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He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . . Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! 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 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 was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. 1984 NBA Finals - Wikipedia The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. Your email address will not be published. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Larry Bird was a star. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. The Bullets also had rookie Jeff Malone, who was a backup at this point but would go on to be a star, and future Piston Bad Boy Rick Mahorn. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Carr revealed that the motto of the 1983-84 Celtics was Dont be denied, and the team ended up winning the championship that no one thought they would win. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? - Basketball Noise The games were reasonably close if the series was not. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. * 1981: Boston Celtics def. more information Accept. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? [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. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Larry Bird's Stats For Each Season: Consistency Was The Key, He Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Bird, who was selected 6th in the 1978 NBA draft but committed back to Indiana State for his senior season, was named Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 32-game turnaround from the previous year, going from 29 to 61 wins. Larry Bird Vs Magic Johnson : r/nba - Reddit Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . 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. 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 worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. Larry led the team to a Game 7 victory while averaging 26-13-5, putting up a great stat line of 23-11-5 with 5 steals in the deciding Game 7. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. 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. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. Celtics-Lakers Rivalry | Basketball Wiki | Fandom In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? What is Larry Bird's Record in the NBA Finals? In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. 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. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their legendary head-to-head matchups. How Larry Bird was robbed of the 1981 NBA playoff and - CelticsBlog Amazing! The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? Find out more. 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. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. Larry Bird's Famous Wife Not Everyone Knows - msn.com Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart Jayson Tatum's 25th birthday | ksdk.com Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. 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. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. It must have lit a fire underneath Larry because he didnt let anything get in his way during his sophomore season. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. 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. How Did The Legendary Rivalry of Magic Johnson And Larry Bird Turned Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. In other words, he noticed that some . Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. 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. Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. 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. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Jelani Scott. His first MVP award was in 1984. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. Im kind of country, she explained. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. Julius Erving | Biography, Stats, & Facts | Britannica His performances included scoring 60 points against the Hawks which is still a Boston record to this day. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. 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.