From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. NAME. 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 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. NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Celtics in the conference finals before losing to the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with Johnson earning Finals MVP honors for his Game 6 performance. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. Larry Bird - College Basketball At Sports-Reference December 7, Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? - Basketball Noise The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. 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. 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 . 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. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. No stats available. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? The first round was a 3-1 victory over the Washington Bullets. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. Hall of Fame. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. 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 was against the Los Ange. Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? M.L. Carr on Lakers vs. Celtics 1984 Finals being epic - Basketball They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. Despite just reaching the finals, Bird stuck to his word and resigned shortly after the finals, taking up the role of Pacers president of basketball operations in 2003. 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. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. By: HoopsHype. Peak, Bird was better imo His first MVP award was in 1984. us, College: He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. . The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. 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). As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Larry Bird is 6-9. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. . Larry Bird stats . They easily won their first round series against the Washington Bullets as they were named at that time, then advanced and knocked off the New York Knicks in a seven-game series. The teams traded games throughout the series. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Larry Bird | Bio-married, divorce, affair, children - Playerswiki . Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. JJ Redick Tried to Clarify His Stance on Larry Bird and '80s Basketball In other words, he noticed that some . The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. All rights reserved. Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. talent just don't get it. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? No one thought we could beat the Lakers. 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. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. 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. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Reliving the almost-perfect championship series stint authored by Larry What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? This Finals had everything. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. 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. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . 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. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com Please check your email for a confirmation. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Then head coach Bill Fitch resigned as head coach despite having the second-best coaching record in the NBA during his four-year stint in Boston. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Larry Bird: Career retrospective | Yardbarker Julius Erving | Biography, Stats, & Facts | Britannica He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . 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. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. Bird created a very good team. [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. 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. 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.

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