1986 Overview
From Hoopedia
1985-86 NBA Season
The NBA fostered the air of a podiatry convention as two key players found glory in the aftermath of foot injury.
Both stories were huge. Bill Walton, long plagued with failing feet, joined the Boston Celtics and found a celebrated role as sixth man on a team headed to greatness.
And Michael Jordan, sidelined by a career-threatening injury just days into the season, came back despite the wishes of Bulls management to register a performance that basketball fans will never forget.
Walton went to Boston from the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade for the much-loved but contract conflicted Cedric Maxwell, MVP of the Celtics’ 1981 title run.
The acquisition of Walton gave Larry Bird hope, which he promptly cashed in, winning his third consecutive MVP while erasing the heavy memory of the loss to the Lakers in the 1985 Finals. Big Bill represented yet another brilliant passer for the Celtics’ ball-movement attack. And Bird headed the parade back to the top, finishing in the NBA’s Top 10 in five categories: scoring (25.8 points per game, fourth), rebounding (9.8 rebounds per game, seventh), steals (2.02, ninth), free throw percentage (.896, first) and three-point field goal percentage (.423, fourth).
Walton shocked NBA observers by playing a career-high 80 games as a valuable backup to Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. The contributions of fellow reserves Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting helped propel Boston to a franchise-best 67-15 record, including an astounding 40-1 home record. It was in the first round of the playoffs that the foot convention convened. Boston swept Chicago, but not before Jordan set the NBA abuzz with a playoff-record 63-point performance in a double-overtime loss on April 20 in Boston Garden. “That’s God disguised as Michael Jordan,” Bird said afterward.
“That was something I’ll never forget,” recalled Sidney Green, Jordan’s teammate. “It was total silence in the locker room before the game. Michael was extremely focused, and we knew he was intent on doing something big.”
“That game was when we began to realize just how great Michael could be,” said Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who had labored to persuade Jordan not to play after his early season foot injury. Having survived Jordan’s aerials, the Celtics defeated Atlanta in five games and swept Milwaukee to reach the Finals for the third straight season.
The Lakers won 62 games, but were shocked in the Western Conference Finals in five games by the Houston Rockets. Coached by former Boston pilot Bill Fitch, the Rockets employed a Twin Towers look with the 7-4 Ralph Sampson and 7-0 Hakeem Olajuwon playing together. Houston had won the Midwest Division and two playoff series, but the Lakers took Game 1of the Western Finals. NBA fans anticipated another Boston-L.A. meeting, but the Rockets surprised everyone by taking the next four games to advance to the championship series.
The Rockets brought a new wrinkle to the NBA by starting two uncommonly agile big players. But the Celtics, unlike most teams, had the answer up front with Parish, Bird and McHale, with Walton off the bench. Although the Celtics received much praise for their unselfish, crisp-passing offense, their defense helped bring down Houston in six games.
“I don’t remember the last time I was hounded by a team more than I was today,” Sampson said after Game 6. “Every time I touched the ball, there were two and three guys around me. And that went for Hakeem, too.”
Playing at the top of his game, Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists as Boston took its 16th title.
