larry bird finals record
Former Celtics player M.L. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. We present them here for purely educational purposes. More player info Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. 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. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. 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. 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 . After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. 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. Join our linker program. . Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . * 1981: Boston Celtics def. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. 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 Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. 1956 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. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird. The games were not much closer than the series itself. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: 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. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. 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. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? 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. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. 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. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. 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 . 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. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. 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. 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. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. The kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. 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. 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 American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . 0:49. 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. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. 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. All rights reserved. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. 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. 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.. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? 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. Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. 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. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. 0:00. 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. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Larry Bird: Biography. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Do you have a blog? His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their legendary head-to-head matchups. Amazing! The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. more information Accept. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. It's an era thing. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Data Provided By On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . 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 Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. Im kind of country, she explained. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, "Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615206, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California, May 1984 sports events in the United States, June 1984 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, No. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . Traditional Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Navigation Toggle NBA. How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. Larry Bird (Larry Legend; The Hick from French Lick) Position: Forward 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) School: Indiana State (Men) Draft: Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA draft. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. 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. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. 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. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. Larry averaged 27-10-6. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 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 Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. The rules shift was a big factor . In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Please check your email for a confirmation. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. 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. The Celtics won the first three games by an average of 6 points before the Hawks got their only win at home. . 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. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Shoots: Larry Bird was a star. 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. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. "Wilt . Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. 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 posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. 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 . 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 Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Small Forward and Power Forward Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. 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. 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. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. Fitch went on to say that Mangurians decision to sell the team was the backbreaker and that he would have reconsidered his resignation had the team not been put up for sale. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. 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.