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. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. 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. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run!
Larry Bird - College Basketball At Sports-Reference This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series.
Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. Your email address will not be published. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. The Bullets also had rookie Jeff Malone, who was a backup at this point but would go on to be a star, and future Piston Bad Boy Rick Mahorn. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. Games. 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. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? 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. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. 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. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. 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. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Larry Bird Net Worth. 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).
Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. They easily won their first round series against the Washington Bullets as they were named at that time, then advanced and knocked off the New York Knicks in a seven-game series. Larry Bird is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. 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. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. 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. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division.
Larry Bird's Stats For Each Season: Consistency Was The Key, He The league had changed the Finals homecourt schedule to the 2-3-2 format that year, allowing the team with the lesser record (LA) to host the middle three games. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Larry averaged 27-10-6. Navigation Toggle NBA.
1984 NBA Finals - Wikipedia 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 . The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16.
AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. There were three Larry Bird championships with the Boston Celtics: in 1981, 1984 and 1986. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. 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. The Bucks were led in the series, as they had been in the regular season, by wing Marques Johnson and Hall of Fame guard Sidney Moncrief. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 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. The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7.
When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. 0:00.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry - Sportskeeda Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. 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: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes 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. 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. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. The games were not much closer than the series itself. 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. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. The teams traded games throughout the series. While Bird did not have the finals success of a Jordan or Russell, he still had a better record than greats including LeBron and Wilt. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. Larry Bird: Biography. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. 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.
Larry Bird | Bio-married, divorce, affair, children - Playerswiki It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. How to say Basketball in different languages? Larry averaged 27-10-7 and led the Celtics with 36 points in a game-five win that saw the Celtics beat the Hawks by 33 points. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. 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. 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. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Join our linker program. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shoots: Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. 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. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: 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 star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. 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. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. 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. 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 Houston Rockets have long been a sneakily dangerous team even when they were losing, dating from when the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals with a losing record.
WATCH: Every play by Larry Bird in the 1981 NBA Finals vs. the Rockets Larry Bird is 6-9. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. 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. . The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle.
Is LeBron James better than Larry Bird? - Quora He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series.
Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. 1983: Moses Malone: C: Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. 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. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. 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. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. 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 . Bird only averaged 15 points per game throughout the series but he did drop a series high 27 points in Game 6 to officially send the Rockets packing, as Bird won his first chip. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible.
Jayson Tatum's 25th birthday | ksdk.com They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics.
Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN 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. There's always a mystique about players that played before the 90's because we don't have all the data, stats etc as we have to. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. 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. Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. 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.