The NBA Time Machine: 1981

#	Team	Player
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	*Golden State Warriors* Utah Jazz Boston Celtics Chicago Bulls Denver Nuggets New Jersey Nets New Jersey Nets *Philadelphia 76ers* San Diego Clippers Portland Trail Blazers	*Joe Barry Carroll* Darrell Griffith Kevin McHale Kelvin Ransey James Ray Mike O’Koren Mike Gminski *Andrew Toney* Michael Brooks Ronnie Lester

Players

Date	Player	Team	Action	Destination	Stats
June 4, 1980	Paul Westphal	Phoenix Suns	Traded	Seattle SuperSonics	(21.9p/5.1a/1.5s)
June 4, 1980	Dennis Johnson	Seattle SuperSonics	Traded	Phoenix Suns	(19p/5.1r/4.1a)
August 28, 1980	Lloyd Free	San Diego Clippers	Traded	Golden State Warriors	(30.2p/3.5r/4.2a)

Other Personnel

Date	Person	Team	Action	Stats
May 20, 1980	Coach Paul Westhead	Los Angeles Lakers	Hired	Record: n/a
May 21, 1980	Coach Paul Silas	San Diego Clippers	Hired	Record: n/a
May 27, 1980	Coach Dick Motta	Washington Bullets	Resigned	Record: 39-43
May 27, 1980	Coach Gene Shue	Washington Bullets	Hired	Record: n/a
June 2, 1980	Coach Jack McKinney	Indiana Pacers	Hired	Record: n/a
June 5, 1980	Coach Scotty Robertson	Detroit Pistons	Hired	Record: n/a
June 11, 1980	Coach Bill Musselman	Cleveland Cavaliers	Hired	Record: n/a
July 16, 1980	Coach Dick Motta	Dallas Mavericks	Hired	*Record: n/a*
December 17, 1980	Coach Donnie Walsh	Denver Nuggets	Fired	Record: 11-20
December 17, 1980	Coach Doug Moe	Denver Nuggets	Appointed (Interim)	Record: 26-25
December 22, 1980	Coach Kevin Loughery	New Jersey Nets	Resigned	Record: 12-23
December 22, 1980	Coach Bob MacKinnon	New Jersey Nets	Appointed (Interim)	Record: 12-35
March 13, 1981	Coach Bill Musselman	Cleveland Cavaliers	Reassigned	Record: 25-46
March 13, 1981	Coach Don Delaney	Cleveland Cavaliers	Hired	Record: 3-8
*March 18, 1981*	Coach Larry Brown	New Jersey Nets	Hired	Record: n/a
March 26, 1981	Coach Hubie Brown	Atlanta Hawks	Fired	Record: 31-48
March 26, 1981	Coach Mike Fratello	Atlanta Hawks	Appointed (Interim)	Record: 0-3

Retirements

Player	Team(s)	Notable Accomplishments
Rick Barry	Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets	1x Champion 1x Finals MVP 6x All-NBA 8x All-Star 1x All-Star Game MVP 1966 Rookie of the Year 1966 All-Rookie Team 1x Scoring Leader 1x Steals Leader
Walt Frazier	New York Knicks Cleveland Cavaliers	2x Champion 6x All-NBA 7x All-Star 1x All-Star Game MVP 7x All-Defensive 1968 All-Rookie Team
Pete Maravich	Atlanta Hawks Utah Jazz Boston Celtics	4x All-NBA 5x All-Star 1971 All-Rookie Team 1x Scoring Leader
Earl Monroe	*Baltimore Bullets* New York Knicks	1x Champion 1x All-NBA 4x All-Star 1968 Rookie of the Year 1968 All-Rookie Team
Charlie Scott	Phoenix Suns Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers Denver Nuggets	1x Champion 3x All-Star
Paul Silas	Atlanta Hawks Phoenix Suns Boston Celtics Denver Nuggets Seattle SuperSonics	3x Champion 2x All-Star 5x All-Defensive

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)
3P% – three-point field goal percentage (percentage of three-point shots that hit)

Stat	Leaders
*PPG*	Adrian Dantley (30.6) Moses Malone (27.8) George Gervin (27.1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (26.2) David Thompson (25.5)
*RPG*	Moses Malone (14.8) Swen Nater (12.4) Larry Smith (12.1) Larry Bird (10.9) Jack Sikma (10.4)
*APG*	*Kevin Porter (9.1)* *Norm Nixon (8.8)* Phil Ford (8.8) *Micheal Ray Richardson (7.9)* *Tiny Archibald (7.7)*
*SPG*	*Magic Johnson (3.4)* *Micheal Ray Richardson (2.9)* Quinn Buckner (2.4) *Maurice Cheeks (2.4)* *Ray Williams (2.3)*
*BPG*	*George Johnson (3.4)* *Tree Rollins (2.9)* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2.9) *Robert Parish (2.6)* *Artis Gilmore (2.4)*
*FG%*	*Artis Gilmore (67%)* *Darryl Dawkins (60%)* *Cedric Maxwell (58%)* *Bernard King (58%)* *Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57%)*
*FT%*	Calvin Murphy (95%) Ricky Sobers (93%) Mike Newlin (88%) Jim Spanarkel (88%) Junior Bridgeman (88%)
3P%	Brian Taylor (38%) Freeman Williams (34%) Joe Hassett (34%) Mike Bratz (33%) Henry Bibby (33%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Chicago Bulls beat New York Knicks, 2-0

The guard-center tandem was predicted to be a significant selling point of this series. Reggie Theus vs. Micheal Ray Richardson, and Artis Gilmore vs. Bill Cartwright. This was also the first meeting between the two franchises, as Chicago was recently moved to the Eastern Conference.

An ugly scoring game was victorious for Chicago thanks to Ricky Sobers’ eighteen points off the bench. Cartwright seemed to be dealing with poor conditioning or a nagging injury, given his low minutes and usage. The New York center continued to struggle in Game 2, recording only nine points and five fouls in a one-point overtime loss. Conversely, Chicago’s Reggie Theus poured in thirty-seven points, eleven assists, and four steals to close out.

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Indiana Pacers, 2-0

In Indiana’s first playoff appearance, they were faced with the tall ask of usurping the defending Eastern Conference Champions. It also proposed an interesting narrative of George McGinnis facing his former team for the first time in the playoffs.

The Pacers had no counter to Julius Erving’s bag of tricks, enabling him to average twenty-seven points in two blowout wins for the 76ers. Rookie Andrew Toney also had a phenomenal performance in Game 1, delivering fifteen points and eleven assists off the bench. Simply put, there was an unbreakable talent gap at play.

West / Houston Rockets beat Los Angeles Lakers, 2-1

On paper, this was easy pickings for Los Angeles. They were a deep, star-studded team that had outperformed Houston in the regular season. The Rockets may have had two great players in Moses Malone and Calvin Murphy, but that did not remotely compare to the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and more.

Unfazed by predictions, Houston pulled off a shocking upset loss on the road in which Malone dropped thirty-eight points. His heavy lifting – alongside some productive Murphy minutes – was enough to ward off a Lakers team with six double digit scorers. Los Angeles fought back with a road win of their own despite a near-perfect Malone game, only to flatten in Game 3.

Abdul-Jabbar, despite his high scoring, was inefficient and turnover-prone – Magic Johnson also had a terrible night, scoring ten points on two-for-fourteen shooting. What makes matters even more absurd is that the Rockets were just as putrid offensively – their win was truly because of Los Angeles’ complacency.

This was the biggest upset the post-season had seen in quite some time, and immediately opened up the Western Conference race.

West / Kansas City Kings beat Portland Trail Blazers, 2-1

Competition was tense from the start, with Game 1 going to overtime and ending in a one-point Kansas City victory. Otis Birdsong’s twenty-nine points was the catalyst for success, giving the Kings a promising advantage.

