The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. 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. That went to Birds teammate. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. 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. Then came the championship series. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. This Finals had everything. Despite a back injury in the 1985 offseason, Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebound and 6.8 assists per game and for the third straight season, the Celtics finished top of the Eastern Conference. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. His performances helped to take the Celtics to 62 wins in the regular season, topping the NBA. Birds college career as a whole was exceptional. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! May 12, 2022. 0:49. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. 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. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. Stockton, the play-by-play announcer for the series, was joined by Tom Heinsohn, and the duo would call the next four NBA Finals until 1987. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Larry led the team to a Game 7 victory while averaging 26-13-5, putting up a great stat line of 23-11-5 with 5 steals in the deciding Game 7. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. 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. Join our linker program. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. 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. 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. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. In his first trip to the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 6.8 rebounds, but the Celtics came up short. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 1983: Moses Malone: C: No stats available. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. Amazing! The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? inWest Baden,Indiana Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. 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. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. 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. Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Bird also won Finals MVP in 1986 when he scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and had 2.7 steals per game. 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. Is it tied to championships? After . The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. 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. . What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. 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. 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. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? 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. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. Do you have a sports website? 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. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. Magic gets the edge because he finished his career stronger, he was able to get/maybe steal from Charles Barkley the 1990 MVP, and he got the Lakers to another finals in 91, after 88 and the injuries Boston was done being any kind of serious contender they never got past the second round again for the rest of Larry Bird's time but if you're talkin Peak vs. However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Do you have a blog? He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. 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. Larry Bird is 6-9. 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. 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. The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. 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. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. Bird created a very good team. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.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 75-64. 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. 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). Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA 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. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. Thanks for signing up. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. However, this was not the case. So, for me, being back in the old Boston Garden for Game 7, with twelve seconds left on the clock, and knowing that we were going to be world champions when absolutely no one gave us a chance but usthat is the thing that I remember the most.. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. A superstar. 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. Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. Required fields are marked *. The rules shift was a big factor . The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. It's an era thing. Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. 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 famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. 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. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Whether he makes an All-Defense team this season remains to be seen, but few wings in the association deserve more recognition than McDaniels this campaign. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. It was clear that the Celtics were mentally exhausted after playing that many games in such a short span, which resulted in the Lakers beating Bird and the Celtics in six quick games. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . 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. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. December 7, . After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. 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 kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. MUMBAI, India Twenty-seven years after Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the "Dream Team" made the world fall in love with the game of basketball in 1992, India showed its adoration for the Boston Celtics great during the first NBA India Games last week. Carr. 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. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Indiana State University, High School: There were three Larry Bird championships with the Boston Celtics: in 1981, 1984 and 1986. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. 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. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. Larry Bird Net Worth. 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. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals.
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