RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
The 1985–86 NBA season was the 40th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their third championship of the decade, beating the Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.
* The Kings relocate from Kansas City, Missouri to Sacramento, California. They played their home games at ARCO Arena I for three seasons while ARCO Arena II was under construction.
* The Chicago Bulls are the last Eastern Conference team in NBA history to lose 50 or more games in a season and still make the playoffs.
* The Boston Celtics post an impressive 40–1 (.976) record at home. Their only regular-season home loss occurred on December 6, 1985, to the Portland Trail Blazers, by the score of 121–103. The record would be tied by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2015–16 season. The Celtics would also win all 10 of their home games in the postseason.
* This season marks the first time the NBA hands out a Most Improved Player award at the end of a season. Alvin Robertson of the San Antonio Spurs is the first to win the award. Robertson would also set the record for consecutive games with a steal (105), which stood for 22 years.
* In the third game of the season, Chicago Bulls sensation Michael Jordan suffered a broken left foot and missed the next 64 games. In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round series, Jordan scored 63 points against Boston, an NBA playoff record, but his Chicago Bulls would lose in double overtime.
* All Midwest Division teams make the playoffs, the first time an entire division had done this since the 1983–84 season when all Atlantic Division teams made the playoffs.
* The first NBA draft of the Lottery Era was conducted at the Felt Forum of Madison Square Garden in New York City. Patrick Ewing was selected as the first overall pick by the New York Knicks. Ewing, the winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year Award that season, set the record for most games missed (32) for a Rookie of the Year winner.
* Ralph Sampson's off-balanced buzzer-beating shot in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals sent the Houston Rockets to their second NBA Finals, defeating the erstwhile defending champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–1. This marked the second and last time in the 1980s a team other than the Lakers represented the West in the NBA Finals (1981, also by the Rockets). The Rockets fell in six games to the Boston Celtics, a similar result to their previous meeting five years earlier.
* Detlef Schrempf became the first German player to enter the NBA. He would later become the first European-born player to be named an All-Star in 1993 and had the most number of seasons played for a European player.
* New Jersey Nets guard Micheal Ray Richardson was banned for life by the NBA for his third violation of the league's anti-drug policy. Houston Rockets guard John Lucas was also suspended by the team for a similar violation; had he not been suspended, he would've played in the NBA Finals for the first time.
* On Wednesday, October 30, 1985, forward Georgi Glouchkov arrived in the U.S. from Bulgaria to play for the Phoenix Suns. He was the first player from a former Eastern Bloc country to play in the NBA. He would make his debut on Wednesday, November 6 against the Atlanta Hawks.
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1977 NBA Semi-Finals Game 6 - Portland vs Denver - Radio Broadcast
On May 2, 1977, the Portland Trail Blazers faced the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the NBA Semi-Finals, a pivotal moment in what was becoming an increasingly competitive series. The Trail Blazers, led by Bill Walton, were in the midst of a season that would ultimately see them capture their first NBA Championship. This particular game took place against a backdrop of high expectations and intense playoff atmosphere, with the Trail Blazers seeking to capitalize on their home court advantage to close out the series. Denver, featuring key players like David Thompson and Dan Issel, aimed to extend their playoff run by forcing a seventh game. The matchup was not just a test of talent but of strategies and resilience, as both teams were known for their strong defensive play and efficient scoring.
The game unfolded with a series of runs by both teams, reflecting the tight competition that had characterized their previous encounters that season. Portland's ability to control the tempo and leverage Walton’s inside presence was crucial, while Denver relied on their fast-paced offense to keep the pressure on. This game was indicative of the evolving NBA, where a more dynamic and physically demanding style of play was beginning to take center stage, setting the tone for future developments in the league.
Ryan, Channing, and Fred sit down with one of the most iconic athletes who just...
Isiah Thomas 12x NBA All Star on Detroit Bad Boys, Magic Johnson & Feud w/ Michael Jordan / Ryan, Channing, and Fred sit down with one of the most iconic athletes who just happens to be their long time idol, NBA hall of famer, Isiah Thomas. The original Bad Boy of Detroit Pistons is opening up and talking everything from his relationship with Magic Johnson to Detroit Pistons changing the game to sharing his side of the infamous Michael Jordan feud.
Isiah starts the show saying very simply that he is going to state facts and you can’t argue facts and that it’s one thing to win a championship in the NBA but it’s another to win a championship at every level ever played.
Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Isiah shares how his upbringing was shaped by his mother’s guidance and a family first mentality where his mother cared more about the type of man he’d become vs the money and opportunity being offered. His mom’s influence was so great, it became her decision where he played college basketball and also who he played for.
Explaining how he ended up in Bloomington, Indiana playing for Bobby Knight, he expounds on the life lessons that shaped him there not just winning back to back collegiate championships.
The West Side of Chicago is home to many activists and organizations such as Fred Hampton, Martin Luther King Jr, and The Black Panther Party. Isiah grew up in this environment and recalls marching alongside his mother with Dr.King. Spearheading change at the national level, Isiah used his local groundwork in Detroit to advocate for Black journalists covering the team, more rights for Black NBA players leaving a greater impact with his legacy not just on the court but in culture.
Isiah makes his case known for why so many people overlook Detroit Pistons as transcending the NBA and shares what the team really did for the league and how they were the firsts to do many things back then setting the example of how teams should be and move.
Known for his historic rivalry with Michael Jordan, Ryan asks what were his thoughts on the way his character was portrayed by Jordan in The Last Dance. Isiah provides The Pivot with an exclusive inside look to his true relationship with MJ and goes on to say that he always looked out for Michael and that their families were even close. He also speaks about how rules within the NBA were changed to protect Michael Jordan. Isaih doesn’t hold back as he shares his thoughts on while he was deemed the a-hole of the NBA when in fact he was the nice guy.
Lastly, Isiah lets the guys in on the history of his and Magic’s close relationship and what led up to their legendary interview. He gives credit to the current legends playing the game such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, and says they’ve transformed the game in
1 Comment
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.