The teams traded games throughout the series. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Im not a guy that talks about my past because I always look to the future, but you really sit down and look at it, Ive been involved in a lot, its pretty nice, the forward simply explained. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. 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. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! The 86 Celts, in the conversation for the greatest team of all time, defeated Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time, in the first round. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? However, this was not the case. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. 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. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. 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). Peak, Bird was better imo Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Take a look below. Things werent as cheerful from this point forward for Boston though. Fox believes the Westbrook is the most scrutinized player in the NBA, while also stating that everyone inside the league loves Westbrook, regardless of what the outside perception may be, Arenas believes that the Grizzlies should ignore Morant's actions because every other team would and he's a productive player for them, Tim Hardaway told his favorite Run TMC story involving Don Nelson which resulted to an unforgettable moment for the group. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. 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. It featured the first time that Larry Bird met Magic Johnson in the NBA Finals, their first head-to-head championship meeting since the 1979 NCAA title game. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? The Bullets also had rookie Jeff Malone, who was a backup at this point but would go on to be a star, and future Piston Bad Boy Rick Mahorn. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. That went to Birds teammate. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . 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) . Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Games. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Despite a back injury in the 1985 offseason, Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebound and 6.8 assists per game and for the third straight season, the Celtics finished top of the Eastern Conference. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. 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. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. 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 . 0:00. . The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. 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. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: Home; Tickets; Schedule. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. The Lakers took game 1 in Boston and looked like they made take a commanding 2-0 lead when Gerald Henderson stole the ball and the series. Some of Johnson's notable performances against Bird: As for some of Bird's notable performances against Johnson: Johnson and Bird played against each other 19 times in the playoffs over the course of three NBA Finals. More player info If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. After . The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. Thanks for signing up. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. 2022-23 Season Schedule; This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. 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. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. 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. Larry Bird. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. It must have lit a fire underneath Larry because he didnt let anything get in his way during his sophomore season. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. . The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. Required fields are marked *. 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 Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. The kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. He joined the Celtics a year later. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? Former Celtics player M.L. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. 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. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. 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.
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