That might seem unbelievable this is coming from a man who famously asked his Three-Point Contest peers who was coming in second but it largely fits within Birds character. . Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. 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. 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. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart What surprises me more, though, is that former NBA player, 38-year-old JJ Redick, can't admit that the NBA of the 1980s was more physical than the game played today.. Nearly two weeks ago, Redick caused a stir by saying Bird shouldn't be considered . He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . NBA Finals: Ranking the top Finals performers in NBA history - HoopsHype How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. Two-time National Basketball Association champion Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell points to the pillars of the game when it comes to the question, "Who is the greatest NBA player of all time?" "I measure it by those who changed the game," said the former Boston Celtics standout on Sunday afternoon while taking part in the Legends & Stars Sports Expo at Batavia Downs Gaming. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. Here's when Larry Bird, Magic Johnson learned they have a lot - Yahoo The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . Funny story about that series, Boston was actually down 3-1 entering Game 5, and Bird ended up dropping 32, 25 and 23 points in each of those games to rally off three straight wins and advance his team to the Finals. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. 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. [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. 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. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Larry Bird age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? 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). Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. In other words, he noticed that some . 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. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Do you have a sports website? Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. 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. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. The Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings in round 1, then took six games to get by a fun Denver Nuggets team starring Alex English and Fat Lever. 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. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. 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. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Background. Thanks for signing up. Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more FTA complete back to 1948-49. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. The Competitive Drive Between Bird And Bird By Eric Simonon * 1981: Boston Celtics def. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. However, this was not the case. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. My favorite quotes about Larry Bird - CelticsBlog This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. 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. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. His first MVP award was in 1984. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. 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 . Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. 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. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. 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. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Your email address will not be published. Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. Larry Bird | Net Worth, Salary, And Career Earnings The Indiana-born was the highest-paid rookie of the year, with $3.25 million an average of $650,000 a year in a 5-year contract with the Celtics.Bird had played 879 games in his career until his retirement in 1992.. 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. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. 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. Former Celtics player M.L. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend 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). Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. 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. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. 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 Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Do you have a blog? What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. Amazing! 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. Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Traditional The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? 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. Larry Bird Q&A: Being a white player in the NBA, trash - Andscape The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. Im kind of country, she explained. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Larry Bird: Biography. 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. Home; Tickets; Schedule. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. Amazing! Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. . Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. 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. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. 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. Hall of Fame. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Everything you wanted to know about Indiana legend Larry Bird The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com 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. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. 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. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. 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. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. WATCH: Every play by Larry Bird in the 1981 NBA Finals vs. the Rockets
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