The 1987 NBA Finals wasn't just another basketball series. It was the peak of the greatest rivalry the sport has ever seen. If you're looking for the short answer to who won 1987 NBA Finals, it was the Los Angeles Lakers. They took down the Boston Celtics in six games, clinching the title on their home floor at the Forum.
But just saying "the Lakers won" is like saying the Grand Canyon is a hole in the ground. It misses the gravity of what happened.
This was the rubber match. The Lakers had won in 1985; the Celtics had taken it in 1984. By the time June 1987 rolled around, the tension was basically vibrating off the screen. You had Magic Johnson at the absolute zenith of his powers and Larry Bird trying to hold together a Celtics team that was, honestly, falling apart at the seams physically.
The Junior, Junior Sky Hook
If you ask anyone who watched that series to name the most iconic moment, they won't hesitate. It's the "Junior, Junior Sky Hook." Game 4. Boston Garden. The Celtics were up by two with mere seconds left. Magic Johnson gets the ball on the left wing, guarded by Kevin McHale. He drives middle, right into the teeth of the Celtics' defense—Parish and Bird are right there—and he lofts this high, soft hook shot.
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It swished.
Magic later called it the "Junior, Junior, Junior Sky Hook," a tribute to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s legendary shot. That single play essentially broke the spirit of the Celtics. They lost that game 107-106. Instead of the series being tied 2-2, the Lakers went up 3-1. You don't come back from that against a team as fast as those Lakers.
Why the Lakers Were Unstoppable
Pat Riley’s "Showtime" offense was usually about the fast break, but in '87, something shifted. Magic Johnson took over the primary scoring role from an aging Kareem. Magic averaged 26.2 points, 13.0 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in the Finals. That's absurd. He was the undisputed MVP of the series.
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The Lakers’ depth was also just unfair. While the Celtics were playing their starters nearly 45 minutes a game because their bench was nonexistent, the Lakers had guys like Michael Cooper—the defensive wizard—and Mychal Thompson coming off the pine. Thompson was a mid-season acquisition specifically brought in to guard Kevin McHale. It worked.
The Physical Toll on Boston
Honestly, the Celtics were lucky to even be there. They had just survived two grueling seven-game series against the Bucks and the Pistons. Bill Walton was essentially playing on one foot. Kevin McHale had a broken bone in his foot that required surgery the moment the season ended. Danny Ainge was banged up. Robert Parish was hobbling.
By Game 6, the gas tank was empty. The Lakers trailed at halftime but then erupted in the third quarter. They outscored Boston 30-12 in that period. It wasn't a contest; it was a track meet. The final score was 106-93.
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The Legacy of 1987
This championship marked the first time since the 60s that a team won back-to-back titles... well, almost. Riley famously guaranteed a repeat during the victory parade. But looking back, '87 was the true peak of the Magic-Bird era. It was the last time those two specific titans met in the Finals.
The Lakers finished that postseason with a 15-3 record. They are widely considered one of the three greatest teams in the history of the league, alongside the '96 Bulls and the 2017 Warriors.
Key Stats from the 1987 NBA Finals
- Series Result: Lakers 4, Celtics 2.
- Finals MVP: Magic Johnson.
- Kareem’s Impact: Even at 40, Abdul-Jabbar put up 32 points in Game 2.
- The Turnaround: Game 4 comeback from 16 points down changed everything.
How to Deepen Your Knowledge of 1987 NBA History
To truly understand the technical shift that happened during this series, you should look into the "Laker Girls" and the commercialization of the NBA under Jerry Buss. It wasn't just about the ball going through the hoop; it was the birth of "Sportainment."
- Watch the full broadcast of Game 4. It is arguably the most tactically perfect game of the 1980s. Pay attention to how the Lakers used Mychal Thompson to front McHale in the post.
- Read "When The Game Was Ours" by Jackie MacMullan. It provides the most accurate account of the internal dialogue between Bird and Magic during that specific June.
- Analyze the transition numbers. The 1987 Lakers averaged over 117 points per game in the regular season. Compare that to the "grit and grind" era of the 2000s to see how much the game has swung back toward the '87 style today.
The 1987 Finals wasn't just a win for Los Angeles; it was the moment the NBA officially became a global powerhouse, centered around a 6'9" point guard who could do everything.