Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. Nevertheless, it is rare to see a player dominate in so many areas of the game, theres no wonder why the Celtics made multiple deep playoff runs. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Shoots: Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. Navigation Toggle NBA. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Everything you wanted to know about Indiana legend Larry Bird Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. In Game 7, the heat that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91F (33C) during the game, due to additional fans being brought in to try to cool the air). The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. That might seem unbelievable this is coming from a man who famously asked his Three-Point Contest peers who was coming in second but it largely fits within Birds character. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. JJ Redick Tried to Clarify His Stance on Larry Bird and '80s Basketball So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Celtics in the conference finals before losing to the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with Johnson earning Finals MVP honors for his Game 6 performance. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. All-NBA First-Teamers NOT in the Hall of Fame, Basketball Positions 101: Understanding the Different Roles on the Court, The Best NBA Players to NOT Make the Hall of Fame, The Best All-Defensive Team in NBA History, The All-Time Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Superstar by Position. He stayed loyal to the Celtics throughout his entire career and they were the team that reaped the benefits of his five NBA Finals appearances and three NBAchampionships. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . The Celtics then knocked the 76ers off once again, this time in five games and advanced to the Finals for the second time in as many years. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. It was clear that the Celtics were mentally exhausted after playing that many games in such a short span, which resulted in the Lakers beating Bird and the Celtics in six quick games. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. Larry Bird: Biography. Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His Those other two times? The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. I wrote about his underrated defense here. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. By: HoopsHype. Larry averaged 27-10-7 and led the Celtics with 36 points in a game-five win that saw the Celtics beat the Hawks by 33 points. Larry wouldnt have been a controversial choice, but Cedric Maxwell was the emotional center of the Celtics and meant so much to the teams culture. Larry Bird - Wikipedia The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Traditional The Bucks were led in the series, as they had been in the regular season, by wing Marques Johnson and Hall of Fame guard Sidney Moncrief. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. As someone who watched Bird play and has now researched and written more than a half dozen articles about his career, I can help you out. My favorite quotes about Larry Bird - CelticsBlog The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Larry Bird Q&A: Being a white player in the NBA, trash - Andscape Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. Johnson won 11 of those games, posting averages of 19.4 points, 11.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds in their head-to-head matchups compared to 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for Bird. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Right, Born: Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. . The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography Meanwhile, the Clydesdales, AKA the Celtics, were coming off a season where they went 56-26 and were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in round 2 of the playoffs. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. So, for me, being back in the old Boston Garden for Game 7, with twelve seconds left on the clock, and knowing that we were going to be world champions when absolutely no one gave us a chance but usthat is the thing that I remember the most.. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. In terms of individual honors, he won the 1979-80 Rookie of the Year title, claimed three MVP crowns, and earned two NBA Finals MVP nods. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. The top 31 players and coaches, In 1981, the Celtics beat a Houston Rockets team featuring, In 1984, Birds Celtics beat the Showtime Lakers featuring, In 1986 the Celtics defeated a pretty different Houston Rockets squad. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Larry Bird Net Worth. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. They easily won their first round series against the Washington Bullets as they were named at that time, then advanced and knocked off the New York Knicks in a seven-game series. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . They were the thoroughbreds, we were the Clydesdales., It was a very physical series, and thats exactly what we wanted because we knew thats the only way we could beat those guys. Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. This included a Game six victory where a hostile Boston crowd booed Ralph Sampson, sapping his confidence to the point he only had 8 points on 3-12 shooting. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. This was Birds last season with Indiana State as he had been drafted by the Celtics in 1978, but chose to play out one final year with his college instead of going straight to the NBA. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte More player info Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. The Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75-64. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. A year later, the Pacers would not have to worry about Michael Jordan as they returned to the playoffs, this time as the second seed in the east. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. The kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. Atlanta Hawks 4-1, 1986 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Thanks for signing up. 1981 NBA Finals - Wikipedia The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. If you were wondering about his career numbers while we wrap this up, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. Please check your email for a confirmation. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. Your email address will not be published. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Boston finished with a 62-20 regular season record and got their revenge on the Bucks, whom they beat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. talent just don't get it. The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. May 12, 2022. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . Hall of Fame. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. It's an era thing. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. Do you have a blog? Is it tied to championships? With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. It seemed like it should be an easy series for the Celtics, with game one and two victories by double digits, but the Knicks home crowd helped their team to win all their series home games. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. 2022-23 Season Schedule; The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry - Sportskeeda We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Now, the explanation. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. In his first trip to the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 6.8 rebounds, but the Celtics came up short. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! If you are interested in Larry Bird Championships, you might be interested in checking out some of these posts I have written about Larry Legend. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Quora He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Birds mother, Georgia, once said that she couldnt fathom he sons NBA salary and, despite his earning power, insisted that she wasnt out buying expensive clothes. . In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. Larry Joe Bird. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. The Bulls lost Michael Jordan for most of this season to a foot injury and they were mostly terrible, finishing 4th in the Central Division. It was one of the most dominant playoff runs that we had ever seen in basketball at this time and it was hard to imagine them as anything other than favorites entering that series against the Rockets, a team that they already beat in the championship before. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. . Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. However, this was not the case. MUMBAI, India Twenty-seven years after Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the "Dream Team" made the world fall in love with the game of basketball in 1992, India showed its adoration for the Boston Celtics great during the first NBA India Games last week. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Reliving the almost-perfect championship series stint authored by Larry Larry Bird | Net Worth, Salary, And Career Earnings The Indiana-born was the highest-paid rookie of the year, with $3.25 million an average of $650,000 a year in a 5-year contract with the Celtics.Bird had played 879 games in his career until his retirement in 1992.. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. more information Accept. NBA unveils two new postseason awards named after Larry Bird, Magic The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. Games. Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. Johnson had the winning record in the regular season and playoffs, and he took down Bird twice in their three Finals showdowns although Johnson having the better team had something to do with that. Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. Things werent as cheerful from this point forward for Boston though. In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Regardless, Johnson and Bird are widelyregarded as beingtwo of thegreatest players to have ever played the gameand they made for one of the greatest rivalries, one that will never be forgotten. What surprises me more, though, is that former NBA player, 38-year-old JJ Redick, can't admit that the NBA of the 1980s was more physical than the game played today.. Nearly two weeks ago, Redick caused a stir by saying Bird shouldn't be considered .