Series from 2017
| Duration: | 6120 min |
|---|
Parts One and Two of the film not only trace the history, but also present a fabulous cast of characters who would change the NBA and open America's collective mind.
At the center of it all in the 1980s was a pair of brilliant basketball talents - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Bird's Celtics and Magic's Lakers circled each other for four years until they faced off in an epic NBA Finals in 1984.
Part Three picks up the story right after the thrilling 1984 NBA Finals and then explores the saga from 1985 to 1987 as the teams' disdain for each other gradually turns to respect.
The Celtics and Lakers - Bird and Magic in particular - transformed the fans' view of the game from simple black-and-white to full-blown Technicolor. By the end of their last battle of that era in 1987, while there was still animosity, they had also developed a hard-earned respect for each other.
In the final analysis, it was a rivalry that forced America to no longer view the league in black and white.
There are rivalries, and then there is the Celtics vs. the Lakers. In Part One, director Jim Podhoretz chronicles the storied franchises' epic clashes, tracing not only the history, but also presenting a fabulous cast of characters who would change the NBA and open America’s collective mind. At the center of it all in the 1980s was a pair of brilliant players - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
The Celtics and Lakers meet in the NBA Finals for the first time in 15 years. A culture clash is brewing on the hardwood and the stakes are huge. Beyond Magic and Bird, there is Abdul-Jabbar and Parish, Worthy and McHale, Scott and Ainge, Buss and Auerbach. Throw in the Forum and the Garden, Chick Hearn and Johnny Most, add a heavy dose of ill will, sprinkle in underlying racial tension, and you have a recipe for a battle royal.
After the thrilling 1984 NBA Finals, Part Three explores the saga from 1985 to 1987 as the teams’ disdain for each other gradually turns to respect. The Celtics and Lakers - Bird and Magic in particular - transform the fans' view of the game from simple black-and-white to full-blown Technicolor. By the end of their last battle of the ‘80s, while there’s still animosity, there’s also a hard-earned respect for each other. It’s a rivalry that forced America to no longer view the league in black and white.