1981 Boston Celtics

Boston went 62-20 and tied for the league's best record. The turnaround had started the summer before, when Red Auerbach turned the first overall pick into both Robert Parish and the rights to Kevin McHale in a trade with Golden State. Bird, McHale, and Parish would anchor the frontcourt for the rest of the decade.

Bird led the team at 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds. Parish gave them 18.9 a game in the middle, and Maxwell scored efficiently at the other forward. Tiny Archibald, the veteran point guard, ran the offense and made the All-Star team. McHale came off the bench as a rookie.

The conference finals against Philadelphia nearly ended the season early. Down three games to one, Boston won Game 5, took Game 6 on the road, and survived Game 7 at the Garden by a single point, 91-90. The Finals against Houston were less dramatic. The Rockets had gone 40-42 in the regular season, and Boston closed them out in six. Maxwell led the way and won Finals MVP.

It was Bill Fitch's only title in Boston and the first of three the franchise won in the 1980s. The frontcourt he assembled became the backbone of one of the best teams of the era.