After the LA Lakers won game six of the 1984 Finals, Bird lost his cool.
Emotions are usually running high during the playoffs, but they reach a new height when a player is in the NBA Finals. And even the best players should expect their feelings to improve if the phrase “Game 7) is spoken. This was made clear by Larry Bird during the Boston Celtics’ 119-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the 1984 NBA Finals.
The three-time MVP charged that the NBA and then-commissioner David Stern were purposefully pressing for a decisive Game 7 in order to profit financially while the series was knotted at three games to three.
After Game 6 was lost, Bird made some bold statements.
In Game 6, the Lakers made the game physical as they threw everything at the Celtics knowing they were going to lose. After the Lakers outscored the Celtics 36-21 in the fourth quarter with three of their players (Gerald Henderson, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish) in foul trouble, Bird became enraged and pointed out how stronger teams are fervently pursuing a Game 7.
“Stern told a fan that the NBA needed a seven-game series, that the league needed money,” Bird stated. “When the commissioner makes a statement like that to a fan, you know it’s going to be tough.”
Subtly hinting that his teammates couldn’t have finished the series in six games, the 12-time All-Star felt that when an NBA commissioner makes comments like that, everything will work out as planned.
It’s crucial to note that the Celtics had 35 free throw attempts while the Purple and Gold had just 17, if Larry Legend intended to imply that the officials were prejudiced in favor of the Lakers. Additionally, five Lakers players shot 50% or better from the field, while every other Celtics player—aside from Bird and Henderson—shot less than 47%.
Stern said nothing in response to the serious allegations. Brian McIntyre, his spokeswoman, called Larry’s claims “ridiculous” and implied that the NBA Commissioner would just laugh them off if he found out.
In 2002, Stern discovered him in the same sea.
Not only was Stern involved in the manipulation of the 1984 NBA Finals, but he was also involved in the 2002 Western Conference Finals with the Lakers and Kings. The Purple and Gold were about to lose at home when they unexpectedly found themselves with 27 free throws in the fourth quarter, which allowed them to steal a 106-102 victory and force a Game 7.
NBA executives allegedly told officials to “manipulate games” in order to increase ticket sales and television viewership, according to referee Tim Donaghy. He gave numerous instances, this one being one of them.
Tim would pay for his crimes, no matter how hard he tried to include others, according to Stern, who called these accusations “baseless” and said that Donaghy was the only one guilty of the crime prior to Game 3 of the 2002 NBA Finals.
That being said, there may be more to the story, even while supporters praise Stern for his part in keeping the NBA afloat when between 40 and 75 percent of players were abusing narcotics.
