YouTube Gold: Larry Bird vs. Dr. J In the 1980 Playoffs

For the Celtics though, their first great challenge in the early part of the 1980s was always the Philadelphia 76ers.

By 1980, the Sixers had almost all the pieces in place for an historically great team: Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, Doug Collins,and Maurice Cheeks. They would get Andrew Toney in the 1980 draft, and would trade for Moses Malone in 1982.

In 1980, though, they had enough to knock off Bird's Celtics, 4-1, in the Eastern Conference Finals.