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Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. Is it tied to championships? The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. 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. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Julius Erving | Biography, Stats, & Facts | Britannica inWest Baden,Indiana Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. 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. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. . I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. Larry Bird - College Basketball At Sports-Reference Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. 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 . We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. 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. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. We present them here for purely educational purposes. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. 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. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. 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. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. Meanwhile, the Clydesdales, AKA the Celtics, were coming off a season where they went 56-26 and were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in round 2 of the playoffs. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. 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. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Larry Bird: Career retrospective | Yardbarker Or write about sports? Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. 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. The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Coopers. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse 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). (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. 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. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. 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. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. There were three Larry Bird championships with the Boston Celtics: in 1981, 1984 and 1986. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. Shoots: Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse Stockton, the play-by-play announcer for the series, was joined by Tom Heinsohn, and the duo would call the next four NBA Finals until 1987. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. 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. How Did The Legendary Rivalry of Magic Johnson And Larry Bird Turned If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Larry Bird's Famous Wife Not Everyone Knows - msn.com NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? more information Accept. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. A superstar. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. 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). Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. How to say Basketball in different languages? His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . Your email address will not be published. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . 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. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. Your email address will not be published. The Lakers took game 1 in Boston and looked like they made take a commanding 2-0 lead when Gerald Henderson stole the ball and the series. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. 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. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. Amazing! Larry Bird - Wikipedia Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Hall of Fame. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Its surprising that he wasnt able to win at least one more, though three championships nowadays is something that is wildly difficult to do, its no feat to be taken lightly. . What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Quora 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 series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. This was a fantastic series overall. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. 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. 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. Peak, Bird was better imo us, College: Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. Join our linker program. Take a look below. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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). 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. 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. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. Home; Tickets; Schedule. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five 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. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. 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. 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. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. 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. 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 won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. He joined the Celtics a year later. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.