1989 NBA Finals
1989 basketball championship series
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The 1989 NBA Finals were the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1988–89 season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons and the two-time defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers.[1]
(Detroit Pistons)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995)
Michael Cooper (2024)
Magic Johnson (2002)
James Worthy (2003)
Pistons:
Joe Dumars (2006)
Dennis Rodman (2011)
Isiah Thomas (2000)
Coaches:
Chuck Daly (1994)
Pat Riley (2008)
Officials:
Hugh Evans (2022)
Darell Garretson (2016)
Earl Strom (1995)
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| Dates | June 6–13 | |||||||||
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| MVP | Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995) Michael Cooper (2024) Magic Johnson (2002) James Worthy (2003) Pistons: Joe Dumars (2006) Dennis Rodman (2011) Isiah Thomas (2000) Coaches: Chuck Daly (1994) Pat Riley (2008) Officials: Hugh Evans (2022) Darell Garretson (2016) Earl Strom (1995) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Pistons defeated Bulls, 4–2 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Lakers defeated Suns, 4–0 | |||||||||
This Finals series joined the 1983 NBA Finals as the only two championship series of the 1980s not won by either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics. Every finals series of the decade featured at least one of these two franchises, with the teams facing each other in 1984, 1985, and 1987. The Detroit Pistons' four-game victory marked the second time the Lakers were swept in the finals series during the decade, following their 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983.
During the season, the Lakers won the Western Conference, with Magic Johnson earning his second MVP award. The team swept its first three playoff series against Pacific Division rivals Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix, which resulted in a rematch with the Detroit Pistons in the Finals.
The Pistons dominated the Eastern Conference, winning 63 regular season games. After sweeping the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Chicago Bulls in six games, earning a second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. In the previous season, the Lakers had defeated them in a tough seven-game series.[2]
The Pistons won the series in a four-game sweep of the injury-riddled Lakers, capturing the first championship in franchise history and becoming the last of the NBA's "Original Eight" charter teams to win a championship.[3]
It marked the first time that a team (the Lakers) had swept the first three rounds of the playoffs, only to be defeated in the Finals. As of 2026, the 1989 Pistons remain the most recent Eastern Conference team to sweep an NBA Finals series. The Pistons clinched all four playoff series on the road, a feat later matched by the 1999 San Antonio Spurs, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 2026 New York Knicks.
The Detroit Pistons' physical style of play and aggressive defensive schemes earned them the nickname "The Bad Boys". Although the name was originally popularized by NBA Entertainment in a 1987-88 season summary video, the team, led by Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, had embraced the title as a marketing brand and unifying identity. The "Bad Boys" image became a central part of the franchise's marketing during the 1988-89 championship run and remained an unofficial slogan during their repeat title season in 1990.[4]
Following the series, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement from the NBA at age 42 at the end of his 20th season.[5]
Pistons guard Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.[6]
Background
Detroit Pistons
Before the season began, the Pistons moved from the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, to the brand-new Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan.[7] The new arena was envisioned by Pistons owner William Davidson. It featured luxury boxes and club seating, which increased revenue compared with older arenas. The Pistons sold out all 41 games at The Palace.[8]
The team itself also improved, highlighted by a mid-season trade that sent Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Mark Aguirre.[9] With Aguirre taking over the starting small forward position, the Pistons went on a tear, winning 31 of their final 37 games to finish with a league-best 63–19 record.
