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 was named MVP of the series. 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 . Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. Bird created a very good team. 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. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. That went to Birds teammate. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. 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 As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . The games were close enough but never really in doubt. The rules shift was a big factor . He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. His performances included scoring 60 points against the Hawks which is still a Boston record to this day. [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. 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. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . more information Accept. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. In 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird faced off for the first time in the NBA. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? Navigation Toggle NBA. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. Larry Joe Bird. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. Indiana State University, High School: Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 1956 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 . 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 Houston Rockets have long been a sneakily dangerous team even when they were losing, dating from when the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals with a losing record. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? 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. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. FTA complete back to 1948-49. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. One of the ongoing debates within the world of sports centers around how you define greatness. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. 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. 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. Throughout the season, he showed that he was the reigning MVP and had an excellent statistical season. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. Boston finished with a 62-20 regular season record and got their revenge on the Bucks, whom they beat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Only the strong survive. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). 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. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. 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. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. 0:00. Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. 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. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. If you are interested in Larry Bird Championships, you might be interested in checking out some of these posts I have written about Larry Legend. Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. Larry Bird was a star. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. A superstar. Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? 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 averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. 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. Join our linker program. He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across his three seasons, winning Naismith College Player of the Year in 1979. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Is it tied to championships? The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. Shoots: Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. In 1981, 1984 and 1986, it was Bird who led the Boston Celtics to championships, with him taking home two Finals MVP awards. 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. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. . "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. 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 . We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Or write about sports? You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. December 7, What surprises me more, though, is that former NBA player, 38-year-old JJ Redick, can't admit that the NBA of the 1980s was more physical than the game played today.. Nearly two weeks ago, Redick caused a stir by saying Bird shouldn't be considered . Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. 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. This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. 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. 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. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Games. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . 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 Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. He shone as a head coach and executive for the Indiana Pacers; in fact, hes the only man in history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups.