Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. At the risk of boring you with a list of his all-time accomplishments, well run through an abbreviated version of Birds body of work. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. 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. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. 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. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. He stayed loyal to the Celtics throughout his entire career and they were the team that reaped the benefits of his five NBA Finals appearances and three NBAchampionships. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. Now, the explanation. . One of the most exciting 3-0 series in league history, the Celtics made quick work of the up-and-coming Bulls featuring a young Michael Jordan. Larry Bird: Biography. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. 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. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Jelani Scott. . Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. 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. One of the most feared competitors during the 1980s was Larry Bird, who won three championships with the Celtics during the decade, destroying teams through his versatile style and killer, lights-out shooting. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. 0:49. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. 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. 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. 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 Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. 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. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. 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. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. Larry averaged 27-10-6. 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. 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. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . L.A. went on to blow out the Celtics in Game 3 but the resilient Celtics responded with a 129-125 OT win in Game 4 which was sealed by Carrs steal at the buzzer. The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. Background. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . 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. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. No stats available. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. 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. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. 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 . Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . You have to really understand the circumstances in each Finals run and see how he ended up with the record that he has right now. Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. 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. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. 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 Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. 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 Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Home; Tickets; Schedule. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . 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. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. It's an era thing. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. . Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Not that there was anything to really worry about for him, it really just added a chip on his shoulder to come back and perform to a high standard. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. 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. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as they came away with a 111-102 victory. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? more information Accept. Right, Born: The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. 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. He shone as a head coach and executive for the Indiana Pacers; in fact, hes the only man in history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. 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. 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 Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. How to say Basketball in different languages? 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. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. 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. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. 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. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. Larry Bird was a star. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". 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. Take a look below. 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). Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. 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. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. The rules shift was a big factor . Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. 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. The teams traded games throughout the series. Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to the Lakers in the finals, many people saw Bird taking a step back going into the 1985-86 season. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. 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. Traditional 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). We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Bird did not technically average a triple double for the series because both his rebounds and assists were slightly below 10 and Ive rounded them, but, still, those stats are unreal. By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Data Provided By Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. The Bucks won a five-game series over the Hawks to start the playoffs and got by Darryl Dawkins and his NJ Nets in round 2. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. 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. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. The kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. . Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. A superstar. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. When asked about what he remembers most about beating the Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals, Carrs reply was: The final seconds of Game 7. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. There are so many different titles that Bird has. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. 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. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. Larry Bird. He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across his three seasons, winning Naismith College Player of the Year in 1979. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. 1956 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. 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. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. 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. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird Net Worth. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". 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. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Is it tied to championships? Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Birds college career as a whole was exceptional. 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