Their second-half momentum carried over into the playoffs, sweeping both the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first two rounds. However, they lost two of the first three games to their archrival Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals, but after devising the Jordan Rules scheme to contain Michael Jordan, the Pistons won the final three games to earn another Finals berth.[10]
Los Angeles Lakers
Prior to the season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced that the 1988–89 season was to be his last. Therefore, his 'retirement tour' consisted of pregame tributes in every arena to pay homage to the retiring Lakers captain.[11]
Seeking to become the first team since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s to win three consecutive championships, the Lakers managed to put up a conference-best 57–25 record. The team's core remained mostly intact, save for veteran forward Kurt Rambis, who signed with the expansion Charlotte Hornets as a free agent. Their most notable addition was former Chicago Bulls forward Orlando Woolridge.[12]
The Lakers became the first team to win their first 11 playoff games, as they swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns in each of the first three rounds. Magic Johnson won the MVP award that year.[13]
Road to the Finals
| Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion) | Detroit Pistons (Eastern Conference champion) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season |
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| Defeated the (8) Portland Trail Blazers, 3–0 | First round | Defeated the (8) Boston Celtics, 3–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defeated the (4) Seattle SuperSonics, 4–0 | Conference semifinals | Defeated the (5) Milwaukee Bucks, 4–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defeated the (3) Phoenix Suns, 4–0 | Conference finals | Defeated the (6) Chicago Bulls, 4–2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season series
The Detroit Pistons won both games in the regular season series:[14]
Series summary
| Game | Date | Road team | Result | Home team |
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| Game 1 | June 6 | Los Angeles Lakers | 97–109 (0–1) | Detroit Pistons |
| Game 2 | June 8 | Los Angeles Lakers | 105–108 (0–2) | Detroit Pistons |
| Game 3 | June 11 | Detroit Pistons | 114–110 (3–0) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 4 | June 13 | Detroit Pistons | 105–97 (4–0) | Los Angeles Lakers |
Game summaries
Game 1
June 6 9:00 pm EDT |
| Los Angeles Lakers 97, Detroit Pistons 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 26–27, 18–24, 31–30 | ||
| Pts: Johnson, Worthy 17 each Rebs: A.C. Green 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas 24 Rebs: Aguirre, Rodman 10 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees:
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Before Game 1, Lakers guard Byron Scott suffered a severe hamstring injury in practice and did not play in the series.[15]
For the Pistons, Thomas finished with 24 points, Dumars 22, and Johnson 19. With six minutes left, Detroit led 97–79, and the final score was 109–97.[16]
Game 2
June 8 9:00 pm EDT |
| Los Angeles Lakers 105, Detroit Pistons 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–26, 30–30, 30–28, 13–24 | ||
| Pts: Cooper, Worthy 19 each Rebs: A.C. Green 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 |
Pts: Joe Dumars 33 Rebs: Mark Aguirre 6 Asts: Isiah Thomas 7 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees:
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Joe Dumars had a strong first half with 24 points (finishing with 33). Los Angeles held a 62–56 lead at halftime.[17][18]
With about four minutes left in the third period, John Salley blocked a Mychal Thompson shot, starting a Detroit fast break during which Magic Johnson pulled his hamstring. Magic was visibly hurt and frustrated, and had to be coaxed into leaving the floor. Dick Stockton, commentating for CBS, said, "I've never seen him (Magic) look like that", referring to the injury.[18]
The final score was 108–105, and the Pistons took a 2–0 series lead.[17]
Game 3
June 11 3:30 pm EDT |
| Detroit Pistons 114, Los Angeles Lakers 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 30–33, 29–33, 28–22 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 31 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 19 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 |
Pts: James Worthy 26 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13 Asts: Michael Cooper 13 | |
| Detroit leads the series, 3–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees:
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Magic Johnson missed most of Game 3 due to injury, exiting after five minutes with the Lakers leading, 11–8.
James Worthy scored 26 points, and the 42-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a strong game with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Michael Cooper had 13 assists and 15 points. Dennis Rodman, despite having back spasms, had 19 rebounds. Joe Dumars scored 31 points, scoring 17 consecutive points in the third quarter. Vinnie Johnson scored 17, 13 of which came in the fourth. Isiah Thomas had 26 points and eight assists.[19]
Game 4
June 13 9:00 pm EDT |
| Detroit Pistons 105, Los Angeles Lakers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–35, 26–20, 27–23, 29–19 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 23 Rebs: Johnson, Laimbeer 6 each Asts: Dumars, Johnson, Thomas 5 each |
Pts: James Worthy 40 Rebs: A.C. Green 12 Asts: Michael Cooper 9 | |
| Detroit wins the series, 4–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees:
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James Worthy scored 40 points on 17-of-26 field-goal shooting. As a Pistons win would mark Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final game, Kareem received several ovations during pregame warmups and introductions.[20]
The Lakers led 35–23 at the end of the first quarter and led 55–49 at halftime. The Lakers led 78–76 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Pistons won 105-97.[21] Dumars was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.3 points per game during the series.[22]
The Pistons won the series 4–0, capturing their first NBA championship.[23] This was the first NBA Finals that ended in a four-game sweep since the Finals went to the 2–3–2 format in 1985.
