They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. 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 . . 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.. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . The games were not much closer than the series itself. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". 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. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. 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. 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. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. 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. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. 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. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Birds college career as a whole was exceptional. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. 1984 was against the Los Ange. Games. 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. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? October 9, 2019. His performances helped to take the Celtics to 62 wins in the regular season, topping the NBA. Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. Then head coach Bill Fitch resigned as head coach despite having the second-best coaching record in the NBA during his four-year stint in Boston. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 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. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. 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. 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 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 Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. His first MVP award was in 1984. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. . After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. 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. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? NAME. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. 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. 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. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. 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. Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. 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. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? 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. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . 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 . The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. 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. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Now, the explanation. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. 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. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Larry Bird stats . Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. 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 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. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. Is it tied to championships? Navigation Toggle NBA. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. 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. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. This included a Game six victory where a hostile Boston crowd booed Ralph Sampson, sapping his confidence to the point he only had 8 points on 3-12 shooting. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. After . They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. 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. Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. It featured the first time that Larry Bird met Magic Johnson in the NBA Finals, their first head-to-head championship meeting since the 1979 NCAA title game. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. Or write about sports? How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. . The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. 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. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. 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. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. 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. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . 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's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. . Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. 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. This Finals had everything. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. December 7, We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Larry Bird Net Worth. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. 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 last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. . The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. Amazing! 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. 0:49. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. * 1981: Boston Celtics def. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. The rules shift was a big factor . Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. All rights reserved. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. How to say Basketball in different languages? However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. He joined the Celtics a year later. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. Home; Tickets; Schedule. 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. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic JohnsonLarry Bird pair entering the league. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . 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. 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. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. 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. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. Coopers. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. No stats available. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. 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. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. . Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987 with Bird and Cooper going at it. Larry Bird is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. 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. Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. 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. 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. 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. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. The Lakers took game 1 in Boston and looked like they made take a commanding 2-0 lead when Gerald Henderson stole the ball and the series. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . 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 averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for 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 . Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. 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. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses.