The 40 Greatest NBA Finals of All Time, Ranked

Imagine Boston Garden in June: sweltering, electric, alive with history. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson—foils since college—finally faced off for NBA supremacy. The series was nasty: clotheslines, body checks, and Bird calling his own teammates sissies after a Game 3 collapse.

Kevin McHale clotheslined Kurt Rambis, and the Finals turned into a wrestling match. Seven games of hatred, hardwood, and heroism later, the Celtics stood tall. Bird’s MVP confirmed his vengeance for 1979. This was more than basketball—it was cultural combat. East vs. West. Tradition vs. Showtime. And in the middle of it all, a beautiful kind of chaos.