1979 NBA Conference Finals Game 7

[kimv020887]

I still remember watching NBA Greatest Games hearing Bob Blackburn say: "THREE...TWO...ONE...AND THE SUPERSONICS WIN THEIR FIRST EVER NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!"

[kimv020887]

@DoesNotExist305 let me do the NBA history lesson for you: 1979-80 was the season NBA adopted the 3-point line. Larry O'Brien was the NBA commissioner at that tine, DoesNotExist305. You better learn your NBA history properly next time, dude. REPLY BACK.

[Jiltedin2007]

If I recall. Wasn't it Mother's day on that day? And it was Paul Westphal's Mom who sang Our National Anthem before the game. Could I be wrong?

[cag1970]

Notice the lack of a three-point line on the floor...That's so odd now, because we've become accustomed to it.

[DoesNotExist305]

@cag1970 The NBA adopted the three point line from the ABA in 1980 after David Stern became commissioner. 

[cag1970]

@DoesNotExist305, I know...Chris Ford, a former head coach of the Celtics, hit the NBA's first three-pointer in the regular season. Just that I'm getting old now, that's all, because I can even remember when they standardized the three-point stripe in college.

[DoesNotExist305]

@cag1970 Is that so? I didn't know that lol. Thanks :)

[kimv020887]

@DoesNotExist305 David Stern wasn't the commissioner when the NBA adopted the three-point line. Larry O'Brien was the NBA commissioner when the NBA got the 3-point line. LEARN YOUR HISTORY DUDE.

[kimv020887]

@cag1970 hey you're ALSO DAMN WRONG, cag1970. Larry O'Brien was the commissioner of the NBA when the league adopted the three point line. LEARN YOUR HISTORY TOO, DUDE.

[cag1970]

@kimv020887, I'm not the one who said David Stern was commissioner when the NBA adopted the three-point line, and I didn't catch the mistake in the response to me. I know it was Larry O'Brien, who even before he became NBA commissioner was the head of the Democratic National Committee and Postmaster General of the United States. That enough history for you?

[kimv020887]

@cag1970 yeah. I watched Larry O'Brien's bio on NBA TV and he was Postmaster General for the US Government before becoming commissioner. Yep its enough. REPLY BACK. The one who said David Stern became commissioner in 1980 was DoesNotExist305.

[kimv020887]

@DoesNotExist305 the NBA only adopted the three point line in 1979-80. And Larry O'Brien was the NBA's commissioner at that time, not David Stern. Stern only became commissioner in 1984. LEARN YOUR HISTORY, DoesNotExist305.

[DoesNotExist305]

@kimv020887 Yes I read that after I posted my comment.

[kimv020887]

@DoesNotExist305 okay.

[ErikS1975FreeState]

The 1979 Western Finals was a great series

[mrssmaz]

Spurs were screwed by the refs in Game 7 of the 79 Eastern Conference finals

[Freenbean]

The Sonics moved to the Kingdome for the 1979-1980 season. The basketball court was down near home plate - so that they could use the first base side and the area behind home plate- then they put in temporary bleacher for the rest of the court. I think they could get 38,000 for a game.

[Gerkinstock]

What's the name of the new age song played in this piece? It was used when recapping NBA playoff games in the late 70's & early 80's.

[WiltatKansas]

That's from the soundtrack of the midnight express movie, look for it in youtube.

[kimv020887]

@Gerkinstock Chase by Giorgio Moroder.

[cbaldwinjr]

Why in the world didn't San Antonio go to George Gervin with their season on the line? Maybe Bill Simmons was right about the Iceman

[illest22]

people who follow bill simmons are a fucking disgrace and have no mind of their own....another white clown stealing money from all of you mindless followers

[SFFOOL76]

@illest22

Thank you for your kind words of Bill Simmons. He is a asshat.

[firmeza9]

Wally Walker was a fucking weenie even back then.  Nearly screwed this important game like he eventually screwed the team.

[prdave666]

I was at that WCF game 7 at King County Stadium. About 12 days later the Sonics were NBA Champs. YEAH

[Freenbean]

I remember watching the Sonics-Suns game 7-what they don't show is Lenny taking the starters out of the game when the lead was 8, and then racing to get them back in when the Suns cut the lead to 2.

[BHoz77]

Wow, in '79 we could have had a Spurs-Suns NBA Finals. That sounds strange today, considering the rivalry those two have formed in the Western Conference.

[pats14fann01]

It was weird having SA in the EASTERN CONFERENCE then!!! Who thought that up?

[CJUSA]

It started the ABA-NBA merger. Prior to that, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee were in the West. When SD moved to Houston, they were moved to the East, there being no one around them. When San Antonio joined, the NBA stuck them with Houston ... in the East.

When Buffalo moved to SD, and New Orleans to Utah, the NBA rearranged things.

[kimv020887]

@BHoz77 nope they can't.

