In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Despite just reaching the finals, Bird stuck to his word and resigned shortly after the finals, taking up the role of Pacers president of basketball operations in 2003. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. 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. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series.
Larry Bird: Career retrospective | Yardbarker The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . This Finals had everything. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Hey, it's enough to make Allen Iverson burn his Celtics throwbacks. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. It seemed like it should be an easy series for the Celtics, with game one and two victories by double digits, but the Knicks home crowd helped their team to win all their series home games. 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. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Thanks for signing up. 1956 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. The series was full of things like that., We knew that we had to physically beat them because they had never played that kind of game. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. us, College: J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. Right, Born: Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. I wrote about his underrated defense here. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . The first two meetings of the season between Cleveland and Boston took OT, but the Celtics were able to sneak a 117-113 win at home. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games.
Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit 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. 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. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. 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.
When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA?
He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. . So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic.
Here's when Larry Bird, Magic Johnson learned they have a lot - Yahoo 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.
Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN Larry Bird - Wikipedia Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. 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 10 Best NBA Players That Larry Bird Beat In The NBA Finals - MSN inWest Baden,Indiana The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Please check your email for a confirmation. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. Larry Bird stats . Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. December 7, Larry Bird: Biography. 1984 was against the Los Ange. [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. 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. 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. In his first trip to the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 6.8 rebounds, but the Celtics came up short. The Celtics won the first three games by an average of 6 points before the Hawks got their only win at home. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Is it tied to championships? Larry Bird picked up the 1984 MVP award and led his Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 overall record. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. All-NBA First-Teamers NOT in the Hall of Fame, Basketball Positions 101: Understanding the Different Roles on the Court, The Best NBA Players to NOT Make the Hall of Fame, The Best All-Defensive Team in NBA History, The All-Time Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Superstar by Position. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. As with many teams in the 1990s, the Pacers were stopped by the Chicago Bulls, losing the series in seven games as the Bulls did not lose a home game in the series. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Do you have a blog? 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. . 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. It's an era thing. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year.
The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Birds missed game winner in game four turned out to be vital in the series as the Lakers did not let their 3-1 lead slip, winning the series in six games. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. Bird poured in 39 in game 7 to lead the Cs to 30.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the series. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. Amazing! I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131.
Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse Your email address will not be published. The Celtics and the Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA, and the rivalry has often been called the greatest in the NBA. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. 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. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. No stats available. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. Games. Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. 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.
The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory.
Larry Bird's Finals Record: An All-Time Great! - Sports Nostalgia HQ 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. 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.
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. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. Your email address will not be published. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title.
JJ Redick Tried to Clarify His Stance on Larry Bird and '80s Basketball 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. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0.