Lakers Defeat Celtics for Title; Parade Tuesday
Led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Los Angeles Lakers ended more than a quarter-century of frustration Sunday, defeating the Boston Celtics, 111-100, to win the National Basketball Assn. championship.
The Lakers were invited to the White House for a reception with President Reagan today and will return to Los Angeles on an American Airlines flight due at 8:08 p.m. today. They will be honored Tuesday, which has been declared Laker Day by Mayor Tom Bradley, with a parade beginning at 11 a.m. at 9th Street and Broadway downtown.
The victory at Boston Garden gave the Lakers the best-of-seven series, four games to two.
Ninth NBA Championship
This was the Lakers’ ninth NBA championship and their third in the last six seasons. But it is perhaps the most satisfying victory to the team because it is the Lakers’ first over the Celtics in the finals. Boston had won eight previous championship series against the Lakers dating back to 1959. In last season’s finals, the Celtics defeated the Lakers, four games to three.
Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers’ 38-year-old captain, was named the championship series’ Most Valuable Player. He also won the honor while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 121 points in the six games, including 29 on Sunday when he sank three straight baskets in the closing minutes to seal the victory.
The Lakers, who also received 28 points from James Worthy, took charge of the game in the third quarter. It had been tied 20 times before that, including 55-55 at halftime.
For the Celtics, who were led by Kevin McHale’s 32 points and Larry Bird’s 28, the loss was the first at home in a championship series.
Details in Sports.
More to Read
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Dan Woike's weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.