| ||||||||||
| Dates: | May 22–May 31 | |||||||||
| MVP: | Moses Malone (Philadelphia 76ers) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | 76ers: Julius Erving (1993) Moses Malone (2001) Maurice Cheeks (2018) Bobby Jones (2019) Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995) Bob McAdoo (2000) Magic Johnson (2002) James Worthy (2003; did not play) Jamaal Wilkes (2012) Coaches: Billy Cunningham (1986, player) Pat Riley (2008) Broadcasters: Chick Hearn (2003, contributor) Officials: Earl Strom (1995) Darell Garretson (2016) Hugh Evans (2022) | |||||||||
| Eastern Finals: | 76ers defeated Bucks, 4–1 | |||||||||
| Western Finals: | Lakers defeated Spurs, 4–2 | |||||||||
| NBA Finals | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← 1982 | ||||||||||
| 1984 → | ||||||||||
The 1983 NBA World Championship Series, also known as Showdown '83, was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1982–83 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs.
It was the last NBA Championship Series completed before June 1. The Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers swept the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0. It was their third meeting in four seasons in the NBA Finals. 76ers center Moses Malone was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). This, along with the 1989 NBA Finals, were the only two NBA championships of the 1980s not to be won by either the Lakers or the Boston Celtics. Coincidentally, the Lakers were also swept in the 1989 NBA Finals, that time by the Detroit Pistons. The 76ers would not return to Finals until 2001 when they again faced the Lakers, losing in five games.
1983 NBA Playoffs[]
| Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference Champion) | Philadelphia 76ers (Eastern Conference Champion) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58–24 (.707)
1st Pacific, 1st West, 2nd Overall |
Regular season | 65–17 (.793)
1st Atlantic, 1st East, 1st Overall | ||
| Earned first-round bye | First Round | Earned first-round bye | ||
| Defeated the (5) Portland Trail Blazers, 4–1 | Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (5) New York Knicks, 4–0 | ||
| Defeated the (2) San Antonio Spurs, 4–2 | Conference Finals | Defeated the (2) Milwaukee Bucks, 4–1 | ||
Series summary[]
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | May 22 | Philadelphia | 113–107 | Los Angeles |
| Game 2 | May 26 | Philadelphia | 103–93 | Los Angeles |
| Game 3 | May 29 | Los Angeles | 94–111 | Philadelphia |
| Game 4 | May 31 | Los Angeles | 108–115 | Philadelphia |
| Preceded by 1982 |
NBA Finals 1983 |
Succeeded by 1984 |