Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. Not that there was anything to really worry about for him, it really just added a chip on his shoulder to come back and perform to a high standard. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. BOSTON (AP) June 12, 1984: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-102 in Game 7 in the first NBA Finals between Boston's Larry Bird and Los Angeles' Magic Johnson . 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. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Bird did not technically average a triple double for the series because both his rebounds and assists were slightly below 10 and Ive rounded them, but, still, those stats are unreal. Required fields are marked *. This struggle did not deter Bird. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. FTA complete back to 1948-49. Is it tied to championships? Larry Bird (Larry Legend; The Hick from French Lick) Position: Forward 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) School: Indiana State (Men) Draft: Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA draft. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. 0:49. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. Join our linker program. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . 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. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Then head coach Bill Fitch resigned as head coach despite having the second-best coaching record in the NBA during his four-year stint in Boston. That went to Birds teammate. He led the Cs to a Conference Finals appearance once or twice in the ensuing years but the team just wasnt nearly as competitive anymore and it was obvious that Larry was getting up there in age. He shone as a head coach and executive for the Indiana Pacers; in fact, hes the only man in history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. He was still one to wear what he wanted, enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and, in this case, refuse to hype up his own accomplishments. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com Right, Born: M.L. Carr on Lakers vs. Celtics 1984 Finals being epic - Basketball He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across his three seasons, winning Naismith College Player of the Year in 1979. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. How Larry Bird was robbed of the 1981 NBA playoff and - CelticsBlog And they werent. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. Reliving the almost-perfect championship series stint authored by Larry Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. The first two meetings of the season between Cleveland and Boston took OT, but the Celtics were able to sneak a 117-113 win at home. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. Larry Bird - College Basketball At Sports-Reference All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. The Boston Celtics legend is one of three players in NBA history to win three straight MVPs, and he helped the C's win three championships in the 1980s.. Bird, along with Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, helped take the NBA to another level. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. This was a fantastic series overall. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? By: HoopsHype. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. The Celtics blew out Houston in game 5 behind a big effort from Cedric Maxwell and then took a big lead and held on to win in game 6. 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.. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. Data Provided By He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Jayson Tatum's 25th birthday | ksdk.com Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . NAME. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Larry Bird's Famous Wife Not Everyone Knows - msn.com In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . Larry Bird is 6-9. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. 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. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. The following season, the Celtics did end up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers after winning their first-round series against the Washington Bullets (what a team name!). Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com The Rockets fought back to win handily in game 5 at home but the Celtics closed out the series in game 6 in the Boston Garden to take their third title of the Bird era. Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Two-time National Basketball Association champion Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell points to the pillars of the game when it comes to the question, "Who is the greatest NBA player of all time?" "I measure it by those who changed the game," said the former Boston Celtics standout on Sunday afternoon while taking part in the Legends & Stars Sports Expo at Batavia Downs Gaming. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. Bird only averaged 15 points per game throughout the series but he did drop a series high 27 points in Game 6 to officially send the Rockets packing, as Bird won his first chip. Bird also won Finals MVP in 1986 when he scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and had 2.7 steals per game. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. 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. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. May 12, 2022. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Bird's Boston Celtics won the NBA championship three times during his career (1981 and '86 vs. the Houston Rockets, '84 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers), and Bird won Finals MVP in '84 and '86. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. In the game, the Lakers rallied to cut a 14-point-deficit to three with one minute remaining when Cedric Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. October 9, 2019. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. . Bird poured in 39 in game 7 to lead the Cs to 30.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the series. Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. 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. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. At that time, Bird also expressed unhappiness over Mangurians decision to sell the team, and he was one of the players who defended Fitch after they were swept by the Bucks. The games were not much closer than the series itself. A superstar. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. 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. Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. What is Larry Bird's Record in the NBA Finals? Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns.The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three." M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the . The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. 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. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Top 15 Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Star - TheSportster Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. 1981 NBA Finals - Wikipedia Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . 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. Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His Amazing! . Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. When asked about what he remembers most about beating the Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals, Carrs reply was: The final seconds of Game 7. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 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. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. No stats available. Larry led the team to a Game 7 victory while averaging 26-13-5, putting up a great stat line of 23-11-5 with 5 steals in the deciding Game 7. Games. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. Stockton, the play-by-play announcer for the series, was joined by Tom Heinsohn, and the duo would call the next four NBA Finals until 1987. When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting The 1985 NBA Finals & Brawling Larry Bird the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Larry Bird's Stats For Each Season: Consistency Was The Key, He Teaming with players like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Maxwell was an essential player on Boston teams that won NBA championships in both 1981 and 1984. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. Or write about sports? Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. This site is a participant in the Impact Affiliate Platform which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Fanatics.com . Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. . He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. 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. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . Larry Legend also sank 42 of 47 foul shots in the pressure-packed series (89.4 . Your email address will not be published. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. Take a look below. Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. As with many teams in the 1990s, the Pacers were stopped by the Chicago Bulls, losing the series in seven games as the Bulls did not lose a home game in the series. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. inWest Baden,Indiana Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Birds college career as a whole was exceptional. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Arrives by Wed, Mar 15 Buy Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica Basketball with "HOF 1998" Inscription - Limited Edition of 133 at Walmart.com If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. more information Accept. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Larry Bird - Wikipedia Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. . Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Jayson Tatum passed Larry Bird for the most 30 point games Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish.
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