Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. 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. Those other two times? In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals 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. 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. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Thanks for signing up. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. Take a look below. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. 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. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. 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. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. 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. Birds missed game winner in game four turned out to be vital in the series as the Lakers did not let their 3-1 lead slip, winning the series in six games. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. 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. 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. 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. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. 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. 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. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Houston Rockets 4-2, who would briefly play with Bird later in his career, the greatest non-final series in NBA history, Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. 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. 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 Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. 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. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? 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. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. FTA complete back to 1948-49. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. The games were not much closer than the series itself. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Do you have a sports website? We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. 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. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Coopers. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. 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.. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. 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 . The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. In 1981, 1984 and 1986, it was Bird who led the Boston Celtics to championships, with him taking home two Finals MVP awards. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. It's an era thing. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. I wrote about his underrated defense here. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. 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. 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. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. Navigation Toggle NBA. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! * 1981: Boston Celtics def. Larry Bird is 6-9. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. Funny story about that series, Boston was actually down 3-1 entering Game 5, and Bird ended up dropping 32, 25 and 23 points in each of those games to rally off three straight wins and advance his team to the Finals. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. NAME DATE SEASON SERIES TM OPP REC W% MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% PF +/-Magic Johnson: 5/27/1984: 1983-84 . Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. . The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. 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. Required fields are marked *. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. This struggle did not deter Bird. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Larry averaged 27-10-6. NAME. The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Your email address will not be published. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. Isn't 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game one of the coolest statlines for an NBA playoff series ever?A quote from Larry Bird's book "Drive" co. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Atlanta Hawks 4-1, 1986 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. 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. This Finals had everything. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. Magic gets the edge because he finished his career stronger, he was able to get/maybe steal from Charles Barkley the 1990 MVP, and he got the Lakers to another finals in 91, after 88 and the injuries Boston was done being any kind of serious contender they never got past the second round again for the rest of Larry Bird's time but if you're talkin Peak vs. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. Better than MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Larry and Magic.If you take out Steph's games with an NBA75 teammate (KD), Steph's Playoff Win% is 48-26 (.649), which is still better than Duncan, Kobe and Larry Bird's with all their NBA75 teammates. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The Bucks won a five-game series over the Hawks to start the playoffs and got by Darryl Dawkins and his NJ Nets in round 2. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Then came the championship series. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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 The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . 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. Bird, who was selected 6th in the 1978 NBA draft but committed back to Indiana State for his senior season, was named Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 32-game turnaround from the previous year, going from 29 to 61 wins. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. Larry Joe Bird. 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. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. . Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. . Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. 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. "Wilt . 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. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. 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. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. One of the most exciting 3-0 series in league history, the Celtics made quick work of the up-and-coming Bulls featuring a young Michael Jordan. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L.
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