he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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 . In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. 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. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Whether he makes an All-Defense team this season remains to be seen, but few wings in the association deserve more recognition than McDaniels this campaign. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Home; Tickets; Schedule. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. 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. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. It must have lit a fire underneath Larry because he didnt let anything get in his way during his sophomore season. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. 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. 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. 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. Bird outscored Dr. J 26.7 to 19.9 ppg in the series, led all players in rebounds and was second on Boston in assists. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. The Celtics were led by Bird, who won his first MVP award, and was complemented by 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, first-time all-star and Sixth Man Award winner Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Gerald Henderson and Danny Ainge. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. . The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. Carr. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, "Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615206, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California, May 1984 sports events in the United States, June 1984 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, No. 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. 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 Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. us, College: Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. 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. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. 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 He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. Data Provided By More player info He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. 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. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. Larry Bird is 6-9. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. Im not a guy that talks about my past because I always look to the future, but you really sit down and look at it, Ive been involved in a lot, its pretty nice, the forward simply explained. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. 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. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Small Forward and Power Forward The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? 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. Larry Bird was a star. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. 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. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. The 86 Celts, in the conversation for the greatest team of all time, defeated Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time, in the first round. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. At that time, Bird also expressed unhappiness over Mangurians decision to sell the team, and he was one of the players who defended Fitch after they were swept by the Bucks. 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. 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 . Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as they came away with a 111-102 victory. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. . 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 1983: Moses Malone: C: 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. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. . Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". 2022-23 Season Schedule; After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. The Celtics then knocked the 76ers off once again, this time in five games and advanced to the Finals for the second time in as many years. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. The Celtics won the first three games by an average of 6 points before the Hawks got their only win at home. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. 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). He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. October 9, 2019. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Nevertheless, it is rare to see a player dominate in so many areas of the game, theres no wonder why the Celtics made multiple deep playoff runs. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . How to say Basketball in different languages? The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. 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 . Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] . Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. Navigation Toggle NBA. The games were not much closer than the series itself. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . No stats available. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. "Wilt . Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 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. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. 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. Background. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. The Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings in round 1, then took six games to get by a fun Denver Nuggets team starring Alex English and Fat Lever. 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. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. 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. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season.