The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more Despite home wins in games three and five, the Pacers lost the series in six games, with Shaq and Kobe just being too much for Indianas stars. They quickly swept the Chicago Bulls, then marched down and knocked off the 76ers in a revenge series that wound up going into seven games. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. Magic vs. Bird: Reliving rivalry 40 Years after first NBA matchup After . Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . 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. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda Amazing! The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. 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. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. . the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Indiana State University, High School: Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. 1983: Moses Malone: C: That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. 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. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. 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. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 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. 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. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. 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. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. December 7, Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird: Biography. Larry Bird's Famous Wife Not Everyone Knows - msn.com Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. 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.. . Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. There are so many different titles that Bird has. 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. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. us, College: Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. 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. 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 . Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. 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. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. The Lakers took an early lead in overtime, but a controversial foul call foul on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, had been his 6th foul, and he was out of the game. How to say Basketball in different languages? But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Is it tied to championships? The Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. 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. 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. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. 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. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Hoop Maestro Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. His first MVP award was in 1984. Magic Johnson's rivalry with Larry Bird sparked greatest NBA Finals Background. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA 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. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. Johnson won 11 of those games, posting averages of 19.4 points, 11.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds in their head-to-head matchups compared to 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for Bird. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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 [2023 Update]: Wife, Net worth & Family - Players Bio The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. It was the beginning of one of the most legendary basketball rivalries in the history of the NBA, with Bird and Magic Johnson facing off against each other for the first time. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . L.A. went on to blow out the Celtics in Game 3 but the resilient Celtics responded with a 129-125 OT win in Game 4 which was sealed by Carrs steal at the buzzer. The Celtics won the first three games by an average of 6 points before the Hawks got their only win at home. My favorite quotes about Larry Bird - CelticsBlog 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 Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. Reliving the almost-perfect championship series stint authored by Larry Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? 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. No stats available. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. 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. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. 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. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. 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. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today 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. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. 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. 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) . Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. The 1985 NBA Finals & Brawling Larry Bird . Find out more. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. 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). Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry - Sportskeeda Michael Cooper Explains What Made Larry Bird 'Larger Than Life' - MSN He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Larry Bird stats . The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. Those other two times? Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. 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 East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Larry Bird is 6-9. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. After that the series was all Lakers, they won four of the next five games to end the series in six and hand Larry his first Finals loss. Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. 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. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN 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. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. In 1986, they failed a third straight NBA Finals meeting (it was later accomplished 31 years later by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors), as the Lakers were eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT). The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the 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. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. The Competitive Drive Between Bird And Bird By Eric Simonon In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. 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. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. 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. . During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . * 1981: Boston Celtics def. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. 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. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. Larry averaged 27-10-6. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr.
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