The table had been set over the past 5 seasons and now the main course had finally arrived; Larry Bird would meet Magic Johnson for  the NBA's biggest prize, the first of a Championship Series Trilogy that would change NBA History. The storied rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers would add an unforgettable chapter in this seven game classic, a passionately fought battle up until the last seconds of the final game. The NBA's Most Valuable player in 1984, Bird would draw first blood with a magnificent performance while Magic suffered the slings and arrows of defeat, a burden he would shoulder until the sequel, The Revenge of the Lakers in 1985.