The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. 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. Find out more. In 1981, 1984 and 1986, it was Bird who led the Boston Celtics to championships, with him taking home two Finals MVP awards. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Better than MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Larry and Magic.If you take out Steph's games with an NBA75 teammate (KD), Steph's Playoff Win% is 48-26 (.649), which is still better than Duncan, Kobe and Larry Bird's with all their NBA75 teammates. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. 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. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. 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. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. Traditional The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Larry Joe Bird. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Coopers. 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. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Amazing! Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. 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. 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. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 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. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. 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. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. . They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. Background. 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. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. 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. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. One of the most feared competitors during the 1980s was Larry Bird, who won three championships with the Celtics during the decade, destroying teams through his versatile style and killer, lights-out shooting. 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. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.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 75-64. It's an era thing. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. December 7, 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. Larry Legend also sank 42 of 47 foul shots in the pressure-packed series (89.4 . In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. Do you have a blog? Only the strong survive. Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. 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) . Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. The Celtics then took the series lead for the first time by winning Game 5 but the thoroughbred Lakers sent the series to a Game 7 with their own double-digit win. 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). Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. By: HoopsHype. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. . Teaming with players like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Maxwell was an essential player on Boston teams that won NBA championships in both 1981 and 1984. Amazing! Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. How to say Basketball in different languages? 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. 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 were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Carr. . The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. 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. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Larry wouldnt have been a controversial choice, but Cedric Maxwell was the emotional center of the Celtics and meant so much to the teams culture. This Finals had everything. . Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. That went to Birds teammate. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? more information Accept. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. 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 Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. 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. 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. 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. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. 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. 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. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Hall of Fame. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. Larry Bird Net Worth. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. 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. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. 0:49. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. 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. 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. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. He joined the Celtics a year later. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns.The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three." M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the . The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. 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. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC.
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