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. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . In 1986, they failed a third straight NBA Finals meeting (it was later accomplished 31 years later by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors), as the Lakers were eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. How to say Basketball in different languages? The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. 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). It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? . The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. Home; Tickets; Schedule. While Bird did not have the finals success of a Jordan or Russell, he still had a better record than greats including LeBron and Wilt. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. Small Forward and Power Forward This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across his three seasons, winning Naismith College Player of the Year in 1979. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. The games were not much closer than the series itself. Thanks for signing up. 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).
JJ Redick Tried to Clarify His Stance on Larry Bird and '80s Basketball Larry Bird was a star. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . Houston Rockets 4-2, who would briefly play with Bird later in his career, the greatest non-final series in NBA history, Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. 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. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame.
Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. Your email address will not be published. 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.. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. 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. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead with a 121-103 victory, as Larry Bird scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Required fields are marked *. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 0:49. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. . 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. Not that there was anything to really worry about for him, it really just added a chip on his shoulder to come back and perform to a high standard. . Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. After . These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. 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. 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. Larry Bird is 6-9. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986.
His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of .
Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. As someone who watched Bird play and has now researched and written more than a half dozen articles about his career, I can help you out. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Larry Bird is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. 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. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. Take a look below. By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. 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. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. . Amazing! Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. 1956 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. He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. It was one of the most dominant playoff runs that we had ever seen in basketball at this time and it was hard to imagine them as anything other than favorites entering that series against the Rockets, a team that they already beat in the championship before. It's an era thing. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. He joined the Celtics a year later. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . 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. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. He was still one to wear what he wanted, enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and, in this case, refuse to hype up his own accomplishments. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. December 7,
. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age.
It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. October 9, 2019. While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Now, the explanation. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. * 1981: Boston Celtics def. Funny story about that series, Boston was actually down 3-1 entering Game 5, and Bird ended up dropping 32, 25 and 23 points in each of those games to rally off three straight wins and advance his team to the Finals. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. 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 this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. Larry Bird: Biography. Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. Bird did not technically average a triple double for the series because both his rebounds and assists were slightly below 10 and Ive rounded them, but, still, those stats are unreal.
When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting