These three seasons served as the bridge between the NBA’s merger with the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
The merger brought new star power to the NBA, notably Julius (“Dr. J”) Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers. There was good basketball and compelling storylines, but the league struggled to find its footing with a national audience.
BILL WALTON & PORTLAND’S BRIEF MOMENT
The Portland Trail Blazers offered some signs of hope. Bill Walton had been a star of John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty, already a known commodity with the public. An exceptional passer for a big man, especially in this era, Walton was the centerpiece of a basketball style that was genuinely artistic and cerebral. In 1977, the Blazers upset the L.A. Lakers of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dr. J’s 76ers in succession to win the championship.
In 1978, with Portland surging toward a repeat, Walton appeared poised to become the face of the post-merger league. But the big center’s feet betrayed him. A late regular season injury set the tone for the balance of his career. It was an injury that not only derailed a player and a franchise, but it exposed how much of the NBA’s fragile momentum with the public rested on one man’s fragile feet.
THE BULLETS & SONICS FILL THE VOID
The league had good competition and rivalries elsewhere, even if they weren’t rewarded with public interest. Foremost among them was the Washington Bullets and Seattle SuperSonics (today’s Oklahoma City Thunder), who moved into the breach and played in the Finals in both 1978 and 1979. Each won a title. Washington did it by winning a road Game 7, an achievement that became increasingly rare in the years to come.
WAITING FOR THE BREAKTHROUGH
By the spring of 1979, college basketball had drawn a record audience for the NCAA final between Magic Johnson’s Michigan State and Larry Bird’s Indiana State. Meanwhile, NBA playoff games—including the Finals—were often shown on tape delay late at night. Basketball was popular. The NBA was not—at least not yet.