Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. There are so many different titles that Bird has. 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. 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. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. 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. 0:49. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. 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. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. 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. 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 . "Wilt . He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to the Lakers in the finals, many people saw Bird taking a step back going into the 1985-86 season. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. 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. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Those other two times? 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. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 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. 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). Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Larry Bird stats . The Celtics and the Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA, and the rivalry has often been called the greatest in the NBA. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. 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. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. Navigation Toggle NBA. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. . The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. In retirement, though, Larry Legend managed to take things down a notch. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. Required fields are marked *. 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. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. . In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, "Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615206, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California, May 1984 sports events in the United States, June 1984 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, No. Julius Erving, in full Julius Winfield Erving II, byname Doctor J, (born February 22, 1950, Roosevelt, New York, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who was one of the most colourful and exciting figures in the game during the 1970s and '80s. His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. We have seen some teams lose in the NBA Finals off of some injuries and other situations leading up to it that the box score doesnt show, so lets dive into Birds record. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. The teams traded games throughout the series. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? 1984 was against the Los Ange. 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. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. More player info The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. 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 . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. No stats available. Then came the championship series. Larry Legend also sank 42 of 47 foul shots in the pressure-packed series (89.4 . So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. 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. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. How to say Basketball in different languages? Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. The series was full of things like that., We knew that we had to physically beat them because they had never played that kind of game. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. 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. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. 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. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. Carr revealed that the motto of the 1983-84 Celtics was Dont be denied, and the team ended up winning the championship that no one thought they would win. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. 1956 * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. 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. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. 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. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. In his last season as the teams head coach, Birds Pacers were the number one seed in the east and were not really tested throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 198384 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? 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 series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. In Game 7, the Celtics got 24 points from Cedric Maxwell and 22 from DJ with Bird scoring 20 as they won the game 111-102 and the series for Bostons 15th NBA title. Whether he makes an All-Defense team this season remains to be seen, but few wings in the association deserve more recognition than McDaniels this campaign. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. 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. Larry Bird was a star. Larry Bird is 6-9. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Take a look below. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? talent just don't get it. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. 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. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. That went to Birds teammate. 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. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . 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. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Traditional Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (5428) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. 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. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. 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. Small Forward and Power Forward He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. Indiana State University, High School: Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as they came away with a 111-102 victory. Things werent as cheerful from this point forward for Boston though. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. . 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 stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. 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. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . FTA complete back to 1948-49. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. 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. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The first round was a 3-1 victory over the Washington Bullets. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. 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. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? 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. 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. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. 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. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Regular Season Record: 62-20 (The Celtics tied with 76ers for 1st in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and the NBA but the Cs got the #1 seed in a tiebreaker by winning the last game of the season vs the Sixers). 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. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular season series: The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at Boston Garden. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Fitch went on to say that Mangurians decision to sell the team was the backbreaker and that he would have reconsidered his resignation had the team not been put up for sale. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. A superstar. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. 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.. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. 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. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead with a 121-103 victory, as Larry Bird scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. . Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . 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. The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. * 1981: Boston Celtics def. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981.
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