Rahul Sharma (Editor)

1983–84 Los Angeles Lakers season

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Record
  
54–28 (.659)

Head coach
  
Pat Riley

Radio
  
KLAC

Television
  
KCAL-TV

Period
  
1983 – 1984

Owner
  
Jerry Buss

Arena
  
The Forum

Place
  
Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western)

Playoff finish
  
NBA Finals (Lost to Celtics 3–4)

People also search for
  
1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers season

The 1983–84 season for the Los Angeles Lakers saw them lose in the 1984 NBA Finals against Larry Bird's Boston Celtics in seven well-fought games. The Los Angeles Lakers, powered by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who broke the NBA's all-time total points record) and Magic Johnson with his 13.1 assists per game (tops in '84), ended up winning 54 games in the 1983–84 NBA season. On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a 12-foot shot over Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz 1 to surpass Wilt Chamberlain as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 31,421 points.

Contents

In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in the first round, Dallas Mavericks in the second, and the Phoenix Suns in the 1984 Western Conference Finals in order to advance to what is called the "greatest NBA Finals in history", against Larry Bird's formidable, 62–20 Boston Celtics. The Lakers' early step on the green team in the Championship caused Bird to label teammates "sissies". The words inspired the Celtics, and shot down the Lakers, and the C's won game 7 111–102, a Laker heartbreaker, and still, arguably, the most memorable Finals of the 1980s.

z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot

West First Round

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Kansas City Kings: Lakers win series 3–0

  • Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 18): Los Angeles 116, Kansas City 105
  • Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 20): Los Angeles 109, Kansas City 102
  • Game 3 @ Kemper Arena, Kansas City (April 22): Los Angeles 108, Kansas City 102

    • Last Playoff Meeting: 1955 Western Division Semifinals (Lakers won 2–1; Lakers were in Minneapolis, Kings were in Rochester, New York as the Royals)

    West Conference Semifinals

    (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks: Lakers win series 4–1

  • Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (April 28): Los Angeles 134, Dallas 91
  • Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 1): Los Angeles 117, Dallas 101
  • Game 3 @ Reunion Arena, Dallas (May 4): Dallas 125, Los Angeles 115
  • Game 4 @ Reunion Arena, Dallas (May 6)*: Los Angeles 122, Dallas 115 (OT)
  • Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 8): Los Angeles 115, Dallas 99

    • Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Lakers and Mavericks.

    West Conference Finals

    (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Phoenix Suns: Lakers win series 4–2

  • Game 1 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 12): Los Angeles 110, Phoenix 94
  • Game 2 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 15): Los Angeles 118, Phoenix 102
  • Game 3 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (May 18): Phoenix 135, Los Angeles 127 (OT)
  • Game 4 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (May 20): Los Angeles 126, Phoenix 115
  • Game 5 @ The Forum, Los Angeles (May 23): Phoenix 126, Los Angeles 121
  • Game 6 @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix (May 25): Los Angeles 99, Phoenix 97

    • Last Playoff Meeting: 1982 Western Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles won 4–0)

    NBA Finals

    *overtime

    Boston beats Los Angeles 4–3

    Awards and records

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, All-NBA First Team
  • Magic Johnson, All-NBA First Team
  • Michael Cooper, NBA All-Defensive First Team
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA All-Defensive Second Team
  • Byron Scott, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

    • References

    1983–84 Los Angeles Lakers season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA