My Favorite NBA Playoff Moment Came in 1983

In 1983, following the free agent signing of Moses Malone in the previous offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers finally reached the "promised land", winning the NBA Finals in a four game sweep of the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. After losing in the NBA Finals in three of the previous 5 seasons, twice to the aforementioned Lakers, blowing a 2-0 lead to the Portland Trailblazers in 1977 and watching a 3-1 lead vanish in the Eastern Conference Finals to the hated Boston Celtics, the Sixers finally earned championship rings.

Adding Moses Malone to an already stellar cast of players including Julius "Dr. J" Erving was the final piece of the championship puzzle. The 76ers could finally play a halfcourt grinding style when necessary in addition to the racehorse style the team preferred. In the NBA playoffs, the games are often won by scores in the low to mid 80's with the higher stakes and more conservative style of play most playoff teams revert to in the postseason.

The Philadelphia 76ers had so many close losses and blown leads in the previous seasons and had been the NBA's bridesmaids ever since Dr. J had arrived in the "city of brotherly love" in 1977, at times it seemed the championship would never come. With Erving, sharpshooting guard Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks (one of my favorites for the "all-name team"), Bobby Jones and now Moses Malone, in the regular season of 1983, the Sixers appeared unstoppable with a league high 65 wins. But would history repeat itself in the playoffs once more? Especially with the defending champs, the Los Angeles Lakers lurking with their All-Star cast of James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and especially Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

The previous year, the 76ers cleared a hurdle they had failed to clear in the past. The 76ers beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs in game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals in Boston no less, a place where the Celtics lost in the playoffs about as often as George W. Bush admits a mistake. However, that accomplishment was lessened by the loss to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Before sweeping the New York Knicks in their opening playoff series, Moses Malone was asked about the playoff picture for the 76ers. "Fo, Fo, Fo" Malone famously replied, predicting a series sweep in all three playoff series needed to be crowned NBA Champions. No team had ever gone undefeated throughout the NBA playoffs. As brash as that prediction/boast seemed, the Philadelphia 76ers darn near pulled it off, sweeping the Knicks 4-0.

Then, the Milwaukee Bucks awaited in the Eastern Confernece Finals. Milwaukee was a very fine team in their own right, the Bucks just never could get past both Boston and Philly to make it into the NBA Finals in those days. The Bucks managed to win a single game, ruining the perfect scenario for the 76ers. However, the NBA championship dreams stayed alive as the Sixers won 4 games to 1.

Was it possible for a team as great as the Los Angeles Lakers of the 80's to get swept in four games? I guess so, 'cause that's the way it played out. 4 games to 0, a 12-1 record in the NBA PLayoffs and a long-awaited championship for the long suffering sports fans of Philadelphia. Other than the Phillies winning baseball's World Series in 1980 and the 76ers' championship in 1967, Philly fans hadn't had much to cheer about for decades. With the Eagles' loss in the Super Bowl in 1981 and the Sixers' multiple playoff collapses, it almost seemed as if the city's sports fans were cursed.

Maybe all that had to do with the reputation of Philadlephia fans as surly and nasty. In any event, the city finally had something to cheer about in the playoffs, the "monkey was off their backs", to use an overused sports cliche.

It was an event cheered by myself and several friends in faraway Arkansas who had been fans of the team ever since Julius Erving arrived in 1977. I hope the fans in Philly enjoyed it thoroughly because the 76ers haven't had a championship since and probably won't anytime soon. Even though some fans prefer a seven game thriller of a series, the four game sweep added up to my favorite NBA Playoff moment.