The second match saw yet another overtime, in which the Blazers rode Mychal Thompson’s forty-point outing. Portland’s offense was much less explosive in the tiebreaker – it was only sophomore Billy Ray Bates with a performance to remember, while the Kings benefited from five double-digit scorers.

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Chicago Bulls, 4-0

During their Eastern Conference conquest, the Bulls were up against the juggernaut Celtics next. They were outmatched in terms of depth, but Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore entered the post-season with the right mentality to win.

Unfortunately, that bode out poorly for them. The Celtics demolished Chicago entirely, winning every match comfortably. They were simply too talented, and Larry Bird was unreal – he delivered a gaudy 24/17/10 stat-line in Game 3, and thirty-five points in the closing fourth match.

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3

Two sixty-win teams guaranteed a fierce matchup. The 76ers and Bucks immediately ran to a 2-2 series tie, largely led by franchise stars Julius Erving and Marques Johnson. The latter was particularly lethal, averaging twenty-eight points per game in this stretch.

Philadelphia dished out a convincing blowout win in Game 5, and things finally looked to be in their favor. However, Mickey Johnson and Bob Lanier rooted Milwaukee in further success to prolong their year.

Despite Marques, Lanier, and Sidney Moncrief combining for seventy-nine points in Game 7, they still fell short to the 76ers. Twenty-eight points from Erving and twenty-one from Bobby Jones solidified their fourth Conference Finals appearance in the last five seasons.

West / Houston Rockets beat San Antonio Spurs, 4-3

In back-to-back years, San Antonio had to face their inter-state rival to advance in the playoffs. They seemed much more advantaged this time, coming off a great regular season – however, this Rockets team was clearly resilient. They had just knocked out the defending champions in the first round, and had an intoxicating amount of control over games.

The first four games were split even, with Game 2 featuring an uncanny duel between Houston’s Calvin Murphy and the Spurs’ Mark Olberding. Moses Malone was the more inconsistent of superstars between him and George Gervin – however, his thirty-four points and thirteen rebounds gave the Rockets a 3-2 series lead. San Antonio fought back in spite of his heroics in Game 6, which set up a seventh match.

Murphy was the star of the show, dropping forty-two efficient points to uphold Houston. They had now pulled off consecutive upsets, and it was beginning to look like they could take on anybody.

West / Kansas City Kings beat Phoenix Suns, 4-3

Coming off the best season in franchise history, Phoenix seemed primed for an easy series win. Kansas City was a good defensive team with some solid pieces all-around, but lacked the personnel quality of their foes.

Phoenix won Game 1 convincingly, profiting from an injury to Otis Birdsong that immediately dampened the Kings’ chances. However, they proceeded to drop three straight matches in baffling fashion as they fell to a 3-1 deficit. It was now up to them to compile an improbable comeback, which they inched towards with back-to-back wins.

Game 7 was anybody’s to take – Kansas City had proven their ability to win, but were also playing on the road. They took advantage of the Suns’ lifeless offense, jumping to a twelve-point lead by the fourth quarter. Dennis Johnson attempted to will his teammates into a late-game comeback, but they had already tapped out. The Kings closed out the series without their best player, setting up an unpredictable Conference Finals featuring them and the Houston Rockets.

Conference Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-3

In a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the historic rivals were both looking to exploit a potentially weak Finals matchup. Both of the Western teams were sturdy, but flawed – this could be their greatest shot at a championship.

After splitting the first two meetings, the 76ers jumped to a 3-1 lead in preparation for another Finals appearance. However, Larry Bird had other ideas – in the face of defeat, he scored fifty-seven points over the next two matches to force Game 7.

