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CNNSI.com takes a snapshot look at the four championship teams of the '80s and compares them with their counterparts today.
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| 1980s Celtics |
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2002 Celtics |
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Beantown's Best
The Celtics changed coaches between their first two titles in the
1980s (K.C. Jones replaced Bill Fitch), but there were three constants in
their three championships (1981, 1984 and 1986). Bird, McHale and Parish
dominated the East, reaching the conference finals every year except '83 and
'89.
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The New Luck of the Irish
This modern-day version of the Celtics doesn't bear much resemblance to
its predecessors, as Coach Jim O'Brien's run-and-gun stars (Paul Pierce
and Antoine Walker) play their games in the Fleet Center, not the Garden. But the Leprechaun is the same, and that's all that matters to the Boston
faithful.
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| 1980s Lakers |
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2002 Lakers |
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Great Lakers
Head coach Paul Westhead's Lakers kicked off the "Me Decade" with a
title in 1980, and Pat Riley extended the legacy with championships in 1982,
1985, 1987 and 1988. When Kareem, Magic and Co. took the floor at the Great
Western Forum, everyone knew it was "Showtime."
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Can't We All Just Get Along?
Just as their predecessors did 20 years ago, the Lakers kicked off a
new decade with a championship in 2000. But unlike those men in purple and
gold, head coach Phil Jackson's team successfully defended its title. Will
Shaq and Kobe hang as many banners in Staples Center?
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| 1980s Sixers |
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2002 Sixers |
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The Spirit of '76
The 1982-83 76ers are best remembered for "Fo-Fi-Fo," a revision of
Moses Malone's playoff prediction. Guided by the legendary Billy Cunningham,
Dr. J and the Sixers swept the Lakers in the Finals to become the only team
not from Boston or L.A. to win a championship in a nine-year span.
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Allen's Town
The Sixers don't play in the Spectrum any more (they moved to the First
Union Center in 1996), but they still have a scoring superstar (Allen Iverson) and
an inside defensive presence (Dikembe Mutombo). Coach Larry Brown used this
inside-outside tandem to get Philly back into the league's elite.
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| 1980s Pistons |
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2002 Pistons |
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Defensive in Detroit
Under the watchful eye of head coach Chuck Daly, the "Bad Boys" closed
out the 1980s with back-to-back NBA titles. Led by Hall of Fame guard Isiah
Thomas and his defensive-minded backcourt mate, Joe Dumars, the Pistons were
living proof that defense wins championships.
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Stackin' the Deck
Dumars, now the president of basketball operations, has re-created the
Pistons in his own image. Rookie head coach Rick Carlisle convinced Jerry Stackhouse to
give up the rock -- and some minutes -- and buy into a
team-oriented defensive system. The strategy has paid dividends.
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Photo Credits: Larry Bird (Andrew Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images), Paul Pierce (Mitchell Layton/NBAE/Getty Images, Magic Johnson (Mike Powell/Allsport), Shaquille O'Neal (AP), Julius Erving (Allsport/Allsport), Allen Iverson (AP), Isiah Thomas (Scott Cunningham/Allsport), Jerry Stackhouse (AP).
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