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. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. . Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com Here's when Larry Bird, Magic Johnson learned they have a lot - Yahoo 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. Right, Born: These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. After . LeBron James' teams have met or exceeded expectations in NBA Finals It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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). The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. His performances helped to take the Celtics to 62 wins in the regular season, topping the NBA. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Larry Bird stats . Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today I wrote about his underrated defense here. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. 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. The teams traded games throughout the series. Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda Adding one more hall of famer, Bill Walton, put this team over the top. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Legends profile: Larry Bird | NBA.com Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. Jelani Scott. Small Forward and Power Forward So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. 0:49. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. 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. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. 1981 NBA Finals - Wikipedia 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. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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's Famous Wife Not Everyone Knows - msn.com Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. Bird was very honest when taking up the role saying he would only coach the team for three years. Traditional Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. . Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. It's an era thing. Take a look below. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. 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. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . 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. 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. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. Amazing! Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. 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. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. A superstar. The Lakers took game 1 in Boston and looked like they made take a commanding 2-0 lead when Gerald Henderson stole the ball and the series. The Bulls lost Michael Jordan for most of this season to a foot injury and they were mostly terrible, finishing 4th in the Central Division. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? Or write about sports? "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. 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. Is it tied to championships? The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 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. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. NBA Awards - Finals MVP - National Basketball Association - ESPN Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. 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. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Bird: "So you're overpaid.". Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. 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. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. The Celtics won a very close game 3 in Houston to take control of the series with a 3-1 lead. 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. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 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. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Larry Joe Bird. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. Carr. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. 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. 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 . Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: This Finals had everything. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. This was a fantastic series overall. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. 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!). His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. Larry Bird - Wikipedia Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more BOSTON (AP) June 12, 1984: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-102 in Game 7 in the first NBA Finals between Boston's Larry Bird and Los Angeles' Magic Johnson . As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. Michael Cooper Explains What Made Larry Bird 'Larger Than Life' And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. 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. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. His first MVP award was in 1984. more information Accept. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. 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. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987 with Bird and Cooper going at it. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court.