In the 1988 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers went up against a new opponent in the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers were the defending world champions, and head coach Pat Riley boldly guaranteed after they had won the 1987 title that they would repeat as champions, which put added pressure on them.
They were going after their fifth title of the Showtime era and the right to call themselves the “Team of the 1980s.” The Pistons, meanwhile, had just emerged as title contenders with their rough-and-tumble style of play. They were nicknamed the “Bad Boys” because of their dirty and brutal style of play, which involved consistently walking the ball upcourt and committing excessively hard fouls on a regular basis.
Throughout the 1980s, the Lakers were accused by the national media of being “soft.” They lost Game 1 by 12 points, which only heightened those accusations, but they responded with a gutsy Game 2 win. Magic Johnson, despite playing with flu-like symptoms, scored 23 points and added 11 assists and seven rebounds, while James Worthy chipped in 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
One of the advantages Detroit had was forward Dennis Rodman, who was in his second season. Back then, he was relatively low-key and still had boring black hair, but he had already established himself as an excellent rebounder and defender.
He would take turns guarding both Johnson and Worthy. Early in the series, he offered what seemed like a bit of trash talk regarding his ability to check Worthy.
Via Chicago Tribune:
“It’s not difficult,” Rodman said about defending Worthy. “I’m strong enough and quick enough to stay with him. I can body him and if you can beat him with your quickness, he kind of loses track of things.”
Over the last few years, Worthy, the No. 1 pick in the 1982 draft out of the University of North Carolina, had become a three-time All-Star and even had a few big performances in some of L.A.’s most crucial playoff games. But some still wondered if he was merely a one-dimensional player who would fold under extreme pressure, especially if his opponents hit him hard when he headed to the basket.
After Rodman commented on him, he raised his game. He scored 24 points and had nine rebounds in Game 3, which the Lakers won. After they lost the next two, they trailed the series 3-2, and even though they headed home, there were doubts about whether they could make good on Riley’s guarantee.
Worthy would do his best to ensure a happy ending. He shot 12-of-22 from the field and had 28 points, plus another nine rebounds, as the Lakers survived a 43-point outburst by a hobbled Isiah Thomas to earn a 103-102 win.
Then came Game 7. With the Pistons looking like they were going to spoil the party at The Forum, Worthy kept Los Angeles in it with 20 first-half points. L.A. then outscored its opponent 36-21 in the third quarter and held on for a 108-105 triumph, giving them back-to-back NBA championships.
Worthy ended up with a triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the greatest performance of his career, and it came in the biggest game of his career. As a result, he was named the MVP of the championship series.
Perhaps Rodman learned his lesson — never poke the bear, as you may end up inside the bear.