[d820m]

it was our home court for that season

[kodm4256]

can someone tell me the name of the music in the background?

[mattdemp]

theme from Midnight Express.

[donjabroni]

Giorgio Moroder - Theme from Midnight Express

[SabbathMan8815]

Man, if the Suns had somehow come back to tie the game and win it in OT, that would've been the most unbelievable comeback of all time in any sport, considering it was a game 7 of the conf finals and they were down by EIGHT with 19 secs left. What was it with the Suns in the 70's and all the miraculous comebacks that they made in crucial games? In the 76 finals in game 5 they came back multiple times also before barely losing in 3 OT.

[wrsawy]

They had some dumb ice skating thing going on in the coliseum. However, they learned quickly that more fans meant more money. Back than they didn't care about having a great atmosphere, they just wanted as many people as possible. Once they got bad the kingdome crowds shrunk and they moved back to the more basketball friendly coliseum. With 15 thousand in a huge kingdome, it was not real good environment.

[Tubewings]

Does anyone know which part of the Kingdome the basketball court was at? I know pretty much every other large stadium that hosted a basketball team (Superdome, Silverdome, Hoosierdome, Astrodome, Metrodome, Alamodome, Skydome)

[Tubewings]

Oh, and the Georgia Dome, too. Forgot about that. I mean, I know about the Georgia Dome arrangement.

[ddenuci]

Can someone explain to me what the heck is going on, beginning at 1:08 ? Phoenix is down by 1 with 4 seconds, Westphal at the line. He is shooting just one shot, as a result of the foul after he made the shot. What was the purpose of line driving the shot off the backboard?? Was the Seattle player John Johnson called for a lane violation thereby giving Westphal another chance?

[markydkiehl]

Phoenix was down by two, with only one free-throw.

[Ariamaluum]

This was a 3 to shoot 2 which they copied from the ABA after the seventh team foul.

[markofly76]

does anybody have any clips of the 1979 NBA finals? it would be appreciated for Sonic fans everywhere.

[wrsawy]

37,000 in the dome to watch basketball. You have to be kidding me, we sat in the top and couldn't see crap, but we were so happy to be there!!!

[tantamanna]

dio can

[Jeff98177]

I remember that funky music.

[Ariamaluum]

Midnight Express.

[alamoro]

In this series- Spurs v Bullets . Dan Cook, San Antonio legendary sportscaster, coined the phrase, with Spurs up 3-1 then 3-3. "It aint over till the fat lady sings" and he was right as our spurs had fallen to the bullets. Great series too.

[Ariamaluum]

Dan Cook actually coined it the year before when they won their division in 1978.

[SaskBlade]

San Antonio was in the east in '79?

[Ariamaluum]

Yes, they were in the east until the 1980-1981 when the Dallas Mavericks came into the league and the New Orleans Jazz moved to Utah, the year before. The Bulls, Pacers, and Pistons were in the west until that season while the Spurs, Rockets, and New Orleans Jazz were in the east.

[slydawg221]

that's exactly what i was thinking. that sounds strange to me too.

[wrsawy]

Sonics tried to give it away. This was great times in Seattle.

[Ariamaluum]

I think McLeod should have gone for the free throw and then the steal. Yes, I know Seattle would have gotten the ball at half-court. Dandridge's shot reminds of somebody who wore 23.

[tgrsmuggs]

Bobby D. of the Bullets at his absolute finest at the end of Game 7 against the Spurs in the '79 Eastern Conference Finals. Sweet!

[Ariamaluum]

He should be in the Hall of Fame but is a victim of media coverage then and now. For his work in 1978 defending, Gervin, Erving, and Johnson was incredible as well as in 1979 when he hit big shots against the Spurs as well as the Hawks in the series before. Unfortunate

[tgrsmuggs]

You clearly know your stuff. I'll never forget this Spurs/Bullets Game 7. It was on USA Network and Jim Karvalis was calling the game with his famous "Bullseye!" phrase whenever somebody hit a big shot. The Bullets fans stayed and danced and partied after the big win. I've never been more excited over a team winning than when the Bullets came back from 1-3 to win the series, and never more deflated than when the Sonics took them out in 5 games in the Finals. Thank goodness for the 1978 win.

[Ariamaluum]

Mitch Kupchak injury in the Spurs series sealed the Bullets fate.

More about Bobby Dandridge. Defense at that time, it was man-to-man no help, rotation, or chipping from guards. That is what makes it impressive.

[tgrsmuggs]

Dandridge was so good in the 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons that they should have filmed him continuously on the court and put on a basketball clinic with the film. Okay Bobby play forward, now play guard, now defend their best player, now hit the big shot to win us the game. So smooth, and so cool, and so underrated. Fans that really, really understood the game knew how good he was. Bullets GM Bob Ferry knew Bobby was the missing link to a title, and he went out and got him. Brilliant!

[puffykilled2pac]

great upload