Team rosters
Detroit Pistons
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
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Los Angeles Lakers
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
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Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
- Detroit Pistons
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Aguirre | 4 | 4 | 26.8 | .364 | .000 | .750 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 7.5 |
| Fennis Dembo | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Joe Dumars | 4 | 4 | 36.8 | .576 | .000 | .868 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 27.3 |
| James Edwards | 4 | 0 | 24.3 | .444 | 0.0 | .750 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 9.0 |
| Vinnie Johnson | 4 | 0 | 23.8 | .600 | .200 | .636 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 17.0 |
| Bill Laimbeer | 4 | 4 | 23.5 | .545 | .667 | .857 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 8.0 |
| John Long | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Rick Mahorn | 4 | 4 | 24.5 | .556 | .000 | .667 | 5.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 6.0 |
| Dennis Rodman | 4 | 0 | 23.5 | .467 | .000 | .857 | 10.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5.0 |
| John Salley | 4 | 0 | 20.3 | .684 | .000 | .571 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 7.5 |
| Isiah Thomas | 4 | 4 | 35.3 | .485 | .333 | .760 | 2.5 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 21.3 |
| Micheal Williams | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
- Los Angeles Lakers
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 4 | 4 | 26.0 | .435 | .000 | .833 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 12.5 |
| Tony Campbell | 4 | 1 | 20.8 | .625 | .333 | .765 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 11.0 |
| Michael Cooper | 4 | 4 | 40.8 | .378 | .333 | .833 | 1.5 | 6.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 12.0 |
| A.C. Green | 4 | 4 | 33.5 | .440 | .000 | .684 | 9.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 8.8 |
| Magic Johnson | 3 | 3 | 25.0 | .462 | .200 | .909 | 3.7 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 11.7 |
| Jeff Lamp | 4 | 0 | 2.8 | .667 | .000 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Mark McNamara | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| David Rivers | 3 | 0 | 8.7 | .333 | .000 | .800 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 |
| Mychal Thompson | 4 | 0 | 25.8 | .433 | .000 | .636 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 10.0 |
| Orlando Woolridge | 4 | 0 | 21.8 | .611 | .000 | .842 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 9.5 |
| James Worthy | 4 | 4 | 42.5 | .481 | .667 | .710 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 25.5 |
Television coverage
This series was aired on CBS. Dick Stockton and Hubie Brown called the action. Stockton also narrated the season-ending documentary "Motor City Madness" for NBA Entertainment.[24][18][20]
That year, Pat O'Brien filled in for Brent Musburger for Game 2 as pre-game, half-time and post-game host as Musburger was on assignment for CBS Sports, the same thing that happened in 1988. CBS used three sideline reporters which were O'Brien (the Pistons' sideline), Lesley Visser (the Lakers' sideline) and James Brown (both teams). This was Musburger's last NBA Finals assignment for CBS, as he was fired on April 1, 1990, months before NBA's television contract with CBS expired. Musburger moved to ABC and ESPN, and later called nine NBA Finals series for ESPN Radio between 1996 and 2004.
For the start of 1989 NBA Finals CBS completely revamped their opening montage for their NBA broadcasts. The computer-generated imagery (once again set in and around a virtual arena) was made to look more realistic (live-action footage was incorporated in the backdrops). Also, the familiar theme music (an uptempo series of four notes and three bars composed by Allyson Bellink since the 1983 NBA Finals) each was rearranged[25] to sound more intricate and to have a more emotional impact, along the lines of the network's later World Series coverage. Between the 1989 NBA Finals and the 1990 NBA Finals' intros, the theme music was slightly revised; the 1989 Finals intro incorporated more of a guitar riff, while the 1990 Finals intro featured a little more usage of trumpets.
International
Aftermath
The Pistons would repeat as champions in the next year, knocking off the Clyde Drexler-led Portland Trail Blazers in five games.[26] The Pistons team who repeated the following season was virtually the same, minus Rick Mahorn, who was left unprotected and therefore selected in the 1989 expansion draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pistons were conducting their victory celebration in Detroit while the draft was happening and Mahorn was taken aside during the festivities, so he could be told. Pistons general manager Jack McCloskey tried to reacquire Mahorn to no avail, and years later Mahorn was shown to still be bothered by what transpired as the story of the expansion draft brought him to tears during the 2014 ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary about the team.[27]
This was Pat Riley’s last Finals appearance as the Lakers’ head coach. The next season, he resigned and became, after a brief stint as a broadcaster with NBC, the head coach of the New York Knicks from 1992 to 1995.[28][29][30] The Lakers did make it back to the finals in 1991 in spite of Riley’s absence, but fell to Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls in five games.
A decade later, Dennis Rodman and John Salley would play for the Lakers. Salley won a championship during the last year of his career with the Lakers in 2000.[31]
The Pistons and Lakers met again in the 2004 NBA Finals. In the rematch, the Pistons, led by Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince, and coached by Larry Brown, beat the Lakers team of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and coached by Phil Jackson, in five games.[32]
This was the first NBA Finals to feature special on-court decals made for the event. These were placed within the center court of each participating team's home arenas. The NBA continued to place these decals until 2014.[33][34]