According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. 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. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. 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. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. Larry Bird is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. 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. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. 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. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Your email address will not be published. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: It's an era thing. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Johnson had the winning record in the regular season and playoffs, and he took down Bird twice in their three Finals showdowns although Johnson having the better team had something to do with that. 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. Now, the explanation. Larry averaged 27-10-6. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. 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. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . 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. . Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? The Celtics won the first three games by an average of 6 points before the Hawks got their only win at home. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. 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 . Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. The Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thanks for signing up. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. 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. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Those other two times? Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. 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. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. 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. 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. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. FTA complete back to 1948-49. In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. 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. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. 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. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. 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. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. May 12, 2022. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. The games were not much closer than the series itself. This site is a participant in the Impact Affiliate Platform which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Fanatics.com . . The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. 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. Is it tied to championships? 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. 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. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . 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. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. 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. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. However, this was not the case. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. Larry Bird stats . 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. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. 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. His first MVP award was in 1984. The Laker momentum was stalled, and Larry Bird came up with a crucial jumper over Magic Johnson with 16 seconds remaining in overtime, then M.L. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. So, for me, being back in the old Boston Garden for Game 7, with twelve seconds left on the clock, and knowing that we were going to be world champions when absolutely no one gave us a chance but usthat is the thing that I remember the most.. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). 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. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e.
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