The New Orleans Jazz moved into the cavernous
Louisiana Superdome after splitting their inaugural season between two inadequate facilities, the Loyola University Fieldhouse and New Orleans Municipal Auditorium.
Dick Bavetta began his
Hall of Fame officiating career, replacing the retired
Mendy Rudolph, who suffered a blood clot in his lung during a 1975 playoff game and became an analyst for
CBS Sports. Bavetta went on to set the record for most games officiated with 2,635 by the time he retired in 2014.
The NBA Finals were contested by the
Boston Celtics and
Phoenix Suns. Phoenix was making their first finals appearance; Boston was making their fourteenth.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals was first game ever played in the month of June.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Suns went into triple-
overtime before the Celtics prevailed 128–126. This was the first triple-overtime game in NBA finals history; the only triple-overtime finals game since occurred in
1993, in which the Phoenix Suns were again participating.