Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. 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. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. Amazing! 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 Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. 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 [2023 Update]: Wife, Net worth & Family - Players Bio Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. His performances helped to take the Celtics to 62 wins in the regular season, topping the NBA. Everything you wanted to know about Indiana legend Larry Bird Larry Bird stats . More player info In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . 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. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Top 15 Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Star - TheSportster Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. larry bird finals record - josieya In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. Larry Bird - College Basketball At Sports-Reference This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. 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. 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. There are so many different titles that Bird has. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. 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. 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. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. 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. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? At that time, Bird also expressed unhappiness over Mangurians decision to sell the team, and he was one of the players who defended Fitch after they were swept by the Bucks. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. 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). 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. 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. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. WATCH: Every play by Larry Bird in the 1981 NBA Finals vs. the Rockets Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. How to say Basketball in different languages? Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] Traditional Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. 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 Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. 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. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Those other two times? My favorite quotes about Larry Bird - CelticsBlog Bird was very honest when taking up the role saying he would only coach the team for three years. 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. Things werent as cheerful from this point forward for Boston though. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: Im not a guy that talks about my past because I always look to the future, but you really sit down and look at it, Ive been involved in a lot, its pretty nice, the forward simply explained. All rights reserved. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. 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. It's an era thing. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Background. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. 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 is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. 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. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Coopers. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. 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. . Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. 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. Magic Johnson Finals Record Vs Larry Bird | StatMuse One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. 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. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. 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. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . talent just don't get it. Hall of Fame. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. NAME. Arrives by Wed, Mar 15 Buy Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica Basketball with "HOF 1998" Inscription - Limited Edition of 133 at Walmart.com 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. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora Larry Bird's Finals Record: An All-Time Great! - Sports Nostalgia HQ Magic Johnson's rivalry with Larry Bird sparked greatest NBA Finals 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. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. 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. 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. If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Please check your email for a confirmation. In retirement, though, Larry Legend managed to take things down a notch. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Im kind of country, she explained. 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. No stats available. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. Amazing! Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. 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. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. The top 31 players and coaches, In 1981, the Celtics beat a Houston Rockets team featuring, In 1984, Birds Celtics beat the Showtime Lakers featuring, In 1986 the Celtics defeated a pretty different Houston Rockets squad. us, College: Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Do you have a sports website? The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. Larry Bird: Biography. This struggle did not deter Bird. 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. 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. 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. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. 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. By: HoopsHype. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? . 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 . Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. 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. [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. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. 1956 Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. 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. Join our linker program. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse