Although the season would forever be known as the year Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson entered the league, several other important changes also occurred. The three-point field goal, a popular facet of the ABA game, was adopted by the league. The New Orleans Jazz moved to Salt Lake City and took the unlikely team name of Utah Jazz. And the schedule was altered so that teams faced rivals in their own division more often than teams from other divisions.

But the big story of the season was the arrival of two charismatic and talented rookies, Bird and Johnson, materializing on opposite coasts on the rosters of two of the NBA's most successful franchises. The turnaround in Boston was dramatic. Havlicek had retired after the 1978 season, and Boston went 29-53 in 1979. Along with Bird, the Celtics still had Cowens and third-year forward Cedric Maxwell up front, with Archibald and Chris Ford in the backcourt. The team posted a remarkable 61-21 record, a 32-game improvement. But Philadelphia won 59 games and behind Erving's stellar play, defeated the Celtics in five games to advance to the Finals.

In Los Angeles, the Lakers experienced a little "Magic," as Johnson's enthusiasm seemed to rejuvenate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, propelling the Lakers to 60 wins and a berth in the NBA Finals. With Abdul-Jabbar leading the way and Johnson stepping in for the injured center in the clinching game, the Lakers won the first title of the 1980s in six games.