Historic NBA at SOM

Two Forthcoming Seasons Mark a Milestone in Gaming

 

By Glenn Guzzo

 

            Gamers who order Version 5 of the computer basketball game will also have a shot at a historical milestone. If they also order the 1981-82 and 1987-88 National Basketball Association seasons, they will have the opportunity to play every NBA season from 1980-81 to the present.

 

            With these two latest historic seasons, Strat-O-Matic Computer Basketball now can play every NBA season since the game company began making basketball cards in the current card format.

 

            Like most other 20th Century seasons, this year’s historic seasons are supplemental purchases (Version 5 comes with the 2006-07 season and is needed to play 1981-82 and 1987-88).

 

This time, gamers will get to fill in the blanks of the teams that made the Los Angeles Lakers the NBA team of the 1980s. The decade is also remembered for the intense rivalry between LA and the Boston Celtics (with guest appearances by the Philadelphia 76ers). Indeed, 1981-82 features a 63-win Celtics team and 1987-88 showcases a 62-win Lakers team.

 

1981-82 Season

 

            With rookie coach Pat Riley and point guard Magic Johnson, Los Angeles introduced “Showtime” to the NBA. With Johnson averaging nearly a triple-double (18.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 9.5 apg) plus a league-best 2.7 steals per game, the Lakers raced to nearly 115 points a game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23.9 ppg) was fifth in scoring, fourth in field-goal percentage and third in blocks. F Jamaal Wilkes added 21 ppg, while G Norm Nixon scored 17.6 and averaged 8 assists.

 

            All that and the Lakers were a distant second in scoring as Doug Moe’s reckless Denver Nuggets played at high altitude home and away. Alex English (25.4 ppg), Dan Issel (22.9) and Kiki Vandeweghe (21.5) formed a formidable front line provided most of the offense – an NBA-record 126.5 points per game. The Nuggets were 46-36 and a playoff team with a defensive philosophy that seemed to say, “As soon as the other team scores, we get the ball back.” The Nuggets also set an NBA record by allowing 126.0 points per game.

 

            Not only that, but the Lakers’ 57 wins were only the third best. The Celtics won 63, led, of course, by Larry Bird (22.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 5.8 apg), Robert Parish (19.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and four other double-figure scorers. The Celtics led the NBA in scoring differential (+6.4 ppg) rebound differential (+302) and blocked-shot differential (+201). That’s dominance.

 

            The Celtics had to be that good to be just five games better than the second place team in its division, 58-win Philadelphia, where Julius Erving soared with 24.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg.

 

            The Lakers, for that matter, were only five games better than division rival Seattle, which achieved 52 wins with PG Gus Williams (23.4 ppg, 6.9 apg) and C Jack Sikma (19.5 ppg, 12.7 rpg).

 

            We haven’t even mentioned the league’s top scorers yet. George Gervin averaged 32.3 to help San Antonio to a division title. Houston’s Moses Malone scored 31.1 and led the league with 14.7 rpg while winning the MVP award. And Utah’s Adrian Dantley averaged 30.3 ppg.

 

            Elsewhere:

n                          Milwaukee won 55 with G Sidney Moncrief (19.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 4.8 apg – all team bests) and F Marques Johnson leading a balanced group of determined scorers and rebounders.

n                          Rookie of the Year Buck Williams (15.5 ppg, 12.3 rpg, .582 FG%) elevated New Jersey to a 44-38 record and a remarkable rookie class that included Detroit’s Isiah Thomas (17 ppg, 7.8 apg) and Kelly Tripucka (21.6 ppg), Dallas’ Mark Aguirre (18.7 ppg) and Rolando Blackman, San Diego’s Tom Chambers (17.2 ppg), Boston’s Danny Ainge and Phoenix’ Larry Nance.

n                          Chicago’s Artis Gilmore led the NBA with a .652 field-goal percentage, was third in blocked shots and added 18.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg.

 

In the end, the Celtics lost Game 7 at home to Philadelphia in the semi-finals of the playoffs. After sweeping Phoenix and San Antonio, the Lakers needed six games to dispose of Philadelphia. Playoff MVP Magic Johnson averaged more than 17 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in 14 games.

 

 

1987-88 Season

 

            The Lakers were best in both regulation and the playoffs this time. An awe-inspiring 38-4 run starting in December resulted in Los Angeles’ dominant 62-20 season record. But the Lakers needed to win Game 7 three consecutive playoff series, including the finals against a Detroit Pistons team on the verge of its own mini-dynasty.

 

            Still, the Lakers made this an especially historic season. LA was the first team to repeat as NBA champs since 1969 (Detroit would win the next two titles in 1989 and 1990). No team had ever won three straight seven-game playoff series in a single season. The championship gave LA five for the decade. And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his final title.

 

            In the regular season, Magic Johnson displayed his usual brilliance (19.6 ppg, 11.9 apg, 6.2 rpg), Byron Scott emerged as a star, leading LA with 21 ppg and playoff MVP James Worthy averaged 19.7 ppg for the regular season.

 

            The Lakers needed such dominance in a season with many contenders.

           

            Boston won 57 with the dominant front line of Larry Bird (29.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg), Robert Parish (22.6 and 8.4) and Kevin McHale (14.3 and 8.5).

 

            Detroit (Isiah Thomas, Adrian Dantley, Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars) won 54 and a division with two other 50-win teams – Chicago with MVP Michael Jordan (the runaway scoring leader with 35 ppg) and Atlanta with Dominique Wilkins (30.7 ppg). This was Jordan’s first MVP award and second scoring title.

 

            Denver with Alex English (25 ppg) won 54 to edge 53-win division foe Dallas, which had 25-point man Mark Aguirre, plus Rolando Blackman and Sam Perkins.

 

            Portland’s Clyde Drexler (27 ppg), Kiki Vandeweghe and Terry Porter won 53, but had the misfortune of playing in LA’s division.

 

            Elsewhere:

n                          Double threats: Philadelphia’s Charles Barkley (28.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg), Utah’s Karl Malone (27.7 ppg, 12 rpg) and Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon (22.8 ppg, 12.1 rpg).

n                          Detroit became the first NBA team to achieve 1 million in fan attendance.

n                          Washington’s Tyrone Bogues became the smallest NBA player ever. The 5-foot-3 point guard averaged 20.6 minutes in 79 games and led the Bullets both in assists (5.1 apg) and steals (127).