This was the fourth Game 7 of this year’s post-season, and was expected to be a rigid slugfest that would come down to the wire. Both teams’ superstars delivered, with Bird and Julius Erving dropping twenty-three points each. Boston rallied in the late stages of the game, fueled by Bird’s jump shooting and tough defense from him, Cedric Maxwell, and Robert Parish. After Maurice Cheeks missed a vital free throw, the 76ers failed to execute a late-game play and settled with a one-point loss.

In a fashion reminiscent of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, the Celtics had overcome a 3-1 deficit to defeat Philadelphia and continue their search for a title.

West / Houston Rockets beat Kansas City Kings, 4-1

For the first time since 1957, two teams with losing records faced off in the final four. The outcome of this series was unforeseeable – the Rockets had upset two divisional champions, but Kansas City displayed the ability to win in spite of their biggest star’s absence.

The first two games were split, but Houston caught some much-needed victories to take a sizable lead. Moses Malone totaled forty-two points and twenty-three rebounds in Game 4, which was an offensive masterclass the Kings could not mirror. A healthy Birdsong was dearly missed, and it showed.

In Game 5, Malone served a thirty-six-point whooping to send Houston to their very first NBA Finals. The former M.V.P. was achieving the impossible, left with only one more adversary in his way.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat Houston Rockets, 4-2
The Celtics and Rockets had met in the past, but only in Semifinals rounds – as Houston was now a Western Conference team, this was the first Finals meet between the two. Boston was heavily favored, given their all-around better roster and interior presence. That could spell trouble for Moses Malone, who would have to fight especially hard to reach his typical production. A near triple-double from Larry Bird opened up the series as Boston secured Game 1. Thirty-one Malone points tied the series, forcing the Celtics to respond on the road. Bird was quite awful offensively – only managing to score eight points – but a balanced team effort saved the green team. Houston refused to give up, backpacking off Mike Dunleavy’s twenty-eight points to establish a 2-2 tie. Game 5 was all about Cedric Maxwell, who masked yet another mediocre exhibit from Bird with twenty-eight points and fifteen rebounds of his own. Houston could stay in the race with a win at home, which they failed to accomplish. Fifty combined points from Robert Reid and Malone was not enough to spoil Bird’s resurgence – the Celtics forward bounced back with twenty-seven points and thirteen rebounds, sealing the championship run in clutch fashion. Maxwell was rendered as the Finals MVP favorite, stepping up big in moments where Bird failed to deliver. His scoring average of nineteen in Boston’s wins outshined Bird’s sixteen, which influenced voters. Regardless of media awards, though, one thing was true – the Celtics’ historical dominance was unparalleled, managing their fourteenth championship in thirty-five years of existence.
*The* Boston Celtics win the 1981 NBA championship! Cedric Maxwell *was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.*

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the Year	MVP	Finals MVP
Darrell Griffith	Julius Erving	Cedric Maxwell

Coach of the Year	Comeback Player of the Year
Jack McKinney	Bernard King

All-NBA

All-NBA First Team	All-NBA Second Team
Dennis Johnson George Gervin Julius Erving Larry Bird Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Tiny Archibald Otis Birdsong Adrian Dantley Marques Johnson Moses Malone

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First Team	All-Defensive Second Team
Dennis Johnson Micheal Ray Richardson Bobby Jones Caldwell Jones Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Quinn Buckner Dudley Bradley Michael Cooper Dan Roundfield Kermit Washington George Johnson

All-Stars

Eastern All-Stars	Western All-Stars
Tiny Archibald* Larry Bird Julius Erving Artis Gilmore Eddie Johnson Marques Johnson Bobby Jones Mike Mitchell (IR) Robert Parish Micheal Ray Richardson Dan Roundfield Reggie Theus	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Otis Birdsong Adrian Dantley Walter Davis George Gervin Dennis Johnson Moses Malone Truck Robinson Jack Sikma Paul Westphal Jamaal Wilkes
*East beats West, 123-120*

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Joe Barry Carroll Darrell Griffith Kevin McHale Kelvin Ransey Larry Smith