Don't forget about losing Scott Wedman very early in this season, also. In my opinion, he is the unsung hero for the Celtics, between 84-86. He could fill in for McHale, Bird, and Ainge, and was the perfect Celtic. After 86, Walton was fool's gold for the Celtics. They should've been proactive after the 86 season, to trade for, or sign a legit back-up big man. There was just no way Walton was going to play 80 games again, nor do I believe he wanted to. He got his championship in year one, and he was good with that. Even Bird said, many years later, "Bill was healthy when Bill wanted to be healthy". To be honest, I think we had a better chance to win the title in 1988, than 87. We were deeper in 88, had a better overall bench, and played better on the road. We were God awful on the road in the second half in 87, started by that gag job in The Forum, after the All-Star Break, blowing a 17 point lead to the Lakers. After that, we simply didn't show up on the road, and relied way too much on home court advantage. Plus, 87 was just the Lakers year, just like 86 was our year. But, losing Wedman was massive, and historically understated.
@susanstamboulian646 Wedman was a high scoring star with Kansas City a few years earlier. It was not a major market so his accomplishments went under the radar. But he was an all star caliber player if he would have been on another team
The one in 86 was absolutely epic! Boston only lost 1 home game all year, but the Sixers were up by about 14 at one point, but the Celtics fought back and won a close and thrilling game. Walton played his best game as a Celtic in that particular game. There were future Hall of Famers all over the court. The entire game is on TH-cam, you should check it out! The NBA on CBS was the greatest!
Thank you SO much for these mid 80s Celtics games. There's nothing I love watching more. The NBA on CBS was the greatest, especially those openings. I hated it when they changed to NBC, when it just became a 24/7/365 Michael Jordan love fest, brought to you by Ahmad Rashad. 🤮🤢🤮🤢
Even if healthy I don't think Jeff Ruland was as good as Moses Malone Larry Bird was absolutely right when he said that without Moses Philadelphia 76ers didn't scare him
McHale should have won MVP that year (the guy got very little respect); especially when you figure he played the last third of the season, and the playoffs, with a broken foot!
This Celtics team was much better than the overrated 86 team, probably the worst team to ever win the title. If not for major injuries to Wedman and Walton, and the death of Len Bias, this team could have won 75 games, easily. Red Auerbach, really screwed the pooch, by not going out and getting a legit back up center, knowing full well, the odds of Walton being healthy 2 straight years, would be equivalent to a homely woman, like Nicole Kidman, winning Miss Universe for two straight years. I always thought someone like Jack Sikma, would be a great backup to Robert Parish. Greg Kite was a disaster. The golfer, Tom Kite, could've played just as well in the same role.
Me either. That was the best team ever. Out of all the games played in the playoffs of '86. The CELTS only lost three (3). ........ 0ne in Atlanta to the HAWKS and 2 in HOUSTON to the R0CKETS. Everyone else they SWEPT. How were they UNDERRATED 😮😢?????
Me either. That was the best team ever. Out of all the games played in the playoffs of '86. The CELTS only lost three (3). ........ 0ne in Atlanta to the HAWKS and 2 in HOUSTON to the R0CKETS. Everyone else they SWEPT. How were they UNDERRATED 😮😢?????
Live in denial all you want. Everybody knows the Celtics were decimated by injuries in 1987. The man won multiple titles and MVP'S. And did it against horrific racism. Bird is the goat.
Give me a fucking break..Doctor was on his last legs and the old guard of the 76ers, guys like Bobby Jones, who retired prior to this season, Andrew Toney (who was still playing but he himself was also "decimated" by injuries by '86-87) key role players like Clint Richardson, Clemon Johnson, etc were gone..and of course, the ugly divorce they had with Mo Malone, made for a rather large mismatch in a once glorious rivalry.
by the time they played in the finals they had many problems with injuries , many more problems then the lakers had during that year towards the end. from what I remember they were almost swept the year before and didn't make it to the finals.
The Celtics had McHale playing with fracture in his foot. He was 1987 1st All NBA and also 1st defensive All NBA and 4th in MVP voting prior to that injury. So that was a big setback. Bill Walton (1986 6th man of the year) was injured, and when he tried to play was a shell of himself. Scott Wedman was out - injured. Their bench and their key starter were hurt. Adn 2nd overall pick Len Bias never played a game because he died. So Bird averaged 40.6 min a game in the regular season and 44.1 in the playoffs. Eastern Conference had 3 other teams, besides Celtics, with 50+ victories, the Western had only 1 besides the Lakers. The East was a tougher conference. So yes, after two 7 game series in the EC, the hurt and tired Celtics still took Lakers to 6 games. You should study more and consider the context better, instead of liking your own comment and posting emojis.
