He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. 0:00. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. 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. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. While Bird did not have the finals success of a Jordan or Russell, he still had a better record than greats including LeBron and Wilt. Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. By: HoopsHype. 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. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] 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. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. . Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? 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. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Quora Find out more. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . His career was cut dramatically short by injury. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. 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 was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. 1984 was against the Los Ange. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. 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. Only the strong survive. You have to really understand the circumstances in each Finals run and see how he ended up with the record that he has right now. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Despite just reaching the finals, Bird stuck to his word and resigned shortly after the finals, taking up the role of Pacers president of basketball operations in 2003. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Larry pushed the Celtics out of the second round with an easy 4-1 series win over the Atlanta Hawks, led at the time by Dominique Wilkins. He joined the Celtics a year later. Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . 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. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. There were three Larry Bird championships with the Boston Celtics: in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. NAME. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? Bird outscored Dr. J 26.7 to 19.9 ppg in the series, led all players in rebounds and was second on Boston in assists. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . Im kind of country, she explained. The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Larry Bird Q&A: Being a white player in the NBA, trash - Andscape Larry Bird: Biography. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. How Did The Legendary Rivalry of Magic Johnson And Larry Bird Turned The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. 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. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. 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. Celtics-Lakers Rivalry | Basketball Wiki | Fandom Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. 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. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. 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. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. 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. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. 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. A superstar. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. How Larry Bird was robbed of the 1981 NBA playoff and - CelticsBlog The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting 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. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. larry bird finals record - josieya The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. The Houston Rockets have long been a sneakily dangerous team even when they were losing, dating from when the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals with a losing record. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. 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. The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. 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 7564. Navigation Toggle NBA. This struggle did not deter Bird. 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. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. Three seasons later, the Celtics were in the finals again and this time they faced the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson for the first time. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. 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. 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. 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. 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. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. J Erving, The Sixers swept a weak Indiana Pacers team in round 1 (2-0) then went seven games to defeat a tough Milwaukee Bucks team starring Bob Lanier, Marques Johnson and. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. 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. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. . Or write about sports? 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . Paul George: 'I still believe we're gonna be a tough team to beat in seven games', Gilbert Arenas on Ja Morant: 'When we young, we do stupid sh**', Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not on injury report, Erik Spoelstra refuses to comment on when Kyle Lowry will return, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala probable for Sunday against Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The league had changed the Finals homecourt schedule to the 2-3-2 format that year, allowing the team with the lesser record (LA) to host the middle three games. No stats available. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic JohnsonLarry Bird pair entering the league. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. 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. Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. Please check your email for a confirmation. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. 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. Amazing! 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. 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. . No one thought we could beat the Lakers. 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. 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 . Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. After . They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. 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. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. It's an era thing. I wrote about his underrated defense here. Small Forward and Power Forward 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. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. 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. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. May 12, 2022. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. 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 averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse 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. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . Everything you wanted to know about Indiana legend Larry Bird The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 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. 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. Background. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987 with Bird and Cooper going at it. Larry Bird picked up the 1984 MVP award and led his Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 overall record. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com