 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2015) |
 Cedric Maxwell (No. 31) of the Boston Celtics vs. Magic Johnson (32) of the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals | ||||||||||
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| Dates | May 27–June 9 | |||||||||
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| MVP | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Celtics: Larry Bird (1998) Dennis Johnson (2010) Kevin McHale (1999) Robert Parish (2003) Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995) Michael Cooper (2024) Magic Johnson (2002) Bob McAdoo (2000) Jamaal Wilkes (2012) James Worthy (2003) Coaches: K.C. Jones (1989, player) Pat Riley (2008) Officials: Hugh Evans (2022) Darell Garretson (2016) Earl Strom (1995) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Celtics defeated 76ers, 4–1 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Lakers defeated Nuggets, 4–1 | |||||||||
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968–69 season. The Celtics had home court advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63–19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62–20 record. The Lakers looked to bounce back from the previous year's painful loss to the Celtics in the championship series, and were still seeking to beat Boston for the first time ever in NBA Finals history. Also for the first time since 1955, the Finals implemented a 2–3–2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The final two games of the series would be played in Boston, if required. This change of format came after David Stern had a conversation with Celtics legend Red Auerbach in 1984, who disliked the frequent traveling between games.[1][2] The 2–3–2 format would be used until the 2013 NBA Finals, after which the 2–2–1–1–1 format returned in 2014.[3]
With the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved their first NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics in nine meetings, four to two games. The Lakers recovered after losing in a rout in game 1, dubbed as the "Memorial Day Massacre". The series was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it for 1986. The video documentary Return to Glory recaps the 1985 NBA playoffs action.
- ^ "Stern: Celts' Auerbach played role in Finals format". ESPN.com. June 9, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Delamater, Tom. "2010 NBA Finals, Game 4: Does the 2-3-2 Format Favor L.A. or Boston Most?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Golliver, Ben (October 23, 2013). "NBA Board of Governors unanimously adopts 2-2-1-1-1 Finals format change". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 20, 2024.