The '80s saved the NBA. After merging with the more exciting ABA in 1976, the league was struggling to get attention. The NFL, NHL and MLB were all more popular. That was until a kid from French Lick, IN and a kid from Lansing, MI took the league by storm. With that, they ushered in a new era of great basketball. The '80s were rough, rugged and raw. Fights happened regularly and a clothesline was just considered a hard foul. The Lakers and Celtics took home eight of the 10 titles during the decade. But Larry and Magic weren't the only guys to play well during this stretch. Guys like Adrian Dantley and Alex English made scoring look easy. Even old heads like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving also made the cut after conquering the '70s. Check out the rest of The 25 Greatest NBA Players of the '80s.
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