@@elroz1675 doesn't matter because no one was beating the Lakers that year healthy or not. Just like 85 the Lakers would've won. This was the best Lakers team of the decade and they were on a mission to redeem themselves
@@JonathanEvans1977 well, that's not certain, since a seriously banged up Celtics team took them to 6 games. We're talking McHale that year - 1st all nba, 1st all D, and 4th in mvp voting playing with a fracture in his foot (so that's AT LEAST a 1987 James Worthy playing with a fractured foot in the playoffs). 6th man of the year Walton on the bench (so take Mychal Thompson off the squad), and also Scott Wedman who was usually one of their 3 guys off the bench in 1986 along with Walton). I think for the Lakers to win it would need to go 7. But a healthy Celtics would probably have played fewer playoff games in the East vs the Bucks and Pistons and of course had a better bench and starters than they did.
Barkley was not the best player of all times but it was spectacular to watch him play. He was only on a tiny step under Magic, Bird and Jordan.
CBS the 🐐 80's basketball 🏀
42:29 To this day Connor Henry still must tell everyone he can about dunking on Barkley in 1987. I would.
This game was played prior to Super Bowl XXI, also aired by CBS, between the Giants and Broncos
Super Bowl 21 also available on TH-cam now
It was the middle event of the day. They actually had a college basketball game before this.
@@paulsonj72DePaul/Georgetown
This game went my way. The Super Bowl did NOT! 😪
Losing Walton was a huge blow to the team. Could have won the title again if he'd been in there.
Don't forget about losing Scott Wedman very early in this season, also. In my opinion, he is the unsung hero for the Celtics, between 84-86. He could fill in for McHale, Bird, and Ainge, and was the perfect Celtic. After 86, Walton was fool's gold for the Celtics. They should've been proactive after the 86 season, to trade for, or sign a legit back-up big man. There was just no way Walton was going to play 80 games again, nor do I believe he wanted to. He got his championship in year one, and he was good with that. Even Bird said, many years later, "Bill was healthy when Bill wanted to be healthy".
To be honest, I think we had a better chance to win the title in 1988, than 87. We were deeper in 88, had a better overall bench, and played better on the road. We were God awful on the road in the second half in 87, started by that gag job in The Forum, after the All-Star Break, blowing a 17 point lead to the Lakers. After that, we simply didn't show up on the road, and relied way too much on home court advantage. Plus, 87 was just the Lakers year, just like 86 was our year. But, losing Wedman was massive, and historically understated.
@susanstamboulian646 Wedman was a high scoring star with Kansas City a few years earlier. It was not a major market so his accomplishments went under the radar. But he was an all star caliber player if he would have been on another team
That front line combo of McHale and Parrish was so dominant in 87, they both had really great seasons that year.
That pass by Doc at :51 is bonkers 😮
Joe Crawford and Dick Bavetta, a dynamic referee duo!
@@changkwangoh my wife still loves Dick
Thank you!
I will NEVER understand how the 76ers let Moses go.
Barkley falling on Bird really took him out of this game. Bird had 9 points in the 1st quarter but only finished with 17 for the game.
The third of four consecutive Super Bowl Sunday matchups between these two on CBS
The one in 86 was absolutely epic! Boston only lost 1 home game all year, but the Sixers were up by about 14 at one point, but the Celtics fought back and won a close and thrilling game. Walton played his best game as a Celtic in that particular game. There were future Hall of Famers all over the court. The entire game is on TH-cam, you should check it out! The NBA on CBS was the greatest!
“Sit back and enjoy”.
42:25 Conner Henry dunk!
The big 3
Thank you SO much for these mid 80s Celtics games. There's nothing I love watching more. The NBA on CBS was the greatest, especially those openings. I hated it when they changed to NBC, when it just became a 24/7/365 Michael Jordan love fest, brought to you by Ahmad Rashad. 🤮🤢🤮🤢
Even if healthy I don't think Jeff Ruland was as good as Moses Malone Larry Bird was absolutely right when he said that without Moses Philadelphia 76ers didn't scare him
But the sixers did better against the Celtics this season than the previous year
9:57 Bird could throw a basketball like Vladimir Guerrero throwing a baseball.
