Hall of Fame. Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart No stats available. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. Jayson Tatum's 25th birthday | ksdk.com NBA unveils two new postseason awards named after Larry Bird, Magic Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. Larry Bird picked up the 1984 MVP award and led his Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 overall record. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? 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. Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda 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!). The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] 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. 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. 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. 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 . more information Accept. Is it tied to championships? 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. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. . Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. It must have lit a fire underneath Larry because he didnt let anything get in his way during his sophomore season. 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. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. Join our linker program. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns.The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three." M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the . Required fields are marked *. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. 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. It's an era thing. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. Bird created a very good team. He joined the Celtics a year later. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. Jayson Tatum passed Larry Bird for the most 30 point games Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. 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. Some of Johnson's notable performances against Bird: As for some of Bird's notable performances against Johnson: Johnson and Bird played against each other 19 times in the playoffs over the course of three NBA Finals. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. 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. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. As with many teams in the 1990s, the Pacers were stopped by the Chicago Bulls, losing the series in seven games as the Bulls did not lose a home game in the series. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. 1984 NBA Finals - Wikipedia Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. 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.. Johnson had the winning record in the regular season and playoffs, and he took down Bird twice in their three Finals showdowns although Johnson having the better team had something to do with that. 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. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. October 9, 2019. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. 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. 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. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. A superstar. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. 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. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. 1956 NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Larry Bird - Wikipedia In his last season as the teams head coach, Birds Pacers were the number one seed in the east and were not really tested throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. 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. 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. 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. How to say Basketball in different languages? Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. The Laker momentum was stalled, and Larry Bird came up with a crucial jumper over Magic Johnson with 16 seconds remaining in overtime, then M.L. Right, Born: After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. . When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting The games were not much closer than the series itself. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. That went to Birds teammate. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. 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. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. Carr. 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. December 7, Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Bird: "So you're overpaid.". Fox believes the Westbrook is the most scrutinized player in the NBA, while also stating that everyone inside the league loves Westbrook, regardless of what the outside perception may be, Arenas believes that the Grizzlies should ignore Morant's actions because every other team would and he's a productive player for them, Tim Hardaway told his favorite Run TMC story involving Don Nelson which resulted to an unforgettable moment for the group. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. 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. 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. Magic Johnson Finals Record Vs Larry Bird | StatMuse Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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. JJ Redick Tried to Clarify His Stance on Larry Bird and '80s Basketball Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. Magic vs. Bird: Reliving rivalry 40 Years after first NBA matchup Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. Larry Bird: Biography. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Larry averaged 27-10-6. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? 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. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: 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. Larry Bird age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. 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. Larry Bird Vs Magic Johnson : r/nba - Reddit After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. Celtics-Lakers Rivalry | Basketball Wiki | Fandom The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76.