How to say Basketball in different languages? This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. 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. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Data Provided By 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. The Lakers took an early lead in overtime, but a controversial foul call foul on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, had been his 6th foul, and he was out of the game. 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. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. 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. The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. Thanks for signing up. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? Houston had gone 40-42 in the 1980-81 regular season compared to Boston's 62-20 season under second-year Celtics sensation Larry Bird you may have heard of him. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. 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. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. December 7, Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. 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. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Games. 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. The first round was a 3-1 victory over the Washington Bullets. Birds college career as a whole was exceptional. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. Those other two times? In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. Amazing! Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. 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 Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. Larry Legend also sank 42 of 47 foul shots in the pressure-packed series (89.4 . Larry Bird was a star. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Now, the explanation. . talent just don't get it. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Do you have a blog? Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. 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. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Nevertheless, it is rare to see a player dominate in so many areas of the game, theres no wonder why the Celtics made multiple deep playoff runs. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. 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. 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. us, College: J Erving, The Sixers swept a weak Indiana Pacers team in round 1 (2-0) then went seven games to defeat a tough Milwaukee Bucks team starring Bob Lanier, Marques Johnson and. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. Larry Birds Celtics lost two 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. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. 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. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. 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). In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. The Celtics then knocked the 76ers off once again, this time in five games and advanced to the Finals for the second time in as many years. 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. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. This was Birds last season with Indiana State as he had been drafted by the Celtics in 1978, but chose to play out one final year with his college instead of going straight to the NBA. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. 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. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. The series was full of things like that., We knew that we had to physically beat them because they had never played that kind of game. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. 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. Birds mother, Georgia, once said that she couldnt fathom he sons NBA salary and, despite his earning power, insisted that she wasnt out buying expensive clothes. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. Atlanta Hawks 4-1, 1986 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. 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!). Your email address will not be published. However, this was not the case. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? 2022-23 Season Schedule; They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. 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 stats . 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. 0:00. 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. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. 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 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 Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. His performances included scoring 60 points against the Hawks which is still a Boston record to this day. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. All rights reserved. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. 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. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. . In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. 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. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. 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. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. 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. 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. 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. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. The Celtics then took the series lead for the first time by winning Game 5 but the thoroughbred Lakers sent the series to a Game 7 with their own double-digit win. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. By: HoopsHype. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. 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.