As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? 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. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. 1956 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. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. 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. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. 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. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16.
Is LeBron James better than Larry Bird? - Quora Is it tied to championships? In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. Traditional No stats available. 0:49. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry - Sportskeeda Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP.
Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? - Basketball Noise Larry Bird | Bio-married, divorce, affair, children - Playerswiki Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. 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. Small Forward and Power Forward Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks had slipped past a young Detroit Pistons team featuring Kelly Tripucka, Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer in five games in the first round. 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. 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. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good.
What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Hoop Maestro In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. 2022-23 Season Schedule; In Game 7, the Celtics got 24 points from Cedric Maxwell and 22 from DJ with Bird scoring 20 as they won the game 111-102 and the series for Bostons 15th NBA title. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info .
Magic Johnson's rivalry with Larry Bird sparked greatest NBA Finals Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Indiana State University, High School:
Regular Season Record: 62-20 (The Celtics tied with 76ers for 1st in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and the NBA but the Cs got the #1 seed in a tiebreaker by winning the last game of the season vs the Sixers). Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. .
Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted.
AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today Games.
Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com Right, Born: Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to the Lakers in the finals, many people saw Bird taking a step back going into the 1985-86 season. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. 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. FTA complete back to 1948-49. 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. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . This struggle did not deter Bird. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups.
How Did The Legendary Rivalry of Magic Johnson And Larry Bird Turned Data Provided By Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. Background. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. Bird was very honest when taking up the role saying he would only coach the team for three years. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. 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. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals.
How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse As with many teams in the 1990s, the Pacers were stopped by the Chicago Bulls, losing the series in seven games as the Bulls did not lose a home game in the series. 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. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. 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. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. 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. 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. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. 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. 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. Larry Bird. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. 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. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. 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. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. 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 . The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? 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. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. 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 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. 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. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run!
Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. 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. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Your email address will not be published. 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. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . 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.. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series.
Larry Bird age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay 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. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . 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. 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. Carr. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. 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. 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 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. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. 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. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Larry pushed the Celtics out of the second round with an easy 4-1 series win over the Atlanta Hawks, led at the time by Dominique Wilkins. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107.
The 1985 NBA Finals & Brawling Larry Bird This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! 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. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. . Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ.
Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com Coopers. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. 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 . The Bucks won a five-game series over the Hawks to start the playoffs and got by Darryl Dawkins and his NJ Nets in round 2. May 12, 2022. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. 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. It was an offensive and defensive clinic.
Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. This Finals had everything. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. 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. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular season series: The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at Boston Garden. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA.
The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round.
Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks.
Larry Bird - Wikipedia Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. The rules shift was a big factor . Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most.
Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit