This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. 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 . I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. Larry Bird: Biography. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. Background. All rights reserved. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. More player info This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. Data Provided By We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! 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. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with 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. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. Or write about sports? Whether he makes an All-Defense team this season remains to be seen, but few wings in the association deserve more recognition than McDaniels this campaign. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. It's an era thing. Find out more. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Quora Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. 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. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. Everything you wanted to know about Indiana legend Larry Bird It was one of the most dominant playoff runs that we had ever seen in basketball at this time and it was hard to imagine them as anything other than favorites entering that series against the Rockets, a team that they already beat in the championship before. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Games. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. 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. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. 0:49. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 198384 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. Navigation Toggle NBA. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. 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. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? - Basketball Noise The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. M.L. Carr on Lakers vs. Celtics 1984 Finals being epic - Basketball What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. 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. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Your email address will not be published. AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Birds missed game winner in game four turned out to be vital in the series as the Lakers did not let their 3-1 lead slip, winning the series in six games. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. talent just don't get it. 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). Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. 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. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. 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. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Legends profile: Larry Bird | NBA.com The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. 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. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. Bird outscored Dr. J 26.7 to 19.9 ppg in the series, led all players in rebounds and was second on Boston in assists. NBA unveils two new postseason awards named after Larry Bird, Magic he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Hoop Maestro Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. . The Rockets fought back to win handily in game 5 at home but the Celtics closed out the series in game 6 in the Boston Garden to take their third title of the Bird era. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. Larry Bird's Stats For Each Season: Consistency Was The Key, He 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. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. Jelani Scott. Larry Bird Vs Magic Johnson : r/nba - Reddit 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. 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!). 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. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend There are so many different titles that Bird has. The 1985 NBA Finals & Brawling Larry Bird Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. 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. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? Then came the championship series. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. . 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. us, College: The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 2022-23 Season Schedule; Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. 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. 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. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Is LeBron James better than Larry Bird? - Quora The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. 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 . Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 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. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. 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. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. 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. [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. October 9, 2019. The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. His performances included scoring 60 points against the Hawks which is still a Boston record to this day. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. 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. 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. Teaming with players like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Maxwell was an essential player on Boston teams that won NBA championships in both 1981 and 1984. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . The Competitive Drive Between Bird And Bird By Eric Simonon He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. Those other two times? The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. 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. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. What is Larry Bird's Record in the NBA Finals? Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. And they werent. In Game 7, the Celtics got 24 points from Cedric Maxwell and 22 from DJ with Bird scoring 20 as they won the game 111-102 and the series for Bostons 15th NBA title. Im kind of country, she explained. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Thanks for signing up. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. Larry Bird [2023 Update]: Wife, Net worth & Family - Players Bio 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. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. 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. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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