McHale should have won MVP that year (the guy got very little respect); especially when you figure he played the last third of the season, and the playoffs, with a broken foot!
1:29:25 "FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
13:50 18:08 20:02 24:17 27:30 46:02 46:32
08:50 "OH SHIT!"
12:42 "FUCK!"
28:18
This Celtics team was much better than the overrated 86 team, probably the worst team to ever win the title. If not for major injuries to Wedman and Walton, and the death of Len Bias, this team could have won 75 games, easily. Red Auerbach, really screwed the pooch, by not going out and getting a legit back up center, knowing full well, the odds of Walton being healthy 2 straight years, would be equivalent to a homely woman, like Nicole Kidman, winning Miss Universe for two straight years. I always thought someone like Jack Sikma, would be a great backup to Robert Parish. Greg Kite was a disaster. The golfer, Tom Kite, could've played just as well in the same role.
I'm reading your post and trying to figure out how the 86 Celtics are the most overrated team to ever win a title ? I'm not following?
Me either. That was the best team ever. Out of all the games played in the playoffs of '86. The CELTS only lost three (3). ........ 0ne in Atlanta to the HAWKS and 2 in HOUSTON to the R0CKETS. Everyone else they SWEPT. How were they UNDERRATED 😮😢?????
Me either. That was the best team ever. Out of all the games played in the playoffs of '86. The CELTS only lost three (3). ........ 0ne in Atlanta to the HAWKS and 2 in HOUSTON to the R0CKETS. Everyone else they SWEPT. How were they UNDERRATED 😮😢?????
Ainge was terrible in the Finals. Hardly scored
Bird pretty much owned julius erving at this point.
Bird never won an NBA title again at this point. According to your thinking he was owned by Magic and the Lakers
Live in denial all you want. Everybody knows the Celtics were decimated by injuries in 1987. The man won multiple titles and MVP'S. And did it against horrific racism. Bird is the goat.
Give me a fucking break..Doctor was on his last legs and the old guard of the 76ers, guys like Bobby Jones, who retired prior to this season, Andrew Toney (who was still playing but he himself was also "decimated" by injuries by '86-87) key role players like Clint Richardson, Clemon Johnson, etc were gone..and of course, the ugly divorce they had with Mo Malone, made for a rather large mismatch in a once glorious rivalry.
@@LuigiLaker If your going to cry come over and water my lawn.
Horrific racism? You talking about what Dennis Rodman said? I don’t know if I’d go as far as horrific with what bird had against him
The Lakers owned them both that season 😂😂😂😂
by the time they played in the finals they had many problems with injuries , many more problems then the lakers had during that year towards the end. from what I remember they were almost swept the year before and didn't make it to the finals.
The Celtics had McHale playing with fracture in his foot. He was 1987 1st All NBA and also 1st defensive All NBA and 4th in MVP voting prior to that injury. So that was a big setback. Bill Walton (1986 6th man of the year) was injured, and when he tried to play was a shell of himself. Scott Wedman was out - injured. Their bench and their key starter were hurt. Adn 2nd overall pick Len Bias never played a game because he died. So Bird averaged 40.6 min a game in the regular season and 44.1 in the playoffs. Eastern Conference had 3 other teams, besides Celtics, with 50+ victories, the Western had only 1 besides the Lakers. The East was a tougher conference. So yes, after two 7 game series in the EC, the hurt and tired Celtics still took Lakers to 6 games. You should study more and consider the context better, instead of liking your own comment and posting emojis.
@@elroz1675 doesn't matter because no one was beating the Lakers that year healthy or not. Just like 85 the Lakers would've won. This was the best Lakers team of the decade and they were on a mission to redeem themselves
@@JonathanEvans1977 well, that's not certain, since a seriously banged up Celtics team took them to 6 games. We're talking McHale that year - 1st all nba, 1st all D, and 4th in mvp voting playing with a fracture in his foot (so that's AT LEAST a 1987 James Worthy playing with a fractured foot in the playoffs). 6th man of the year Walton on the bench (so take Mychal Thompson off the squad), and also Scott Wedman who was usually one of their 3 guys off the bench in 1986 along with Walton). I think for the Lakers to win it would need to go 7. But a healthy Celtics would probably have played fewer playoff games in the East vs the Bucks and Pistons and of course had a better bench and starters than they did.
Len bias