Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. 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. 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. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. Indiana State University, High School: The first round was a 3-1 victory over the Washington Bullets. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . It seemed like it should be an easy series for the Celtics, with game one and two victories by double digits, but the Knicks home crowd helped their team to win all their series home games. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. 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. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. They were the thoroughbreds, we were the Clydesdales., It was a very physical series, and thats exactly what we wanted because we knew thats the only way we could beat those guys. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 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. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. Former Celtics player M.L. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. 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. Larry Bird. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bird created a very good team. Larry Bird is 6-9. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Small Forward and Power Forward Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. Amazing! The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. How to say Basketball in different languages? Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] Navigation Toggle NBA. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. NAME DATE SEASON SERIES TM OPP REC W% MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% PF +/-Magic Johnson: 5/27/1984: 1983-84 . Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. 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. [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. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. 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. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Julius Erving, in full Julius Winfield Erving II, byname Doctor J, (born February 22, 1950, Roosevelt, New York, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who was one of the most colourful and exciting figures in the game during the 1970s and '80s. 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!). 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. The top 31 players and coaches, In 1981, the Celtics beat a Houston Rockets team featuring, In 1984, Birds Celtics beat the Showtime Lakers featuring, In 1986 the Celtics defeated a pretty different Houston Rockets squad. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. . The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. . Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. The rules shift was a big factor . How to say Basketball in different languages? While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 7564. Is it tied to championships? It was an offensive and defensive clinic. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . 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. Thanks for signing up. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . more information Accept. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. 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 won his first NBA Finals MVP. Larry Joe Bird. 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. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . Larry Bird is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. 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. 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. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. 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. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? His performances helped to take the Celtics to 62 wins in the regular season, topping the NBA. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. 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. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. 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). Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. 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. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. 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 . Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Or write about sports? Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. 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. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. 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. 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. 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. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. 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. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. He joined the Celtics a year later. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. 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. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (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..