As a kid, the summer never seemed long enough.
Still, the days were long and hot. It was a perfect time to be outside. Sometimes, you wished it lasted forever.
For one summer though, sitting inside a cool movie theater or in front of a TV in June was must-watch.
From May 27 to June 12 in 1984, the Celtics and Lakers staged arguably the greatest NBA Finals series in history.
About two weeks after Larry Bird and Boston won in seven games over Magic Johnson and the Lakers, a film that had little to no buzz before its release became a mega-hit.
On June 22, 1984, “The Karate Kid” — starring Ralph Macchio as the iconic Daniel LaRusso in a role that defined his career — debuted in theaters. The film was directed by John Avildsen, who also directed another film you might remember — 1976’s “Rocky.”
It was Hollywood’s sleeper hit of the year. With a $8 million budget, it took in $130 million at the box office. The late and great movie critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, and admitted he didn’t want to review it.
He also admitted he was wrong, as he noted “The Karate Kid” was one of the nice surprises of 1984. Ebert wrote the film was “An exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming stray with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time.”
The same can be said about the friendship that eventually formed between Bird and Johnson. Although in 1984, that wasn’t the case. The Bird-Magic rivalry was one basketball fans had waited five years to see play out in the NBA. In 1979, Johnson’s Michigan State team defeated Bird’s Indiana State squad in the most-watched NCAA championship game in history.
Fans wanted more of Bird vs. Magic, and they got more in the 1984 NBA Finals.
On the big-screen, teen-agers and young adults came out in droves for “The Karate Kid,” and it carried on with films such as 1985’s “The Breakfast Club,” and 1986’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and others.
Similar to the NBA — which just a few years earlier had its Finals’ games televised on tape day —motion pictures built around teen and young adults proved they could be a hit.
Collectively, “The Karate Kid” and the 1984 NBA Finals still resonate four decades later.
Bird and Magic — some might argue Julius Erving and Michael Jordan also need to be included — were the most influential individuals in building the NBA to what it is today.
There’s also no doubt “The Karate Kid” has earned its place among the great teen and sports movies of all time. The proof is in the Netflix hit series “Cobra Kai,” which continued the stories of LaRusso and his arch enemy Jonny Lawrence (William Zabka).
“Cobra Kai” as a success seemed like a long shot. Even though the original film has had an extended life on cable and other platforms, it had been nearly 40 years since the characters had been brought back to life. Would today’s youth come along for the ride?
The answer is in the absurdity of “Cobra Kai” — which begins its final season next month. The series doesn’t take itself seriously and it’s over-the-top characters and storylines are the perfect escape.
As for Bird-Magic and the Celtics-Lakers, it was great theater, great drama and great basketball, which extended for two more Finals in 1985 and 1987. Bird-Magic Books have been written. Bird-Magic documentaries have been produced. The latest foray into their narrative was HBO’s recent series, “Winning Time,” which documented the rise of the “Showtime” Lakers and also included Bird and the Celtics.
The summer of 1984 was a busy one. The Summer Olympics were held in L.A., Michael Jordan was drafted by the Bulls and signed with the Nike, Wayne Gretzky led the Oilers to their first Stanley Cup title, “The Natural” — starring Robert Redford — was in theaters, and — on the local scene — Browns quarterback Brian Sipe left Cleveland for Donald Trump and the USFL’s New Jersey Generals.
But from a 13-year-old’s perspective — yours truly — in 1984, nothing topped a karate movie and a seven-game basketball series.
A look at “The Karate Kid” and the 1984 NBA Finals:
‘The Karate Kid”
Release date: June 22, 1984
Budget, box office: $8 million, $130.8 million
Key Players: Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), Pat Morrito (Mr. Miyagi), William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), Elisabeth Shue (Ali Mills), Martin Kove (John Kreese)
Synopsis: LaRusso and his mother move to Los Angeles, where LaRusso is bullied by karate bad boys and then taught by apartment handyman Mr. Miyagi (Pat Mortia) to help LaRusso defend himself and win the All-Valley Tournament. All the while, LaRusso learns about love and — most important — his unlikely friendship with Miyagi.
Why it resonates to this day: “The Karate Kid” could be summed this way: It was the teen-age version of “Rocky.” Kove — who plays the villainous Cobra Kia sensei Kreese — said the original film was a “religious experience” for many because of the aspects of bullying, romance and the fish-out-of-water metaphor. “So I found out, through autograph shows and talking to people, that everybody felt, in some way, the Karate Kid experience,” Kove told comicbook.com in 2020.
1984 NBA Finals
Series info: Celtics won, 4-3
Key players: Boston — Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell; L.A. — Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis; CBS — Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Tom Heinsohn (color), Brent Musburger (studio)
Synopsis: Prior to 1984, the Celtics and Lakers were the gold standard of the NBA and had met six times in the finals, with Boston winning all the matchups. With the Bird-Magic factor captivating an American audience, this one seemed different from all the rest. The series played out like TV drama. There were late-game heroics by Celtics guard Gerald Henderson (Game 2) and Bird (the series MVP), complete domination by the Lakers in Games 3 and 6, and enough drama to divide lines across the country. The series-defining moment was in Game 4 when Kevin McHale took down Kurt Rambis with a hard foul on a fast break. The bad blood fueled the Celtics and enraged the Lakers. L.A. lost its focus, and couldn’t recover. Boston took home the championship.
Why it resonates today: Sports is simple as being a fan, and that means picking a side. In 1984, it was simple: You either loved the Celtics or hated the Celtics. And vice-versa. And it all focused on Bird and Magic. The 1984 NBA Finals grabbed massive TV ratings, and Americans picked their side. It went beyond Celtics and Lakers fans, and the NBA hasn’t been the same since.
