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 Bulls lost Michael Jordan for most of this season to a foot injury and they were mostly terrible, finishing 4th in the Central Division. Amazing! * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . 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. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . 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. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? Now, the explanation. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. 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. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. 0:00. more information Accept. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: The following season, the Celtics did end up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers after winning their first-round series against the Washington Bullets (what a team name!). 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. Only the strong survive. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Peak, Bird was better imo inWest Baden,Indiana The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. Larry Bird (Larry Legend; The Hick from French Lick) Position: Forward 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) School: Indiana State (Men) Draft: Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA draft. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. However, this was not the case. 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. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each time, and the first championship that the Celtics claimed at home since 1966. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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. The Bullets also had rookie Jeff Malone, who was a backup at this point but would go on to be a star, and future Piston Bad Boy Rick Mahorn. 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. By: HoopsHype. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. 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. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. It was clear that the Celtics were mentally exhausted after playing that many games in such a short span, which resulted in the Lakers beating Bird and the Celtics in six quick games. How to say Basketball in different languages? Larry Joe Bird. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. 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. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. 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. 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. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. . 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. If you were wondering about his career numbers while we wrap this up, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. 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. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. . Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Larry Bird: Biography. 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. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. 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. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Larry Bird. 1984 was against the Los Ange. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. Bird was very honest when taking up the role saying he would only coach the team for three years. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. he was voted the 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. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. Required fields are marked *. 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. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. 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 East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 1956 His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. Carr. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. 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. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. The Celtics were led by Bird, who won his first MVP award, and was complemented by 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, first-time all-star and Sixth Man Award winner Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Gerald Henderson and Danny Ainge. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. Hall of Fame. 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. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. Indiana State University, High School: home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. A superstar. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. 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. 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. There's always a mystique about players that played before the 90's because we don't have all the data, stats etc as we have to. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. 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. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Traditional Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. 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. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. 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. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. 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. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". 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. talent just don't get it. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . 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. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. 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. 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. 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. This was a fantastic series overall. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? . In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. In other words, he noticed that some . 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. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. 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. 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. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . . The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. 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. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. His first MVP award was in 1984. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. 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 . He joined the Celtics a year later. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. 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. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. 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. 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. Jelani Scott. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. 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. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. 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, 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. After . (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. That went to Birds teammate. Find out more. A year later, the Pacers would not have to worry about Michael Jordan as they returned to the playoffs, this time as the second seed in the east. 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. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. 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 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 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. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . . Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. 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.
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