NBC Sports: NBA 1991-NBA Finals-Game 1-Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, Magic vs. Air Jordan, James Worthy vs. Scottie Pippen and I could go on. But this is perhaps the one NBA Finals matchup that every NBA fan wanted to see in 1991. The team of the 1980s and perhaps of all-time, the Los Angeles Lakers, with the player of the 1980s and perhaps of all-time in Earvin Magic Johnson. Vs. who would become the team of the 1990s, with the player of the 1990s and perhaps the player of all-time in Michael Air Jordan. Not every year and perhaps every decade that the NBA produces Super Bowl caliber matchup’s in their championship series. But 1991 was certainly that and had James Worthy and Byron Scott been healthy for the Lakers in this series, we are easily talking about one of the greatest NBA Finals matchup’s of all-time, that would’ve made it back to Chicago for at least game 6, if not game 7 as well.

CBS Sports: NBA-1984-NBA Finals-Game 7-Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

One of the classic game 7s of all-time regardless of any sports league and one of the classic championship games of all-time, again regardless of sports league. That actually decided who was going to be the champion of that league for that season. And it was between two of the best pro franchises of all-time and right now, of again any sports league. The Lakers-Celtics, Magic vs. Legend, to decide major pro league championship, I mean you can’t dream of a better matchup. The top two NBA franchises of then and now, the two best players in the game, at least of then, if not all-time as well. Going against each other to decide who the best team in the league is and who is the best player in the league. And all of these things happening all in one game. Happening in Boston and at the Boston Garden. It was like a World Cup Final and Super Bowl combined into one game. Doesn’t get any better

NBC Sports: NBA 1992-Portland Blazers @ Boston Celtics: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat. 

A very interesting game, not just because it was a double overtime shootout, but also because it was one of the great Larry Bird’s last big games. 1992 was Larry Legend’s last season and a time when the Celtics were in transition. No longer a prominent NBA Finals contender and moving from a half-court based low-post motion offense team, to a more finesse team that would look to break a lot, with a lot more athletic players. And the early 1990s Celtics were also a deeper team where Legend, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish no longer had to play 35-40 minutes a night for the Celtics to beat good teams. Because they had good players on the bench on the frontline and in the backcourt. Like Ed Pickney, Dee Brown, Joe Klein and others. With Reggie Lewis now as a full-time starter and perhaps their best scorer. And also with Brian Shaw and Kevin Gamble. I would’ve loved to of seen a healthy Legend, McHale and Parish, to go with the young good players that the Celtics had in the early 1990s.

The Blazers of 1992 were like the Blazers of 1991 and 1990. A very talented deep all around team, that could score a lot of points and score fast with a lot of weapons. But were also one of the best defensive teams and rebounding teams in the NBA as well. But this was all when they were on, which was the story of the 1990s Blazers. The most consistently inconsistent winning team perhaps all-time in the NBA. So when you were playing the Blazers, you didn’t know who you were playing. Were you playing perhaps the best team in the NBA when they were on, or were you playing a team that looked like they could be beat by a bad team at home. They would make a lot of great plays and then follow them up with a lot of bad mistakes. Win a lot of games and then go on a losing streak. So this was one of the most interesting matchup’s in the NBA in 1992.

NBC Sports: NBA 1992-Portland Blazers @ Chicago Bulls: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat  

What was supposed to be a preview of the 1992 NBA Finals, as this game turned out to be between the Blazers and Bulls, was also a blowout. The Blazers of the late 1980s and early 1990s were a very talented, deep all around great team with no real clear weakness’. They essentially replaced the Los Angeles Lakers as the top run and gun fast break athletic team. But that was only when they were on. They were an up and down club as far as consistency that would still win 58-62 games a year, but not because of their consistency. But because they would go on long streaks followed by sloppy streaks. And get it together in time for the NBA Playoffs. The only consistent thing about the Blazers of this era, was their leader the Clyde Drexler. Who without Michael Jordan, is perhaps considered the best player of the 1990s.

The Bulls on the other hand were just coming into their own in 1992. Winning the NBA Finals in 1991 and using 92 to prove to the world that they were really the best team in the NBA. Not the deepest and certainly not the most talented. But the best team in the NBA that played the best as a unit and team. I think the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s had more talent than the Bulls. More great All Star caliber players, but I think the Bulls were better and had more talent and not just because of Michael Jordan. But throw in Scottie Pippen who would’ve been the best player on a lot of other teams in the NBA at this point. Similar to what the Lakers and Celtics had in the 1980s and Bulls proved this in the 1990s.

NBC Sports: NBA-1991-NBA Finals-Game 5-Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers: Full Game

Source:Real Life Journal 

This was one of the best games in NBA Finals history. And had Big Game James Worthy been healthy and played this game for the Lakers, this game would’ve been different. Because it would’ve meant less double-teaming on Earvin Johnson. With Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan having to cover James Worthy or Horace Grant having to cover James Worthy. And not being able to help out on Magic as much without getting burned by it. 

This should’ve been one of the best NBA Finals in NBA history and not a five-game series, with the Bulls dominating at least two of them. But where this series goes back to Chicago at least for game 6. But the Lakers not having all of their weapons and not being as good as they were in the late 1980s, meant that this great Bulls teams was playing an inferior Lakers team even with Magic for their first NBA Championship.