larry bird finals record

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. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Is LeBron James better than Larry Bird? - Quora 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. 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. us, College: 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. How to say Basketball in different languages? He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. However, this was not the case. Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. 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. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. Is it tied to championships? 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. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. Birds college career as a whole was exceptional. 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. 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. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. By: HoopsHype. 0:49. The Bucks were led in the series, as they had been in the regular season, by wing Marques Johnson and Hall of Fame guard Sidney Moncrief. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Larry Bird is 6-9. 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 Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. The Bulls lost Michael Jordan for most of this season to a foot injury and they were mostly terrible, finishing 4th in the Central Division. 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. 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. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. All rights reserved. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. Carr revealed that the motto of the 1983-84 Celtics was Dont be denied, and the team ended up winning the championship that no one thought they would win. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN 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. Im kind of country, she explained. 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 - College Basketball At Sports-Reference They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. 2022-23 Season Schedule; 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. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . The teams traded games throughout the series. 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. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. Larry Bird | Bio-married, divorce, affair, children - Playerswiki Larry Bird's career NBA stats. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. 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. 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. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. 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) . The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Fox believes the Westbrook is the most scrutinized player in the NBA, while also stating that everyone inside the league loves Westbrook, regardless of what the outside perception may be, Arenas believes that the Grizzlies should ignore Morant's actions because every other team would and he's a productive player for them, Tim Hardaway told his favorite Run TMC story involving Don Nelson which resulted to an unforgettable moment for the group. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. 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. 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. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Its surprising that he wasnt able to win at least one more, though three championships nowadays is something that is wildly difficult to do, its no feat to be taken lightly. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. I wrote about his underrated defense here. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. 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. Amazing! the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. 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 games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. 1984 NBA Finals - Wikipedia Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. How Larry Bird was robbed of the 1981 NBA playoff and - CelticsBlog larry bird finals record - josieya The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. How to say Basketball in different languages? 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. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. Games. Former Celtics player M.L. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. 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 swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! . Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. Join our linker program. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? 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. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Then came the championship series. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT). Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. My favorite quotes about Larry Bird - CelticsBlog 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 7564. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. 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 Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. 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. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. 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. Amazing! While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. 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. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. 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 . The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. 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. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. Larry averaged 27-10-6. This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic JohnsonLarry Bird pair entering the league. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. Larry Bird - Wikipedia The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Larry Bird stats . Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. Larry Bird Q&A: Being a white player in the NBA, trash - Andscape This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. 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. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. After that the series was all Lakers, they won four of the next five games to end the series in six and hand Larry his first Finals loss. Background. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Shoots: The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Larry Bird Net Worth. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. 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. 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). Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. No stats available. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. The 10 Best NBA Players That Larry Bird Beat In The NBA Finals - MSN Larry Bird's Famous Wife Not Everyone Knows - msn.com May 12, 2022. 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. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. . He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied.