If you grew up on basketball, you already know the Celtics–Lakers rivalry isn’t some dusty piece of NBA folklore. In the Showtime era, it was Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, Hollywood vs. Boston grit, each chasing not just wins but the crown for most titles. The 1980s were peak drama—every game felt like a heavyweight bout. But here’s the twist… in 1986, Magic’s shot at another ring didn’t vanish just because of the Celtics’ brilliance. Nope. It came down to one player’s hefty salary cap hit that cost the Lakers another championship run.
With 35 championships between them—17 for the Lakers, 18 for the Celtics—you never bet against these two. Their rivalry goes way back to the late ’50s and ’60s, when Red Auerbach’s Celtics, led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and John Havlicek, built an insane dynasty with 11 titles in 13 years. Fast forward to the ’80s, and we got three epic Finals matchups (1984, 1985, 1987), with Pat Riley’s Showtime Lakers winning two. But here’s the kicker—1986 could’ve been another Lakers run… except, according to a former Lakers staff member, one player’s big decision kept Magic & Co. from even making the Finals.
On Bryan Scott’s Fast Break podcast, longtime Lakers trainer Gary Vitti revealed what went wrong in 1986. “1986 was—that was—that’s why everybody was hurt,” Vitti said. “It’s because we didn’t sign, I believe. I mean, you can, you know, there’s probably a bunch of reasons, but um we didn’t sign Bob McAdoo. Okay. Bob McAdoo’s option that year was 980,000. That was a lot of money back then. But bringing Bob—Bob McAdoo could’ve started for any team in the league. We’re bringing him off the bench. He’s 6’10. He could score in the post. He could take you outside. I mean, you know, plus he had a—he had a way about him. He had an attitude. And to this day, the man is loved.”
Credit: Image via NBA.com
Jerry West was running the Lakers at the time as the GM, and when Bob McAdoo’s contract was up in ’86, they didn’t bring him back. McAdoo had been with L.A. from ’81 to ’85, but according to Gary Vitti, the big sticking point was the money — Bob’s asking price was just too high. He ended up hitting free agency, inking a two-year deal with the Sixers in January ’86, wrapped up that NBA season in Philly, and then packed his bags for Italy to keep hooping overseas.
In 1985-86, the Lakers cruised to a 62-20 record under Pat Riley, topping the Pacific Division. They led the league in scoring at 117.3 points per game and posted the NBA’s best offensive rating (113.3). After sweeping the Spurs 3-0 and taking down Dallas 4-2 in the playoffs, their run ended in the West Finals with a 1-4 loss to Houston. That’s when the McAdoo regret hit the Lakers.
Bob McAdoo’s MVP numbers made him perfect for Magic Johnson’s Lakers
When Bob McAdoo showed up in L.A. in December ’81, he wasn’t the MVP who averaged 30.6, 34.5, and 31.1 points per game for three straight seasons, snagging 13.8 rebounds and swatting 2.5 shots a night back in his Buffalo Braves days. He wasn’t the Rookie of the Year who’d averaged 18.0 points and 9.1 boards straight out of the gate. By the time the Lakers sent the Nets a future second-rounder and some cash for him, the media were calling him a “malcontent,” his minutes had been slashed, and at 30, it looked like he was done. But Pat Riley needed firepower up front, and Magic Johnson needed a running mate who could cash in when Showtime had the Forum rocking.
The adjustment was instant and blunt. McAdoo came off the bench, gave the Lakers 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in just 18.2 minutes during the regular season, and cranked it up when it mattered most. Game 6 of the ’82 Finals? He put up 16 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks, the X-factor in closing out Julius Erving’s Sixers. Magic, who recently honored his father, still laughs about their first few games together—“I told McAdoo when he first joined the Lakers—you miss again, baby, it ain’t coming to you no more… I got them up out they seat—you supposed to send them go crazy.” Mac got the message. From then on, he knocked those shots down.
And make no mistake—Magic wasn’t exaggerating later when he said, “Bob McAdoo was unstoppable. He was 6’9” but he had arms that made him over 7’3”… he used to say I was Magic Johnson before Magic Johnson.” In his prime, the guy had a mid-range jumper nobody could touch, the hops to beat bigger centers, and the motor to run all night. Sure, injuries turned him from go-to guy to elite role player, but with the Lakers, he made four straight Finals, won two rings, and probably could’ve swung ’84 if he’d been healthy and later in ’86. For a team that could’ve been a one-hit wonder, McAdoo was the spark that kept Showtime burning.
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