Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Your email address will not be published. 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. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Required fields are marked *. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. Some of Johnson's notable performances against Bird: As for some of Bird's notable performances against Johnson: Johnson and Bird played against each other 19 times in the playoffs over the course of three NBA Finals. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . The Celtics blew out Houston in game 5 behind a big effort from Cedric Maxwell and then took a big lead and held on to win in game 6. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. 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. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. 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. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. 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. There's always a mystique about players that played before the 90's because we don't have all the data, stats etc as we have to. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. 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. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. 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. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. 1983: Moses Malone: C: By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. . 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.. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. 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. 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. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. FTA complete back to 1948-49. Indiana State University, High School: Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. The following season, the Celtics did end up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers after winning their first-round series against the Washington Bullets (what a team name!). Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. October 9, 2019. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. . Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. 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. 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. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? 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. The Lakers took an early lead in overtime, but a controversial foul call foul on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, had been his 6th foul, and he was out of the game. 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. Hall of Fame. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. L.A. went on to blow out the Celtics in Game 3 but the resilient Celtics responded with a 129-125 OT win in Game 4 which was sealed by Carrs steal at the buzzer. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? No one thought we could beat the Lakers. . And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. 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. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. talent just don't get it. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. more information Accept. 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. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. December 7, 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. 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. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. 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. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. Birds mother, Georgia, once said that she couldnt fathom he sons NBA salary and, despite his earning power, insisted that she wasnt out buying expensive clothes. 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 addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. 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. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. 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 always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. 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. Former Celtics player M.L. Those other two times? No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. 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. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. They were the thoroughbreds, we were the Clydesdales., It was a very physical series, and thats exactly what we wanted because we knew thats the only way we could beat those guys. 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. 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. 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. Small Forward and Power Forward The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. . Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. 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. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. Traditional That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. 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. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. 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. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. May 12, 2022. 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 Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. This was a fantastic series overall. 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. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. . If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Peak, Bird was better imo The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Larry averaged 27-10-6. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. He joined the Celtics a year later. We have seen some teams lose in the NBA Finals off of some injuries and other situations leading up to it that the box score doesnt show, so lets dive into Birds record. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. The Bucks won a five-game series over the Hawks to start the playoffs and got by Darryl Dawkins and his NJ Nets in round 2. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. 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 . Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. 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. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. Bird averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cs. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. At the risk of boring you with a list of his all-time accomplishments, well run through an abbreviated version of Birds body of work. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. The teams traded games throughout the series. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. 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. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. How to say Basketball in different languages? Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Now, the explanation. More player info Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. 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 In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. After . Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . 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. [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game.
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