Lakers News: How Bitter Finals Loss Motivated Magic Johnson To Rally For ‘85 Title

Anyone who was around basketball during the 1980s, or anyone who has studied that time knows that it was all about the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The two franchises won multiple titles, and they faced each other many times in the NBA Finals.

The longstanding rivalry grew fiercer as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird took the NBA by storm. It came at a perfect time as well, because, in the late 1970s, the popularity of the NBA was starting to decline. So, it was these two teams that somewhat brought the league back to life.

Their first meetup in the NBA Finals was in 1984, with the Celtics narrowly defeating Los Angeles. But after that Finals loss, Johnson was dedicated to not ever lose to Boston again, and it motivated him to come back the next season and take down Boston.

Johnson opened up to former NBA player Jalen Rose, a one-time NBA Finals rival of the Lakers in 2000, about the Finals loss and made some shocking comments.

"So, I cried Jalen for three months, all summer I cried. Because I let my teammates down, I was the reason why we lost the championship. But the first thing I had to do Jalen, was identify and say to myself “I’m not as good as I thought I was, I gotta go back to the lab, I gotta go back to work.”

Per Magic Johnson

LA would take down the Celtics in 1985, winning in six games. They also became the first team to ever clinch the NBA Finals on the Celtics home court, so it was extra special for all involved.

Both teams wanted to rip the other's heart out, and the Lakers did just that. It was an incredible moment for the Lakers organization, as they finally took down the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named that year's NBA Finals MVP, and it was a total team effort to close the series out. Johnson dished out 14 assists in the game and wasn’t going to let the Celtics stay alive.

The two teams would later meet in a rubber match in 1987, with the Lakers taking the series once again. So Johnson holds a record of 2-1 over Bird in the NBA Finals, and 1-0 in the NCAA Championship as well.

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or LA Sports Report yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!