NBA basketball team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1981–82 Boston Celtics season was the 36th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics entered the season as the defending NBA champions . They finished the season with the best record in the NBA.
Boston was notably defeated in a seven-game series with their bitter rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers ; in the final game, with the contest well decided, fans chanted "Beat L.A.," helping kick off one of American sports' most famous fan chants.
Draft picks
[ 1]
Roster
1981–82 Boston Celtics roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
SG
44
Ainge, Danny
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1959–03–17
BYU
PG
7
Archibald, Nate
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
150 lb (68 kg)
1948–09–02
UTEP
PF
33
Bird, Larry
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1956–12–07
Indiana State
SG
35
Bradley, Charles
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1959–05–16
Wyoming
SF
30
Carr, M. L.
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1951–01–09
Guilford
SG
40
Duerod, Terry
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1956–07–29
Detroit Mercy
C
45
Fernsten, Eric
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1953–11–01
San Francisco
SG
42
Ford, Chris
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1949–01–11
Villanova
PG
43
Henderson, Gerald
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1956–01–16
VCU
SF
31
Maxwell, Cedric
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1955–11–21
Charlotte
PF
32
McHale, Kevin
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1957–12–19
Minnesota
C
00
Parish, Robert
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1953–08–30
Centenary
C
53
Robey, Rick
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1956–01–30
Kentucky
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended(L) On leave from the team Injured
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
1981-82 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BOS
CHI
CLE
DAL
DEN
DET
GSW
HOU
IND
KCK
LAL
MIL
NJN
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SAS
SDC
SEA
UTA
WAS
Atlanta
–
1–5
2–3
4–2
1–1
1–1
2–4
0–2
2–0
4–2
1–1
0–2
3–3
3–2
5–1
3–3
1–1
2–0
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–4
Boston
5–1
–
4–2
5–0
2–0
1–1
6–0
1–1
1–1
4–1
2–0
1–1
3–3
5–1
5–1
4–2
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
0–2
2–0
6–0
Chicago
3–2
2–4
–
5–1
1–1
1–1
0–6
0–2
1–1
3–3
1–1
2–0
1–5
2–4
3–2
1–5
0–2
1–1
1–1
2–0
1–1
1–1
2–4
Cleveland
2–4
0–5
1–5
–
2–0
0–2
1–5
1–1
1–1
1–5
1–1
0–2
0–6
0–6
0–6
0–5
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–1
0–2
2–0
1–5
Dallas
1–1
0–2
1–1
0–2
–
1–5
1–1
0–5
2–4
1–1
4–2
1–4
1–1
2–0
1–1
0–2
2–3
2–3
1–5
2–3
1–4
3–3
1–1
Denver
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
5–1
–
1–1
3–2
5–1
0–2
4–2
1–4
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–3
2–3
2–4
5–0
2–3
3–3
2–0
Detroit
4–2
0–6
6–0
5–1
1–1
1–1
–
2–0
2–0
2–4
2–0
0–2
2–4
2–4
3–3
2–3
0–2
0–2
0–2
2–0
1–1
1–1
1–4
Golden State
2–0
1–1
2–0
1–1
5–0
2–3
0–2
–
1–4
2–0
3–2
3–3
2–0
1–1
1–1
0–2
4–2
2–4
3–2
5–1
1–5
3–2
1–1
Houston
0–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
4–2
1–5
0–2
4–1
–
2–0
3–3
1–4
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
3–2
4–1
3–3
4–1
2–3
6–0
2–0
Indiana
2–4
1–5
3–3
5–1
1–1
2–0
4–2
0–2
0–2
–
1–1
0–2
0–6
4–2
3–2
0–6
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
1–1
1–1
1–5
Kansas City
1–1
0–2
1–1
1–1
2–4
2–4
0–2
2–3
3–3
1–1
–
1–4
1–1
1–1
2–0
0–2
2–3
0–5
1–5
4–1
2–3
3–3
0–2
Los Angeles
2–0
1–1
0–2
2–0
4–1
4–1
2–0
3–3
4–1
2–0
4–1
–
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–1
4–2
5–1
2–3
5–1
4–2
5–0
2–0
Milwaukee
3–3
3–3
5–1
6–0
1–1
1–1
4–2
0–2
1–1
6–0
1–1
2–0
–
4–1
3–3
4–2
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
0–2
2–0
3–2
New Jersey
2–3
1–5
4–2
6–0
0–2
1–1
4–2
1–1
1–1
2–4
1–1
1–1
1–4
–
4–2
3–3
2–0
1–1
1–1
2–0
0–2
2–0
4–2
New York
1–5
1–5
2–3
6–0
1–1
1–1
3–3
1–1
1–1
2–3
0–2
2–0
3–3
2–4
–
1–5
0–2
1–1
0–2
2–0
0–2
2–0
1–5
Philadelphia
3–3
2–4
5–1
5–0
2–0
1–1
3–2
2–0
1–1
6–0
2–0
1–1
2–4
3–3
5–1
–
1–1
2–0
0–2
2–0
2–0
2–0
6–0
Phoenix
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
3–2
3–2
2–0
2–4
2–3
1–1
3–2
2–4
1–1
0–2
2–0
1–1
–
3–3
4–1
4–2
3–3
3–2
1–1
Portland
0–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
3–2
3–2
2–0
4–2
1–4
1–1
5–0
1–5
0–2
1–1
1–1
0–2
3–3
–
3–2
4–2
3–3
4–1
0–2
San Antonio
1–1
0–2
1–1
2–0
5–1
4–2
2–0
2–3
3–3
0–2
5–1
3–2
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
1–4
2–3
–
3–2
4–1
3–3
1–1
San Diego
1–1
0–2
0–2
1–1
3–2
0–5
0–2
1–5
1–4
0–2
1–4
1–5
0–2
0–2
0–2
0–2
2–4
2–4
2–3
–
1–5
1–4
0–2
Seattle
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
4–1
3–2
1–1
5–1
3–2
1–1
3–2
2–4
2–0
2–0
2–0
0–2
3–3
3–3
1–4
5–1
–
5–0
1–1
Utah
0–2
0–2
1–1
0–2
3–3
3–3
1–1
2–3
0–6
1–1
3–3
0–5
0–2
0–2
0–2
0–2
2–3
1–4
3–3
4–1
0–5
–
1–1
Washington
4–2
0–6
4–2
5–1
1–1
0–2
4–1
1–1
0–2
5–1
2–0
0–2
2–3
2–4
5–1
0–6
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
1–1
1–1
—
Game log
Regular season
1981–82 game log Total: 63–19 (home: 35–6; road: 28–13)
October: 1–1 (home: 1–0; road: 0–1)
November: 12–1 (home: 7–1; road: 5–0)
December: 9–5 (home: 6–0; road: 3–5)
January: 10–4 (home: 5–3; road: 5–1)
February: 8–4 (home: 4–1; road: 4–3)
March: 16–1 (home: 8–1; road: 8–0)
April: 7–3 (home: 4–0; road: 3–3)
1981–82 schedule
Playoffs
1982 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
Conference finals: 3–4 (home: 2–2; road: 1–2)
1982 schedule
References
Awards and honors
Larry Bird, All-NBA First Team
See also
Franchise Arenas Personnel G League affiliate Retired numbers NBA championships Rivalries Culture and lore
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
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