Officially, the Larry Bird era in Boston started in 1980, when the Legend arrived from Indiana State for his rookie year. But practically speaking, it was the 1981 Boston Celtics that ushered in this glorious new era for the proud franchise. Specially, six days and three games in the Eastern Conference Finals that paved the […]
The Boston Celtics looked all but dead in the 1981 NBA playoffs. After a 62-win regular season and #1 overall seed, the Celtics were trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had beaten the Celts in this same round in five games in 1980 and it looked like 1981 was set to be more of the same, especially when Philly grabbed a nine-point lead at halftime of Game 5.
This is part of a series of sports history articles aimed at preserving the best moments of the modern sports era, from 1976 to the present. The focus is team sports—college & pro basketball and football, major league baseball and hockey. This article offers a snapshot of 1981 sports, a year highlighted by Dwight Clark’s catch, a wild NCAA Tournament and an epic Game 7 at Boston Garden.