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This struggle did not deter Bird. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Quora It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. BOSTON (AP) June 12, 1984: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-102 in Game 7 in the first NBA Finals between Boston's Larry Bird and Los Angeles' Magic Johnson . There were three Larry Bird championships with the Boston Celtics: in 1981, 1984 and 1986. 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 starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . Larry Bird is 6-9. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . The rules shift was a big factor . Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. 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. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. That went to Birds teammate. 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. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? 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's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . More player info The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. This was a fantastic series overall. 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. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. I wrote about his underrated defense here. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. 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. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. 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. . 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. 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!). Bird created a very good team. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. How to say Basketball in different languages? In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. 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. Is LeBron James better than Larry Bird? - Quora 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. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. It's an era thing. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. 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. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. Despite a back injury in the 1985 offseason, Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebound and 6.8 assists per game and for the third straight season, the Celtics finished top of the Eastern Conference. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? Larry Bird's Stats For Each Season: Consistency Was The Key, He The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. Those other two times? The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com 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. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Legends profile: Larry Bird | NBA.com Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 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. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. 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. Peak, Bird was better imo The Bucks were led in the series, as they had been in the regular season, by wing Marques Johnson and Hall of Fame guard Sidney Moncrief. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Houston had gone 40-42 in the 1980-81 regular season compared to Boston's 62-20 season under second-year Celtics sensation Larry Bird you may have heard of him. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. 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. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. 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. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . 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. 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. 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. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. "Wilt . 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. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . 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. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. 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. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. As someone who watched Bird play and has now researched and written more than a half dozen articles about his career, I can help you out. Top 15 Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Star - TheSportster How to say Basketball in different languages? Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Larry Bird Net Worth. 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. 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. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. 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. 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. Shoots: Hall of Fame. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. Required fields are marked *. The Knicks had slipped past a young Detroit Pistons team featuring Kelly Tripucka, Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer in five games in the first round. This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. 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. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. In retirement, though, Larry Legend managed to take things down a notch. Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse 2022-23 Season Schedule; 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. M.L. Carr on Lakers vs. Celtics 1984 Finals being epic - Basketball The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Hoop Maestro How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? - Basketball Noise The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte 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 kind of country, she explained. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. . One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their legendary head-to-head matchups. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. 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. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier.