richardmahfouz4392]

@@comicbookninja5268 ....100% correct, if you remember there were many who referred to that era you're talking about as 'The curse of Len Bias'.....

[@matteoromenghi]

Showtime Lakers! ❤❤❤

[@gv0808]

As a former Celtics fan 80s was great as lakers fan always messed with me since I wore all Boston

[@leroystover1062]

Dick STOCKTON @TOMMY HIENSON LEGENDARY VOICES RIP TOMMY MR CELTIC HIENSON ❤😊 CBS SPORTS

[@eomyenom1]

Man June of 2024 and the Finals just ended. I had to take a look at this as it was the “golden age” of NBA and CBS was there at the helm.

[@pabwiz]

This is literally my favorite regular season game between the Celtics and Lakers

[@r3tr0actiongamer24]

Great Childhood memories unlocked

[@pedrovargas160]

Will never forget!!

[@joshuakline1435]

Dick Stockton nailed it with that intro.

[@bmasters1981]

Didn't expect Pat O'Brien (halftime host) reading the Prudential At The Half billboard-- usually that was the late Don Robertson's purview (any and all billboards for the sponsorship of game broadcasts, pregame shows and other studio or halftime shows).

[@laiztreintaidos6485]

Muchas Gracias!👍

[@joe3009]

Now this is real NBA basketball!

[@waltercasas3124]

That haltime show by Pat O'Brien was stuff of legend covering All-star weekend

[@Dshook24]

The lakers getting Thompson was the last piece they needed to win the title That year plus no bench and the foot injuries to Mchale , parish and bill Walton in the playoffs hurt the Celtics in the finals

[@LakerEB82]

It always amazes me that they used to not show the score of the game lol

[@edwardlee9312]

I Love this opening Theme everytime I hear this it reminds me of the 1987 Championship Series with Brent Musberger. I hate that they're playing this now for the college games. This should be Sacred like the Opening for ABC's Monday Night Football from Back in the day.

[@rdesi78]

In defense of today's NBA, this was a Must-See Matchup. If CBS showed Spurs-Bullets it wouldnt have been as great.