1972–73 Boston Celtics season 1972–73 Boston Celtics season The 1972–73 Boston Celtics season was their 27th in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics finished the season with the best record in the league at 68–14. This mark is the Celtics franchise best. Third-year forward Dave Cowens won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tiny Archibald. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics lost to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. This table only displays picks through the second round. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks: "Celtics win series 4–2" (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) New York
Celtics–Lakers rivalry was actually laid down in college basketball of the late 1970s. During the 1978–79 NCAA season, Michigan State was led by Magic Johnson to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, where they faced Indiana State University, which was led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Magic Johnson would go on to be drafted by the Lakers, and Larry Bird by the Celtics. The personal rivalry formed by these two basketball greats during college would transfer