Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. A superstar. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. 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. 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. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. The league had changed the Finals homecourt schedule to the 2-3-2 format that year, allowing the team with the lesser record (LA) to host the middle three games. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. . . Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . 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. Amazing! His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. By: HoopsHype. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. 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. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. Do you have a sports website? How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? The games were not much closer than the series itself. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: Magic gets the edge because he finished his career stronger, he was able to get/maybe steal from Charles Barkley the 1990 MVP, and he got the Lakers to another finals in 91, after 88 and the injuries Boston was done being any kind of serious contender they never got past the second round again for the rest of Larry Bird's time but if you're talkin Peak vs. 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. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Johnson won 11 of those games, posting averages of 19.4 points, 11.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds in their head-to-head matchups compared to 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for Bird. 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. 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. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. After that the series was all Lakers, they won four of the next five games to end the series in six and hand Larry his first Finals loss. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. The Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. 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. 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. Atlanta Hawks 4-1, 1986 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT). He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. All rights reserved. 1983: Moses Malone: C: And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. 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. Larry averaged 27-10-6. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. One of the most exciting 3-0 series in league history, the Celtics made quick work of the up-and-coming Bulls featuring a young Michael Jordan. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. . Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . In Game 7, the heat that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91F (33C) during the game, due to additional fans being brought in to try to cool the air). With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. 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. Former Celtics player M.L. Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. Better than MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Larry and Magic.If you take out Steph's games with an NBA75 teammate (KD), Steph's Playoff Win% is 48-26 (.649), which is still better than Duncan, Kobe and Larry Bird's with all their NBA75 teammates. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. This struggle did not deter Bird. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. Hall of Fame. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. 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. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. 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. 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. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . Julius Erving, in full Julius Winfield Erving II, byname Doctor J, (born February 22, 1950, Roosevelt, New York, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who was one of the most colourful and exciting figures in the game during the 1970s and '80s. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. This was Birds last season with Indiana State as he had been drafted by the Celtics in 1978, but chose to play out one final year with his college instead of going straight to the NBA. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. 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. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. There are so many different titles that Bird has. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. 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. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. It was clear that the Celtics were mentally exhausted after playing that many games in such a short span, which resulted in the Lakers beating Bird and the Celtics in six quick games. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . 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 Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. 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. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. . Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. Take a look below. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 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. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. I wrote about his underrated defense here. 1984 was against the Los Ange. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. 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. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Navigation Toggle NBA. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. 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. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". After . Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC.