News

We're Gonna Party Like It's 1988


Steve Lipofsky
The last time the Celtics made the Eastern Conference Finals was in 1988. Here is a snap shot of the season:

  • It stood as the first time in five seasons that the Celtics did not advance to the NBA Finals.
  • The Celtics finished with a 57-25 regular season record, the best in the Eastern Conference.
  • The Celtics scored an average of 113.6 points per game.
  • Larry Bird established a career-high for points per game in a season (29.9).
  • Kevin McHale (.604) and Robert Parish (.589) finished 1, 2 in the NBA in field goal percentage.
  • Dirk Minniefield was named the team’s “Sixth Man of the Year”.

    Here is what was also going on in our world at the time:

    Pop Culture:

  • Movies: The Last Emperor is named Best Picture. Also in the movies: Rain Man, Missisippi Burning, Bull Durham.
  • Music: Paul Simon’s Graceland wins Record of the Year. U2’s Joshua Tree wins Album of the Year. Song of The Year is Somewhere Out There.
  • TV: The Wonder Years wins an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
  • Broadway: Phantom of the Opera wins a Tony Award for Best Musical

    In The News:

  • Ted Turner starts the TNT network.
  • CD’s outsell vinyl for the first time.
  • Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis runs for President as Democratic Nominee. He loses to the Republican nominee, Vice President George Bush.
  • U.S. and Canada reach agreement on N.A.F.T.A.
  • Pan-Am Flight 103 explodes due to a terrorist’s bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland.

    The Wide-World of Sports:

  • NBA: The L.A. Lakers defeat the Detroit Pistons in Seven Games in the NBA Finals.
  • NHL: The Edmonton Oilers sweep the Boston Bruins, 4-0, in the Stanley Cup Finals.
  • NFL: The Washington Redskins defeat the Denver Broncos, 42-10, in the Super Bowl.
  • NCAA Football: Notre Dame wins a National Title with a 12-0 season.
  • NCAA Basketball: Danny Manning and the Kansas Jayhawks win the NCAA title with a 83-79 win over the Oklahoma Sooners.
  • Olympics: U .S. Swimmer Matt Biondi wins 5 Golds, and seven medals all together, at the Summer Olympics in Seoul.

    Compiled By Reagan Berube