larry bird finals record
Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. Larry Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. more information Accept. 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. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. 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. 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. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. Data Provided By Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. . Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. Indiana State University, High School: 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. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. Larry was no slouch, averaging 15-15-7 in a 4-2 series win. Navigation Toggle NBA. 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 . The kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. 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 cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. 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. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. 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. Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. Larry Bird | Net Worth, Salary, And Career Earnings The Indiana-born was the highest-paid rookie of the year, with $3.25 million an average of $650,000 a year in a 5-year contract with the Celtics.Bird had played 879 games in his career until his retirement in 1992.. How to say Basketball in different languages? If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. The Pacers got their revenge on the Knicks, winning the eastern conference finals in six games to go up against the Lakers. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. 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 struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. 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. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. 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. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Im not a guy that talks about my past because I always look to the future, but you really sit down and look at it, Ive been involved in a lot, its pretty nice, the forward simply explained. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Do you have a blog? 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. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. Larry Legend also sank 42 of 47 foul shots in the pressure-packed series (89.4 . Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. 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. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. 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. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . 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. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. A year later, the Pacers would not have to worry about Michael Jordan as they returned to the playoffs, this time as the second seed in the east. Carr. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. 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. Jelani Scott. Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . Amazing! Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Find out more. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. And they werent. 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. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. He joined the Celtics a year later. Its surprising that he wasnt able to win at least one more, though three championships nowadays is something that is wildly difficult to do, its no feat to be taken lightly. The rules shift was a big factor . 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. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . 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. How to say Basketball in different languages? The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. come dine with me chris firmin,